Purbeck & Bovington Beagles
Saturday 10th November 2018
Meeting at : Square and Compass pub, Worth Matravers, apparently, but spending the day at a skeleton of a barn over a mile away !
So, at the time of writing this hit report, we are sat on a dry stone wall in a standoff with the Purbeck and Bovington Beagles Hunt. Not much has happened today, not much is happening now, so we thought it’s an ideal opportunity to do some admin so we can enjoy an extra glass of wine in a warm bath tonight. Despite listing the Square and Compass as their meet we found them hiding behind a hedge at a barn ‘skeleton’ along the footpath towards St Aldenhams Head. Remaining on that footpath and with our super zoom cameras we have been able to film and observe what they have been doing all day …. well since they started at 12.30 anyway.
The huntsman took the hounds in a big loop around us but never more than 2 or 3 small fields away. The hounds picked up on a scent several times but we think the huntsman scared most of the hares away with his relentless and excessive use of his horn. At one point the huntsman lost the hounds and it took him almost half an hour to gather them, even the foot support commented that the hounds were all over the place today. After running amok in the quarry the hounds were brought out onto the footpath and then taken back to the vehicles.
By 2.45 with their six foot supporters dwindling fast, they broke out the birthday cake. Fred …. who is the huntsman – Tony Stickland in disguise – brought some over for us. We declined the cake but had a little chat about his trail laying. Tony took a while to remember what the scent was made of and after some ‘umming and erring’ he decided on aniseed. When asked how they laid the trail he said the trail layer was out on foot this morning. Thing is Tony, we weren’t born yesterday and had been out in these fields for a couple of hours previous to you and THERE WAS NO TRAIL LAYER.
The P&B Beagles hare conservation officer, who doubles up as one of their joint master, was in attendance and spent most of the day sitting in her car. The other joint master, Jess Mouland, uses the very animals they are tying to kill as the subject of her business. It’s rather ironic that the Hare she depicts in the artwork she sells may soon become extinct as a result of her hobbies!
After a few waves, posing for our camera and ramdom gesticulations they decided to go home just after 3.30 pm. They pulled out, nearly reversing into one another. It was rather like a comedy sketch. They decided to blow the horn as a sort of goodbye to us.
We had three separate members of the public stop to speak to us today, praising us for our efforts. When one of them walked away Clare Marsh, the Joint Master and Hare Preservation Officer, started taking photos of him.
We find it hard to believe that the Square and Compass, who are listed as their meet, even know who or what they are. If you would like to politely send them a message and ask if they are aware, you can do so here on their Facebook page: Square and compass pub Please keep it polite. Pubs just need to realise that 84% of the British public do not agree with illegal hunting. Hopefully they will drop them like a sack of rotten spuds.
One thing for sure is the locals do not want hunting.
If you want to join us please send us a PM or an email to dorsethuntsabs@riseup.net