28/2/11

East Kent Hunt Saboteurs

Featured on BBC South East Today News

This hunting season has seen members of the East Kent Hunt Saboteurs monitoring fox and hare hunts all over the county both openly and undercover. We have seen much this year that we believe to be illegal hunting activity, and have collated evidence that the hunting act is being routinely flouted, both in Kent, and all over the country.

On Saturday 26nd Feb, some of our members were monitoring the East Kent Foxhounds, at Crundale estate.  It was obvious that they did not know that we were there, as  they appeared to be openly hunting illegally. When monitors found them, the foxhounds were "IN CRY" in a wood (this means the hounds were following a scent), at this point the huntsman should have called them back - under the Hunting Act, it is illegal for them to chase a wild animal.

We quickly drove to the other side of the woods, to see a Deer break cover from the woods-this is what the hounds were chasing. it was also noted that one hound had blood on its face-a sure sign that there had already been a kill.

Amazingly, the deer outran the hounds, and crossed the road into a wood-we then "rated" and "held up" the hounds (meaning we cracked whips, and used voice calls to stop the hounds)*, and send them back in the opposite direction from the deer, and stayed on the road to stop any stray hounds from running across the road again. Due to our quick actions, the deer was saved.

Members of the hunt then appeared from the woods, and were heard to frantically all be calling the hounds together. They then disappeared back to the Hunt meet, and were soon seen to be packing up and swiftly leaving the scene, at least two hours before the end of a normal hunting day.

 

To recap-

1. It is illegal for the hounds to chase a live quarry.
2. The hounds were obviously out of control, and without our actions, would have dangerously chased the deer over a road, and then possibly pulled it down and killed it.
3. At no point did we see any evidence that the hunt had laid an artificial trail for the hounds to follow-the hounds were hunting in a wood-PRE BAN, the huntsman would always put hounds into woods to search for foxes. It would be very foolish to enter hounds into a wood after a false trail, as they would almost certainly find and chase foxes.

*Please note-we use the same methods as the huntsman to stop hounds or beagles i.e we "crack" whips to make a sound, or use the same voice commands-at no time do we touch the hounds-please see video footage!!!!

*Note - more video camera footage is avaliable on request.*

Notes to editor-

1) The East Kent Foxhounds-Hunt Kennels at Elham. http://www.eastkenthunt.co.uk/contact.php

SINCE THE HUNTING BAN BECAME LAW, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO CHASE OR KILL A WILD ANIMAL.
THE HUNT CAN LEGALLY FOLLOW AN ARTIFICIAL TRAIL.

2) EAST KENT HUNT SABOTEURS ARE A NON VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION GROUP. WE MONITOR HUNTS, AND INTERVENE IF WE CAN TO SAVE (ILLEGALLY) HUNTED ANIMALS.

 

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