Wildlife | CAMBRIDGE HUNT SABOTEURS

We teamed up with Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs, South Cambs Hunt Saboteurs and NELS – North East London Hunt Saboteurs to pay a visit to the Puckeridge Hunt at their meet in Ashdon, Essex. On arrival at the meet we approached a quad on a path with a scared looking terrier in the box.

Puckeridge Hunt terrier in box on quad – another victim of hunting

An elderly hunt staff member tried to knock our sab’s camera out of his hand to stop footage of the dog being recorded.

Puckeridge Hunt staff member who tried to snatch our camera

The huntsman drew through Home Wood (loc. 52.067, 0.326), accompanied by us. Hounds were pretty quiet until they broke chase and rioted on a hare within 3 feet of us. We intervened and saw the hare to safety, who was within inches of snapping jaws. Neither huntsman nor whipper-in attempted to call off the hounds.

Puckeridge Hunt hounds riot on a hare. Saved by sabs despite the hunter and whipper-in making no attempts to call off the hounds

Puckeridge Hunt hounds riot on a hare, sabed by sabs despite the hunter and whipper-in making no attempts to call off the hounds

Puckeringe Hunt huntsman more interested in filming sabs than calling hounds off the hare

Continuing west with sabs in pursuit, some field riders were particularly aggressive, riding fast and close when passing. We were approached by two members of the field whilst crossing farmland, one of whom warned his horse kicks. As sabs crossed a hedgerow, this rider decided it would be a good idea to try and jump the exact place at the same moment, running into a sab and knocking into another.

Puckeridge Hunt rider on chestnut horse who rode down a sab

He then proceeded to sarcastically apologise but stayed with the sabs physically blocking their free movement with his ‘prone to kicking’ horse by riding dangerously close, rear end pointed in our direction (there was no red tail ribbon, usual hunt etiquette if a horse kicks).

Shortly after we ran into a spot of bother from a mixed group of mounted and unmounted hunt support. We were threatened by a woman who said she’d ‘set her dog’ on us, and then as we were leaving the lady on horseback shouted out “call David, at least he’s got a gun” as we made our way back to the vehicle.

“Call David, at least he’s got a gun”

Then a person (‘David’?) showed up in a pickup adorned with more lights and antennas than the International Space Station (clearly he wasn’t what we’d call an animal lover). We moved on, disinterested in confrontation.

On foot we picked up the hunt on their way back to the meet.

We witnessed the hounds run dangerously across the road on a blind bend and sabs positioned themselves accordingly for the safety of road users, hounds, horses and indeed the hunt themselves.

As the day ended, we got the usual creative endeavours of hand gestures and expletives from the hunt supporters. Both clean hounds and communication with the other sab groups suggests no kills (Puckeridge Hunt, please correct us if we’re wrong on that.)