The Grim Reality of Hunting

As Boxing Day looms the Countryside Alliance publicity machine will roll into action peddling a sanitised, harmless version of hunting to the media. The reality is somewhat different and involves illegality and a desperate desire to kill by the hunting community. A vivid example of this occurred on the 17th December at a meet of the Fife Foxhounds who met at Findas Farm, Cupar, Fife.

Towards the end of the day the hunt chased a fox into an active badger sett. It is illegal to interfere with a badger sett so the  hunt should have immediately withdrawn but instead they sent their terrier men in to dig out and then shoot the fox.

Members of Perthshire and Grampian hunt saboteurs managed to sit in the sett entrances to prevent the terrier men digging and in their fury at being thwarted the terrier men assaulted and pointed loaded guns at the saboteurs. The sabs refused to back down and there was a three hour stand off at the sett with the police watching on. As darkness fell the Wildlife Crime officer finally arrived. He claimed it was too dark to ascertain if it was an active badger sett but instructed the terrier men to leave.

Lee Moon, Spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “Well done to these brave saboteurs, who despite being outnumbered by men with guns, saved the life of this fox. Pointing a loaded gun at someone is illegal and we demand that Iain Dickson has his firearms license revoked.

The Countryside Alliance use Boxing day to promote the image of fox hunting as a harmless past time involving a jolly ride across the countryside with your chums. The incident shown in the attached video is the grisly reality of hunting that occurs away from the media spotlight.”

Note to editors:

Footage of the incident can be viewed here.

Photo attached shows the hunt terrier man pointing a loaded gun at a hunt saboteur.