QUICK NEWS

• Foxes killed by Gloucester, Somerset, and Dorset Hunts
• Arrests for Ambleside fox kill reaches 16
• Hind hunted and killed by Somerset stag hunt
• Somerset stag hunt assault; police called
• Hare hunts sent packing
• Horse whipped in dyke by Somerset huntsman
• Horse dies while hunting
• Hunt dogs, lost/ injured
• Gloucester hunt assault
• Welsh hunt harasses local outside their home
• Durham hunt supporter attacks hunt monitor
• Dorset hunt attack on sab, kit broken
• Welsh hunt slashes three tyres on sab vehicle
• Oxfordshire hunt assault on sabs, police called
• North Yorkshire hunt trespass
• Oxfordshire hunt trespass
• No countryside code as Somerset hunt leaves gates open: pony and sheep escape
• Multiple riots on deer reported
• Welsh hunt hunts through town centre
• Disappointing police behaviour
• Dorset MP accompanies day’s sabbing
• Boxing & New Year’s Day campaigns continue
• AAF produces new report on the British Hound Sports AssociationFOX KILLS

FOX KILLS

The Beaufort Hunt killed a fox on Saturday 22/11/25. Despite sabs being unable to reach the scene quickly enough to prevent this death, much of the crime was recorded. The host venue on this day was Westonbirt School.

On 27/11/25, the Mendip Farmers Hunt managed a kill, but sabs did manage to save another fox.  As a result of the Hunt not closing gates behind them, the sabs found a distressed Shetland pony and a flock of sheep on the road, and returned them to the safety of a field.

The North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs report that they believe the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt managed to kill a fox on 25/11/25.

Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR) report a possible kill on 18/11/25. At around 3.30, Sabs  knew that the hounds of the South Dorset Hunt were about to pick up on the scent of a fox, having heard huntsman Mark Pearson bragging that, “we always pull one out there, because it’s an artificial cover“. Very shortly thereafter, a fox suddenly appeared, the hounds broke into cry, and the chase started. Unable to keep pace with the hounds in cry, WAR does not know what happened to this fox, but fear the worst.

An update – The Hunt Saboteurs Association has produced a comprehensive list of the offences that may have taken place when the Coniston Hunt dug out and threw a fox to the hounds on 09/11/25 in Ambleside. The Hunting Act 2004, Wild Animals (Protection) Act 1996, and Animal Welfare Act 2006 all contain elements which the hunters and land owners appear to have transgressed.  The number of arrests now stands at around 16 people. This hunt appears to have been attended by a number of members of the Teme Hunt alongside the Coniston Hunt, and some of the arrests occurred in North Wales.

HIND HUNTED AND KILLED

The North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs report that a female red deer was killed by the Quantock Staghounds on 08/12/25, likely leaving behind a fawn. Immediately after the killing, a lone female who was out on the hills was assaulted and threatened by a highly aggressive Hunt Master. The Avon and Somerset police were called.

HARE HUNTS SABBED

On Saturday 22/11/25, the Severn Vale HS sabbed the Woolaston and Leadon Vale Basset Hunt, and the Severn Vale Beagles. It was a joint meeting. The basset pack was successfully sent home in the morning and the beagle pack in the afternoon.

HORSES

On 02/12/25, the Mendip Hunt Saboteurs witnessed a horse from the Mendip Farmers Hunt that had fallen into a dyke being whipped by its rider in order to drive it out of a fairly desperate situation. 

The East Herts Hunt Saboteurs report of 03/12/25 carries news of the death of a horse as a result of injuries sustained whilst out with the Puckeridge and Essex Hunt in November. The rider was upset, as were a few other hunters, but the majority of hunters and field carried on hunting.

DOGS
On Thursday 27/11/25, the Leicestershire Rural Crime Team were photographed with a hound in the back of their car, returning the stray dog to the Cottesmore Hunt. The Leicestershire RCT were not pleased with their conduct. Reports of dogs being lost are common, as are those which include injuries incurred whilst hunting. Below are two such reports. The first is from a Cottesmore Hunt and Berkeley Hunt joint meet on 25/11/25 showing a dog bloodied, possibly by gorse; and the second from a Heythrop Hunt and North Cotswold Hunt joint meet on 02/12/25, bloodied from a woodpile and barbed wire.

HUNT VIOLENCE

Cotswold Hunt Sabs report that they have had two assaults on female Sabs over the past three weeks.

