The fox hunting season has begun, so it was a very early start for us this morning to sab a cubbing meet of the Berkeley Hunt.
Cub hunting, or ‘Autumn Hunting’ as the hunting community now prefer to call it, is the season that precedes the start of the full fox hunting season at the beginning of November. It is every bit as barbaric as it sounds, as it serves as training to the new entry of young hounds who learn how to kill and work as a pack. Unlike the main hunting season where a hunt wants to flush a fox out of a wood or ‘covert’ for a long chase, coverts containing vixens and fox cubs are surrounded by members of the hunt and supporters to prevent them from escaping being ripped apart by the pack.
The hounds were in and out of cry throughout the day and a number of foxes were seen making their get away. One was fleeing a covert the hunt were holding up, running past us. Sabs were straight into action spraying over the scent of the fox with citronella. Immediately afterwards the hunt’s terrier-boys and supporters got a bit pushy in an attempt to hold us up as the huntsman and hounds moved on.
We were soon back on them and hounds were in cry again. A combination of horn and voice calls were used by sabs to call a lot of the hounds out of the wood they were hunting in, they were then gathered back up by the hunt who again moved on. We then watched as the huntsman drew a few blanks before the hunt made their way back to their kennels. Job done and all before 9am! It was a good start to the season for us, we helped a couple of foxes away, kept the hunt on the move and were treated to a mass hot air balloon ascent in the beautiful morning sky.
We aim to be out in the field directly saving animals lives every weekend from now until the end of the hunting season. If you would like to join us please get in touch. Alternatively, donations are massively appreciated at this time. www.network23.org/bristolhuntsabs