Three reports to catch up on!

NB “riot” means that the hounds start hunting someone they are not supposed to hunt e.g cat, deer, hare.

On Saturday 26th November we joined with North Shropshire sabs to keep an eye on the CVFH at Apperley. Nick Hodges (terrierman) was seen looking a bit dodgy in a wood and it was suspected that he may have been preparing for a dig out. With sabs watching he had no choice but to leave. Later by Oddas chapel hounds marked to ground again with both terriermen Ben Hughes and Nick looking interested in the covert concerned with young Ben (also known to us as a cage trapper during the badger cull) joining sabs in the undergrowth. No dig outs that we know of smile emoticon:)

On Monday 28th November we joined with Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch at the VWH meet at Frampton Mansell. We had fun and games as they fled from us at the start and we caught up with them in Pinbury Park. Hound rioted on a hare and were swiftly stopped by hunt staff (they can do it when they try) just before they second horsed at Park Corner Farm. The afternoon was spent in Cirencester Park and Overley wood where a fox was hunted into a badger sett in Pinbury Park. With CIHW on the scene and regular checks of the sett for the rest of the day no terriermen approached and both fox and badgers were safe. We were told by some rather shifty looking characters that the kill figures had all been reached for this years cull as they dicussed all the guns they have, badger shooters? Maybe…

On Tuesday 29th November it was back to the CVFH from Longhope. This meet is basically a meander around the woods, the hounds riot on deer, the hunt staff spend hours getting them all back and then they go home. Today was no exception but this was a serious bit of rioting as there were many deer and the pack went in all directions… including across the A40; we received reports from members of the public as well as witnessing the chaos and trying to stop hounds. Eventually the pack was gathered and they went home. Accompanying the CVFH was South Herefordshire Hunt chairman Phillip Whitehouse. Of course the SHH hunt on Tuesdays but have been suspended in the wake of the fox cub travesty at the SHH kennels.