Opening Meets Bring Another Season of Illegal Fox Hunting

Days ahead of the official start of the new hunting season, the Hunt Saboteurs Association is today releasing the first of three videos showing the cruel and illegal practice of ‘bolting.’

In the video, filmed by one of the hunt supporters present, a man with a terrier under one arm can be seen moving a spade that is blocking a hole. A fox exits the hole and runs into the path of a pack of hounds, which are being held up by another man. The fox is then chased with the pack of hounds close behind.

Far away from the sanitised spectacle that was presented by hunters at ‘Smokescreen Saturday’ events last month, these videos show the grim reality of illegal hunting.

‘Bolting’ involves a fox being forced from its place of underground refuge – be that a den, a badger sett or drain – in front of a pack of hounds that then chase the animal, usually ending when the fox is caught and killed. Terriermen are often responsible for this, using terriers, spades and drainage rods to force the terrified animal to break cover.

A spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said:

“Just like the two Avon Vale videos showing separate ‘dig-outs’ in which three foxes were killed, these three videos have been filmed by the hunters themselves and then shared as sick trophies of their exploits. As the new hunting season is about to get under way with hundreds of ‘opening meets’ taking place across the country in coming weeks, this is a snapshot of what happens when hunters think they are safe in only their own company.”

The first hunting season since Labour were elected on a promise to ban so-called ‘trail hunting’ is now underway, and cruelty such as that shown in these videos is happening on their watch.

Please use the links below to write to your MP and Environment Secretary Steve Reed to tell them to ban the smokescreen of ‘trail hunting’ that allows horrific events like these to continue and to end terrierwork.