20th February 2016
Working Together To Keep Hounds Off
This landowner was helped by Hunt Monitors to keep the Cheshire Forest hounds off her property on 20 February 2016.
If you’re affected by hunt trespass and contact Hounds Off for support we can often put you in touch with people who will help you on the ground. For example, one landowner in Cheshire has established a great relationship with local Hunt Monitors. When the Hunt is around they get together to keep the hounds off her land. It’s a great example of how we all work as a team.
This is the message we received from the landowner after a hunt on Saturday 20 February 2016:
Hi it’s been a wet and soggy day following the Cheshire forest hunt round, the Cheshire monitors were absolutely great and I’m pretty sure it was a no kill day, they will confirm that though, they did stop them getting 2 foxes.
On their Facebook page, Cheshire Monitors reported the day like this:
We were out with the Cheshire Forest Hunt today, supporting some lovely locals who have had problems with this hunt in the past.
We caught them up to no good not long after they set off from the meet (which they weren’t happy about) and had to work hard to keep on top of them all day.
As usual there were more hunt thugs out with them than riders, it looks like this hunt are going down in popularity.
We had 7 quads with masked heavies careering about causing havoc.
At one point one of our team was filming the hounds in full cry, then marking where a fox had gone to ground. Their car was blocked in by supporters and their wing mirror kicked in by riders ( the police are dealing with this) who were clearly very upset that we were spoiling their fun.
This didn’t deter our monitor and suffice to say that eventually the huntsman called the hounds off. He did however leave the scene screaming his head off. There were no signs of a kill all day. Job done!
Remember, you are not alone! You can protect your property, livestock and pets from hunt trespass. Get hold of Hounds Off via Facebook, Twitter @HoundsOff or via the Contact Us page on this website.
© Joe Hashman
3rd February 2016
Hunting Across The Scottish/English Border
A review into the Proection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 will take place this year.
Contribute to the Review of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 here or using the link at the end of this Blog.
Read about and watch an expose of foxhunting in Scotland during 2014/15 by the League Against Cruel Sports here
Do you recall how pro hunt factions within the government tried to sneak changes to the Hunting Act last July? They used a Parlaimentary sleight of hand to introduce amendments which would have totally undermined the spirit of the Hunting Act. In doing so, they claimed to be simply “bringing English law in line with Scotland.” The law in Scotland is different to that in England & Wales and fundamentally weaker. No wonder they fancied the change!
Flagging the ‘English votes for English MPs’ card, hunters and pro hunt politicians also made great play of their belief that SNP MPs should not be allowed to vote on this issue.
To our minds, the idea that hunted foxes and hares don’t cross manmade national boundaries is silly - there is as yet no exclusion fence on the English/Scottish border! Many Hunts operate either side of that invisible dividing line, often on the same day because:
1/ their ‘country’ (ie: the geographic area over which they hunt) encompasses land in both countries.
2/ the English/Sottish border forms the boundary of their ‘country’ but it is not a physical barrier that would prevent hounds “accidentally” chasing a fox (or hare in the case of Beagles) from one side to the other.
WHICH HUNTS AND WHO SAYS?
Bewcastle Hunt
“The country (hunted on foot) is situated on the borders of Scotland, Northumberland and Cumberland.”
Source: Baily’s Hunting Directory 2007-2008, page 15.
Border Hunt
“The country is nearly all hill and open moorland astride the English/Scottish border.”
Source: Baily’s Hunting Directory 2007-2008, page 20.
College Valley/North Northumberland Hunt
“The College Valley and North Northumberland Hunt came into existence in 1982, when The College Valley Hunt amalgamated with the North Northumberland. The Country hunted is in Northumberland and extends from the Kale Water in the north-west taking in the Cheviot Hills to the Harthope Burn and Glendale Valley and on to the coastal strip by Holy Island and then north to Berwick-Upon-Tweed and the Scottish Border.”
Source: http://cvnnh.org.uk (February 3rd 2016)
Jedforest Hunt
“The Jedforest Hunt country is rectangular in shape approximately 15 miles by 7 miles. It lies in the county of Roxburghshire and the hunt boundaries are the River Teviot to the North, the River Slitrig to the West, the Roman Road/Dere Street to the East, and the Scottish/English border to the South”
Source: http://www.jedforesthunt.co.uk/about-us.html (February 3rd 2016)
Other Hunts which have the boundaries of their countries defined at least in part by the English/Scottish national boundary include;
Berwickshire Hunt
Duke of Buccleuch Hunt
Liddesdale Hunt
EVIDENCE OF CROSS-BORDER HUNTING
Further evidence of hunting across the English/Scottish border can be found in hunting reports. These are first-hand accounts of actual hunts written by followers of those hunts and published in the sporting press. The following are three examples from before legislation was brought into force in either country:
College Valley/North Northumberland Hunt
“A large crowd and many visitors came to Hethpool on the 25th, and saw a fine hill hunt…. Hounds persevered over the Schill Rigg to cross into Scotland to circle the Dodd hill, and go up the Cheviot burn. He turned out to the peat on Maillieside but swung back to the Auchope Cairn - 2,300 feet, and thus back into England.”
Source: Hounds Magazine, Volume 5 Number 6 Summer 1989.
Jedforest Hunt
“At Overwells we enjoyed the hospitality of the Fraser family….hounds were hacked to the Batts Moor to draw…. Coming off the hill for Whitton Edge, the pack rejoined and crossed the Roman Road into Border Country.”
Source: Hounds Magazine, Volume 7 Number 3 January 1991.
Bolebroke Beagles at the Northumberland Beagling Festival
(Note: this refers to hare hunting with beagles)
“Again, we journey north of the border for our final day, on Friday, to Mr Bob Tyser’s farm at Chatto.”
Source: Hounds Magazine, Volume 7 Number 1 November 1990.
Hounds Off contends, therefore, that MPs from all parties deserve a voice and parity with the strongest of the two pieces of legislation should be the aspiration (ie The Hunting Act - bringing Scotland in to line with England, not the other way around).
There is currently a Review of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 taking place. This Review will ascertain whether current legislation is providing a sufficient level of protection for wild mammals, while at the same time allowing effective and humane control of these animals where necessary. Would you like to know more about it or maybe make a contribution? Written submissions are invited between 1 February and 31 March 2016 and can be sent either by post or email using the link below:
http://www.gov.scot/About/Review/protection-wild-mammals
Read about and watch an expose of foxhunting in Scotland during 2014/15 by the League Against Cruel Sports here
© Joe Hashman
