[Image credit: @undergroundbadgersyndicate]
September is a busy time of year for those fighting for wildlife, with the beginning of the intensive badger cull, the peak of fox cub and hare leveret hunting, stag hunting and ongoing trap-smashing.
Natural England, a public body connected to the UK Governments’ Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (who are responsible for the cull) have yet to publish their annual badger ‘control’ authorisation documents, which confirms culling operations, but this is expected as these documents are getting published later and later each year. It is speculated that they would rather not draw attention to it, as the minimum and maximum targets (how many badgers may get killed) is controversial to many. Also, it is likely that a new zone will be included in Cumbria following the publishing of a consultation document, which would confirm that the new Labour party government aren’t actually intending of reducing the cull, let alone stopping it. Regardless, existing cull zones were almost guaranteed to continue and was soon confirmed by the discovery of bait points, free shooters and badger cages. Though culling continues, so does action against it. Devon County Hunt Sabs, as one example, have been busy checking known vulnerable setts and have been successful in finding ‘metal contraptions’ as well as sending shooters on their way. Likewise, Liverpool Hunt Sabs have intercepted free shooters multiple times and removed bait points, while Cheshire Against the Cull also successfully foiled plans to murder badgers. Cage traps have also been ruined by Cornwall Against the Culls, The Great Unwashed and Underground Badger Syndicate. Action against the cull can feel relentless and difficult to evaluate the impact but Derbyshire Against the Cull, who have also been consistently successful at stopping free shooters, published an important message after they gathered evidence of life at a sett that has been targeted since 2020; ‘then you see this on the trail camera and realise that every cold, wet, tired minute spent there was absolutely worth it’. Sheffield Hunt Sabs have also been busy with the cull, and also got in trouble with the cops for “stealing badger setts”, whatever that means.
Various traps have also been stamped out of action by Underground Badger Syndicate and The Great Unwashed, some of which during the cull; reaffirming the importance of surveying. The largest collection of traps was published at the start of the month and featured an array of mammal traps of various sizes and shapes, which have since been reshaped and no longer useable.
Saboteurs from Mendip and Dorset have continued their efforts against stag hunting. Not many packs of stag hounds exist but their impact is consistently brutal, with the odds being largely against the hunted animal as they have to also contend with many bloodthirsty supporters who go to great lengths to making sure there is no escape. It was reported that an exhausted stag was killed, following a long chase, though others were able to escape. Though any kill is tragic, it is important to remember that it is in recent history that stag hunts were largely untouchable due to the serious violence inflicted on saboteurs and monitors. It is true that this continues to be a risk, they have been faced with a refreshed determination of saboteurs who are putting them under pressure, which is working. Without these efforts, many more stags would have undoubtably been killed, as proven by hit reports throughout the last few years.
September is the peak period of cub-hunting; beginning in August and runs until the main hunting season begins in October. Fox hunts have been relentless at their attempts to kill young foxes during this ‘training’ period. However, saboteurs in every direction have been doing their upmost to stop this as much as possible, both at dawn and dusk. This form of hunting is extremely damning to the image they badly attempt to maintain, considering the nature of how it works; where hounds are set against vulnerable young foxes who have little chance of escaping. During this most controversial period in the hunting calendar, the governing bodies of hunting attempted a ‘national trail hunting day’, which they hoped would gain the media attention it desperately needs to obtain any credibility in their lies. This failed miserably. Arguably, it was a terrible time to attempt such a PR event, considering the consistent brutality carried out throughout the month. Their failure is very much welcome though!
The PR-nightmare that is cub-hunting is also applicable to hare-hunting beagle and basset packs, who have also been taken out to train against leverets. Hare hunting in itself is more controversial to the public than fox hunting, especially so when hunting young hares. It is commonplace for these hunts to pack up quickly on the arrival of sabs, which is exactly what happened when the Downland Beagles were caught attempting to hunt during a main season meet at the end of the month by saboteurs from Kent, Brighton, South Coast and South Thames.
On the same day, the Thurlow Hunt were foiled by North London Hunt Sabs together with East Northants Hunt Sabs. During the cub-hunt meet, hounds chased a fox to an artificial earth, which is a combination of pipes and chambers built underground used to encourage foxes to reside for the purposes of hunting. Saboteurs often record and document what happens during a hunt, and this is an example of why that it is important; to publish and expose the reality of hunting, counteracting their false rhetoric.
An example of negative PR and mounting pressure was also seen in an arguably surprising development after it was reported that the Ministry of Defence have not granted any licenses for ‘trail hunting’, as seen in a published response from a freedom of information request which states that 11 hunts applied for licenses. This is a significant blow, especially for the Royal Artillery Hunt who spend the majority of their hunting season within MOD land. Whether the hunts abide by this or not is yet to be seen, as trespass is a regular occurrence. However, it’s a lose-lose situation; they either commit and jeopardize personal and professional relationships and bring more negative attention to themselves, with possible legal ramifications, or admit defeat and have less land to hunt. The tactic of limiting the area in which a hunt can operate is a sure step to making a hunt unworkable and is only a matter of time if it also coincides with a myriad of other tactics and approaches.
Any information about wildlife killing fundraisers, hunting, the location of traps, tools and infrastructure used to kill and anything dodgy or suspicious relating to the interference or ill-treatment of wildlife should be reported to your local hunt sabotage group. Unsure of your local group? Contact the Hunt Saboteurs Association’s tip-off line at 07443148426 or via social media. The smallest bit of information could make the biggest different to wildlife life.
NO LIFE LIKE THE WILD
