*** blocked sett at Ledbury Hunt meet * suspected bagged fox released to be hunted ***

Friday 22nd February 2019
Ledbury Hunt
Forthampton

First of all pre-hunt checks revealed one blocked sett which was attended by Gloucestershire police officers who were out keeping an eye on the hunt.

An enormous meet followed with lots and lots of Irish visitors, no doubt here for the Golden Button challenge on Saturday 23rd Feb. Lots of people falling off and ambulances… our first aid skills were not required we are glad to say.

They hunted around Sarn Hill and Forthampton Court. Later at Chaceley as the Irish contingent lined a bank, the terriermen were seen rushing around suspiciously. Soon a fox was seen running for his life and doing what hunted foxes do – run through livestock, in this case sheep and a pony, to hide his scent. Field sab’ waited quietly for him to pass before running in, spraying and rating the hounds off of his line, sucessfully as it happened.

Car sab’ witnessed the poor creature trying to get through a fence running up and down it, almost as though this fox did not know the territory… Huntsman Mark Melladay arrived and continued to encourage hs hounds after the fox and later he put them in through a pile of old tin and rubbish… hmmm – funny old trail that!

They then went to Haw Bridge but found nought there. Pack up by 16.30