HIT REPORT : BSV
MEET : Bowden Lodge
Saturday 16th Feb 2019
We paid a visit to the BSV today to their meet at Bowden Lodge. Arriving early a foot team went in around the meet area to pre spray, making the area safer for any foxes that may be in the vicinity and observed a dead cow in a field. This cow was removed by a tractor and taken up to Sedgemoor Farm in Yenston, this farm supports the hunt so we reckon this poor animal would have ended up in the hounds belly by nightfall ! Leaving the meet just after 11.30am the huntsman took the hounds and headed in a north westerly direction and the hounds were soon in cry by the reservoir. Today we were joined by a world class monitor and NDHS and between us we were able to keep the hounds in sight as they chased the line of this fox eastwards and came out on Bowden Lane. Having briefly lost this line the hounds did pick it back up went into cry again beside the road by Manor Farm and sabs were soon out spraying the area to help mask the scent of the fox and this fox was seen away to safety. This whole affair can only be described as pre ban hunting, the hounds clearly on a line and the huntsman blowing them on hard.
The huntsman gathered the hounds and headed north to West Wood, a foot team went in at Newleaze Farm and headed up to the eastern side of the wood. A red coat came over with another rider and threatened to make a citizens arrest because the sabs were spraying citronella and for being stationery on a public footpath. A sab told him to phone the police, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and as he rode off could be heard saying “ Hello, can I speak to ….. “ now when we call the police we don’t have the luxury of a direct line and we are the ones upholding the law !!! The hounds went into cry as they picked up on a fox that took them north towards where the monitor was standing and crossed the railway line. With even more citronella engulfing the area between us and the railway line another fox was seen away safely.
Continuing on the footpath the sabs exited at Stowell Farm, but not before having to paddle through mud and slurry which made the footpath incredibly hard to navigate. As the sabs walked through the farm they stopped to have a look at the condition of the cows. As usual, all of them skin and bone and locked away in shitty sheds …. in the last barn there was a dead cow laying in the barn surrounded by the rest of the herd. Just by the roadside were a few veal “crates” and the farmer suddenly appeared asking who had given us permission to film his animals. A sab told him the footpath was terrible and his reply was “its a farm track, what do you expect me to do?” The sab went on to tell him there was a dead cow laying in his barn and he said it had just died, the sab told him she would be reporting him to which he replied “don’t you dare Mrs”
The hunt were now back at Inwood, the meet, for a change of horses before heading out the northern edge and along Chapel Lane. The huntsman crossed the road at Yenston and the hounds were cast through an area north of Court Farm. As the landy was waiting for the traffic lights to change a lone hound came along the road so a sab hopped out to warn oncoming traffic, this hound was taken care of by one of the supporters and they herded it back up the road. The landy headed down Park Lane and a foot team went in at Whitchurch. The huntsman was on his phone and was informed of the loose hound back up on the road and he said thank you ! The huntsman gathered his hounds and took them north along a track that runs parallel to the the road and up to the Gartell Light Railway. The huntsman and hounds went along the railway and the loose hounds was finally returned to the pack by Chrissie Osbourne.
From here the huntsman headed East and a foot team went in at Broadmead track, after searching some hedgerows the hounds were taken back out towards the road into Sedgemoor Farm. The hunt moved through the farm and headed north up to Yenston Hill where they crossed back over and went down Common Lane. The hounds searched the fields above Common Lane and not finding their miraculous trial the huntsman took them back to Sedgemoor Farm. Next on the agenda was Martins Copse but no trail was picked up in here either so the huntsman took the hounds back to Gartell Light Railway for another search…. for the trail … obviously !! No trail found so the hunt headed back to Inwood where the huntsman was drawing the southern edge as we observed with the monitor from Chapel Lane. We drove around to Bowden Lane to get a better visual on the meet and it seemed like it was the end of the day …. but that was far from the case !
Exiting Inwood, crossing Bowden Lane beside us the huntsman took the hounds south west towards Toomer Hill. A foot team attempted to head them off from Gospel Ash Farm and both ends of the footpath that runs along Toomer Hill but the hounds were changing direction like the wind. We strongly suspect they were on a bagged fox and ping ponged between areas from Toomer Hill to Summerleaze Copse, Higher Spurles Covert and as far down to briefly cross The Old Road and and be out onto the A30. Despite a busy day sabs and monitor dug deep and persisted to keep the hounds in view with multiple drop ins which meant that this fox lived to see another day ! It was finally called a day at Henstridge Bowden at 5.30pm probably only because it was almost dark by now !!
As ever a huge thank you for your support. If you want to join us please send us a PM or email to dorsethuntsabs@riseup.net