The Mystery Of The Missing Terrier Box

It’s a New Year, and hunts are dreaming up new ways to try to hide their illegal activities.

When Calder Valley Hunt Sabs rolled up to a meet of North York & West of Yore Hunt near Catterick, North Yorkshire on Saturday it was immediately clear that fox hunting was in progress. The terrier crew were seen on quad bikes, with the classic set-up of a terrier box on the front and a storage locker – containing spades, digging bars, and the other tools of their vile trade – on the back.

However, once the hunt realised sabs were present, the quad bike disappeared…returning some time later with the terrier box having mysteriously vanished into thin air.

With the North York & West of Yore Hunt prevented from using terriers, Calder Valley sabs then proceeded to disrupt the rest of the day, repeatedly using hunting horns to call hounds away from the woods, and even helping a Ministry of Defence ranger evict the trespassing hunt from military land – job done!

Terrier men are an integral part of a day’s illegal foxhunting. When a hunted fox has sought refuge underground, a terrier is sent in to locate and attack the fox, while the terrriermen dig down to get to the poor animal. Just before the pageantry of Boxing Day, the HSA released horrifying video which showed a live fox being dug out and thrown to the hounds.

An HSA spokesperson commented:

“The magical disappearance of the North Yorks & West of Yore Hunt’s terrier box tells us two things. Firstly, the hunt were intent on illegally hunting and digging out foxes had sabs not been attendance. Secondly, the supposed regulation of hunting by the British Hound Sports Association – who claim to have banned terrier work on hunts – is completely and utterly meaningless.”

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2024 is almost certainly a general election year, so please also get involved in our campaign to close the many loopholes in the 2004 Hunting Act.