A somewhat muddy day today, several badger setts checked (3 blocked, 4 not blocked… but these have all been tampered with in the past and it’s due to our work that they tend to be left alone now!) and a few foxes seen to safety.

We caught up with the hunt as a huge(!) dog fox ran from the pack. Believing he was likely to be part of a brace (a couple) one sab covered his line with citronella while the other headed towards the pack and sure enough another fox crossed the road further up – a supporter told Mark the huntsman where the fox had run and he encouraged the pack on – sab rated them (told them off) as best she could right next to the huntsman who was encouraging them on (so hounds are less likely to pay attention to anyone else) then sabs got round to where the hunt were drawing right next to a busy road.

Inland soon after and then up towards Hillend where another brace ran and the fox pictured was able to jink around and confuse the hounds for some time by going in different directions and circling round, holding them up… then foot sab was able to rate the pack and hold them up again before hunt staff arrived and moved them off – they picked up on another scent nearby which we believe was lost at Hillend itself.

On soon to Queenshill and then Longdon while another sab in the area checked badger setts nearby which had been freshly blocked and the hunt drew blank through several root fields. With limited land available to them due to yet more flooding they packed up earlier than we expected.