*** terriermen stopped from going to artificial earth * fox escapes into thick brambles and hunt forced to leave him with presence of sabs * Gloucestershire police arrive by helicoptor and on the ground to enforce the Hunting Act ***
Heythrop Opening meet Chastleton.
The day began for us by sett checking to find several setts dead and filled in some time ago. We stayed inland beside an artificial earth and as predicted several quad bikes approached to see if anyone was hiding in that artificial and found sabs waiting for them. They ran out fairly quickly and lurked around a badger sett that was just about active.
Stalkers Lizzie and Lucy arrived on the scene to follow sabs as terriermen hurredly covered any numberplates with mud. A fox ran towards us all and the hunt moved away from where they ad clearly planned to go and headed towards Evenlode.
Shortly afterwards hounds were in thick brambles near a barn. One young rider was blatantly slapping his boot with a whip to try and prevent any fox coming towards where we were as hounds went through the brambles. Our stalkers may well have had a word about that looking a bit dodgy and they soon pulled away from that area as another fox also sought refuge there.
Off then they went to Crawthorn (right by a high speed railway line) to escape only to find that the police had arrived both by air and on land.
Quads were pulled over for having no numberplates and the helicoptor circled around 2 of their favourite coverts Crab Orchard and Crawthorn.
They were very sad about this and then skulked off home.
This was not the only hunt to be policed today. One more day before lockdown again. Thank you all for the information and support – it is tremendous!
