*** Setts blocked by North Cotswold Hunt within the North Cotswold cull zone — Quarry confirm hunt trespassed on to land to hunt ***
Having received a tip-off that the North Cotswold Hunt were meeting in Cutsdean, within the North Cotswold cull zone, we arrived to find them in cry and running across a road. A hunt supporter yelled for ‘Libby’ and waved her hand frantically in our direction to warn her that we were there. Libby, who has been hanging out close to huntsman Nigel Peel during hunts, knows all about illegal hunting as her partner, Richard, was convicted for illegal hunting as part of the Heythrop Hunt a few years back.
Hounds picked up on scents on and off in a nearby wood then picked up and went into full cry, heading straight into a disused quarry nearby, the pack splitting as hunt staff were unable to follow them in and had to go around… we spent some time speaking to a local woman afterwards who had been upset when stray hounds ran on to the B4077. The quarry managers were contacted and confirmed that the hunt had no permission to be there…
But as they were hunting a scent in the quarry either they had gone in to lay a trail earlier on, they had been intending to flush to a bird on the B-road… or they were illegally hunting a fox. We’re accepting bets if you fancy a gamble!
We did some checking around the area on setts that have been targeted during the culls and, at the time of writing, 5 have been found freshly blocked with quad tracks running to them – one almost opposite Manor Farm where the hunt packed up. Sabs and cull sabs are continuing to check throughout this afternoon so this count will most likely increase.
At one point we spotted a young fox running, tired, through a field – a local man driving past a couple of minutes earlier said he had seen a fox running away from the hounds but they appeared to have lost the scent when the fox ran across a field. With hounds still nearby, the fox came running back from the covert he had been seen going into showing typical signs of a ‘sinking’ (exhausted) fox. What a surprise that the sett in that covert was also blocked, forcing him to carry on looking for sanctuary elsewhere…
We believe he got away finally, hiding up in another covert, but hounds remained in the area for a further couple of hours, packing up just after 1pm (!) having scared a young deer out of scrub and almost under the wheels of a passing lorry.
We’re astounded by the lack of common sense hunts have been displaying lately, particularly with regards to other people’s property and safety. Video to follow (plus report from yesterday’s Cotswold Vale Farmers’ Hunt opening meet).
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