Cheshire Monitors report that police are responding to a complaint of harassment after an anti-hunt local was followed home by hunt supporters, who were then ‘laughing, intimidating and gesturing’ outside their house.

A supporter of the South Durham and Braes Hunt attacked a monitor outside the hunt kennels. She was with two other monitors. The incident was recorded and the videos are with the police. For now, North East Hunt Monitors are not naming the individual involved, although he is well known for his violence (the master of the Hunt apologised for the conduct of this supporter). The monitors are hoping that the police will take action concerning this incident.

The Mendip Hunt Saboteurs report that on 25/11/25, Kieran Hawkes from the South Dorset Hunt managed to grab at the camera of a Sab and wrestled around with it until the screen was broken. This Hunt has broken or stolen multiple pieces of kit recently.

On 29/11/25, the South Wales Hunt Saboteurs had three tyres slashed. The Sabs extended a ‘thank you’ to the Llanwnnen Farmers Hunt who pointed out to the Sabs that it was, in fact, members of the Vale of Clettwr Hunt who did this.  Police attended and were reported as “helpful”. The assailants have since been identified. The man with the knife is named as Hemming Organ, the quad driver was Simon Jones, and the driver of the vehicle who appeared to be directing was Andrew Phillips, the vice chairman of the Vale of Clettwr Hunt. Simon Jones’s quad had taped-over number plates.

The Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs had an eventful day on Saturday, 6th December. The Heythrop Hunt were caught trespassing on land from which they have long been banned. Coffee was thrown at a Sab from a moving vehicle, which then swerved towards a Sab who was filming his behaviour. The whipper-in and terrierman were both sufficiently aggressive to a Sab to warrant a call to the police, who went on to pull over one of the support vehicles.

HUNT TRESPASS

Rydale Hunt Saboteurs report that a joint meet of the Staintondale, and Goathland Hunt and the Glaisdale Hunt involved trespass on Forestry England (FE)  land at Harwood Dale Forest. Last season, the Staintondale Hunt received a letter from FE advising them not to hunt on FE land.

OTHER WILDLIFE CRIME

On 13/11/25, the North London Hunt Saboteurs witnessed the hounds of the Thurlow Hunt surround a deer and the Huntsman riding around it in circles trying to drive his hounds away. Earlier in the day, Sabs had witnessed a lone hound harassing deer.  Accounts of hounds going after (rioting on) deer is a common theme of recent sab reports. In just one week, the South Notts Hunt, the Heythrop Hunt, the Thurlow Hunt, the Puckeridge and Essex Hunt, the Herefordshire and Clifton Hunt, and the Warwickshire Hunt all got mentioned for this offence.

On Sat 22/11/25, the Warwickshire Hunt had a quad out with a small child on board, and their hounds also engaged in sheep worrying.

The Wynnstay Hunt chased 5/6 foxes on 29/11/25, and continued blatantly fox hunting despite the presence of the Cheshire Rural Crime Team (which is generally well regarded by sabs). The Hunt took their hounds through Malpas town centre with support following, with quad bikes, and riders cantering down the main road causing mayhem. The Rural Crime Team witnessed the Wynnstay Hunt’s conduct.

POLICE

Whilst out sabbing the Burton Hunt on Saturday 6th December, the Lincoln Hunt Saboteurs report that a police officer grabbed one sab and aimed his taser and another.

OTHER NEWS

Protect the Wild (PtW) has published an exposé on Hunt finances and tax payers’ money. They tell us: “Certain hunts received far more funding than others. The Belvoir Hunt, for example, which is based near Grantham, has received £74,540.78 in subsidies and £81,821.50 in rate reliefs, as well as £39,500.14 in COVID support grants.”

“Dorset Live” has reported that Neil Duncan-Jordan, MP for the Poole area, visited the Grafton Hunt in the company of the North London Hunt Saboteurs on their day of sabbing in Northamptonshire. In Parliament, he is a leading advocate on the new hunting ban which is currently under consideration.

AAF has written a report exposing the real agenda of the British Hound Sports Association. Pip Donovan (author) said that “it wasn’t difficult to find the ‘real agenda’ as the BHSA tells us exactly what it is in their Constitution. They only care about the reputation of hunting – and they’ve made quite a big mess of that too.”

AAF’s Boxing Day campaigning continues in force, with emails, foi requests, council speeches, outreach, and leafleting. Plans for evidence-gathering and peaceful protest are being finalised.
Anyone willing and able to help can visit AAF’s website for details about what they can do.
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/