*** Hounds hunt a fox into an active badger sett * Gloucestershire police attend and monitor the hunt ***

There was the usual speech at the meet about “trails”, yet within 10 minutes a fox had been found, hunted and gone to ground in a well known active badger sett. “Marking” is when the fox has escaped down a hole and the hounds cannot get to him. They usually make a lot of noise about it and try and dig the fox out themselves. Not that they would have any chance here, far too big. However, terriers and spades can and often do dig foxes out and badgers also die. The quad was a few feet from the sett with the terrier man masked up.

Matthew Vatter, huntsman, and Alice, whipper in, did the right thing and called the hounds out. The terrier man waved and followed them. If a sab’ had not been present there is a possibility that the sett would have been interfered with. This is in Gloucestershire badger cull zone one currently in the 9th year of culling. Hounds rioted on deer shortly afterwards but were gathered up and spent the rest of the day in big woods. Gloucestershire police were infirmed regarding the illegal hunting and attended shortly afterwards and stayed in the area monitoring the hunt. Some time was spent on May Hill, managed by the National Trust.

Last seen they were in Newent woods with some hounds doing their own thing…