16th February 2019
Staghunters Break Convention To Ensure Valentines Day Sport
Hunted by the Quantock Stag Hounds on Valentines Day 2019. With no female deer (hinds) in the area, hunters told us this animal was selected because it had a "displaced hip". We question the honesty of their claim because this stag ran for miles across open country and escaped to see another day. Read more, below. Photo: © Kevin Hill/Hounds Off
Hunters claims that a Red deer stag chased by the Quantock Stag Hounds on Valentines Day was suffering from hip displacement have been seriously questioned by observers. The creature was chased for over two miles as the crow flies, many more as they ran, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. In the moments before the hunt ended, huntsman and hounds were seen to be fruitlessly trying to find the stag in field hedges near the West Somerset village of Clatworthy.
Experienced Hunt Monitor Kevin Hill, who was part of a team of volunteers from Somerset Wildlife Crime and Hounds Off, filmed the allegedly injured stag in the old slate quarry woods below Brompton Ralph. He said, “The stag looked in good shape to me. He travelled through the woods jumping felled trees!”
The claim that the stag was injured was made to Mr Hill by hunt followers when he asked them why a male Red deer was being pursued at a time of year when females are the traditional target.
Somerset Wildlife Crime and Hounds Off Monitors believe that this was just an excuse because the hunt couldn’t find any females to chase. They only saw stags, roe deer and a fox roused into flight by hounds. That hinds are quarry from November through February is just hunting convention and, on this occasion, in order to get some ‘sport’ it had to be broken.
© Joe Hashman
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10 Comments | Leave a comment
Jan Cole says:
Posted February 16, 2019 at 10:00 am
Did the stag get away? This barbaric activity should be banned forever. If deer do need to be managed, there are more humane ways. These hunters are cruel and sadistic persecuting wildlife for their own pleasure. The mentality of people making animals suffer for sport is psychopathic.
HoundsOff says:
Posted February 16, 2019 at 11:10 am
We believe so, as reported in this News Blog.
Thea Holly says:
Posted February 16, 2019 at 10:56 am
Just heart-breaking - thank you for your continued compassionate and dedicated vigilance.
Marta Falco Ainley says:
Posted February 16, 2019 at 12:49 pm
I hope this innocent is ok because according to the Bateson Report , due to being chased for long periods of time, a mix of problems to the blood and the muscles occurs due to different hormones being triggered . Deer have been known to die from this problem after a couple of weeks or so as they cannot recover. These killers are the lowest of the low and exceedingly sadistic and depraved. To get such thrill from this and teach young children to think that its all fine is, to my mind, child abuse.
Lynda Chabane says:
Posted February 16, 2019 at 5:09 pm
The brutal sport for entertainment of hunting innocent wildlife must be banned and efficiently monitored to stop the so-called accidents!!! With the huge majority of the public vehemently against hunting we need more convictions, more surveillance and a damn right more involvement from the Police who’s job is valiantly being carried our by Hunt Monitors, many of whom are physically assaulted !! Hunting is a disgrace….it must end now.
Wendy Hutchinson says:
Posted February 17, 2019 at 10:13 am
Can you please tell if there are any demonstrations coming up. I am keen to attend but can’t seem to find confirmed dates and times. Wendy
HoundsOff says:
Posted February 24, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Keep an eye on Somerset Wildlife Crime and Hounds Off Facebook pages for news
Wendy says:
Posted February 17, 2019 at 10:14 am
Can you please tell if there are any demonstrations coming up. I am keen to attend but can’t seem to find confirmed dates and times. Wendy
Frank Rutter says:
Posted February 18, 2019 at 12:44 am
Strange excuse to hound an injured animal for hours, but they could say anything to wind you up. I think hounds should be banned, actually dogs should be banned.
The number of innocent creatures our dogs have killed or maimed. And cats
Jacqueline Dennett says:
Posted February 18, 2019 at 12:39 pm
Disgusting vile ..these scum need locking up ..sickneed by these lowlife torturing our wildlife for no reason other than a sick thrill they get for their psychotic bloodlust why are they getting away with this ??? Horrific sadists should not be allowed to walk the streets …it’s high time they should rot in prison.