QUICK NEWS
- Fox killed by Suffolk hunt
- North Yorkshire hunt supporter pleads ‘not guilty’ to assault
- Rutland hunters plead ‘not guilty’ to illegal hunting
- Rutland hunters’ havoc
- Possible CPW for Devon hunt
- (More) charges for Nottinghamshire hunt
- Plea hearing for three Somerset hunt members
- One Staghunt, two weeks, three kills
- National Press covers stag hunt news
- Monitor injured by Somerset stag hunt support
- Sab hit by Dorset hunt lorry
- Welsh hunt’s dogs sick for a month and more
- Gloucestershire hunt: dead deer and injured dog
- Investigation launched into Dorset hunt
- Cambridgeshire hare coursers abandon car and dogs
- Essex hare coursers’ dogs seized
- Stag hunt charged
- Welsh hunt: eight year-old child blooded with freshly-killed fox
TOP STORIES
FOX KILLED
The Essex and Suffolk Hunt met at Tendring Lodge early morning on 16/09/26. They killed.
Be warned that the photo is graphic.
COURTS, CASES, CHARGES
The East Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs report that Tom Hunter has pleaded not guilty to both assault and GBH after two female saboteurs were assaulted in January 2026, leaving one with a broken cheekbone and both covered in bruises.
Hunter is also charged with criminal damage.The case will be heard in court next year.
Northants Hunt Saboteurs report that Max Logan has pleaded not guilty to four counts of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. He had failed to attend court on three previous occasions. Logan, along with Sam Jones who on 13/07/26 pleaded not guilty to the same charges, will now face trial on 18,19, 20 Nov ‘26. The charges relate to four separate incidents over a four week period between 06/11/ 26 and 04/12/26 whilst both were employed at the Cottesmore Hunt and in control of the Cottesmore foxhounds. There is also an additional charge of Intentionally/Recklessly causing a public nuisance.
Jones now hunts with the Ledbury Hunt and Logan with the Tivyside Hunt (Pembrokeshire).
Northants Hunt Sabs also report that the Cottesmore Hunt started their new season with what appears to be deliberate criminal damage to their sab vehicle, illegal road blocking, and attempted intimidation.
Word is out that the Dartmoor Hunt has been issued with a CPW against them. An FOI request in process to see whether this is, indeed, the case.
Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs report that Joshua Taylor, a hunt master at the Grove and Rufford Hunt, has been charged with assault by beating and criminal damage after he (allegedly) attacked one of their sabs.
This charge is in addition to those hanging over the Grove and Rufford for huntsman Jacob Whalley and terrier man Ste Reynolds for interfering with an active badger sett.
Three members of the Mendip Farmers Hunt, Emma Clothier, Charlie Thomas, and Bill Payne, were in court on 15/09/26 for their plea hearing relating to a fox kill in Priddy in January 2026, filmed here.
STAGS
The Devon and Somerset Staghounds have killed three times in under two weeks, on the 1st September, the 5th September, & 12th September.
The Sunday Times (06/09/26) and The Independent (08/09/26) both reported news that police are investigating footage of a stag chased by the Quantock Staghounds on 24/08/26. The stag was pursued for 4 hours, and the footage shows the fleeing animal leaping over hunt support who were trying to turn him back.
Although this stag was not caught and shot, it is feared it may yet have died from the shock of the chase.
Avon and Somerset Police have charged Chris Gibbons (master) and Martin Watts (huntsman) from the Quantock Stag Hounds of illegally hunting a wild mammal with dogs. The incident happened on March 16th. Footage was gathered by North Dorset Hunt Sabs and Mendip Hunt Sabs.
HUNT VIOLENCE
This post by the North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs contains within its report news of one of their monitors being injured by Quantock Staghounds’ support. The quad riders involved disappeared once the police were called, and this may have enabled the stag to evade his pursuers as they were not available to block his progress towards land owned by the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS).
A female member from Weymouth Animal Rights was taken to A&E with arm injuries after being hit by a South Dorset Hunt lorry whilst standing on a verge.
DOGS
The Cheshire Monitors report that the Wynnstay’s dogs were sick for over a month. They have recently been seen on exercise, but not yet hunting.
The Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs report that on 05/09/26, the Beaufort Hunt’s dogs frightened a deer into the road where it was hit by a car. Sabs arrived on the scene to find the animal in distress, so covered its head with a large towel. It died soon after at the scene. The young couple who hit the deer had stopped and were devastated by what had happened
One of the Hunt’s dogs was also injured that day, and they attempted to transport it back to the kennels on a quad after it fell off. Its fate is unknown.
Dorset Police attended the Portman Hunt’s outing on 12/09/26 after calls about suspected illegal hunting (cubbing). Officers who viewed the video immediately called for other officers to attend the meet to speak to the hunt officials. Police have now launched an investigation.
Besides the known kill (top of page), reports from Sabs’ groups across the country describe cubbing continuing just as before the ban. Just one such example here
HARES
A recent Facebook post from ‘Policing Fenland’ did, indeed, contain “Some good news for the rural community!”. It continued:
“Last week we received reports of suspected criminal damage to fields and hare coursing in Kings Delph Drove, Whittlesey. Our Rural Crime Action Team – along with neighbourhood officers, response officers, and armed officers – responded and ended up pursuing the suspects.
However, the car was found abandoned near Milk and Water Drove and the suspects had made off, leaving two dogs behind 
The car and dogs have been seized and investigations continue.
We will continue to target offenders, work closely with rural communities, and respond to reports to help protect our countryside.”
On 02/09/26, the Harwich and Manningtree Standard reported that Uttlesford policing officers and Rural Engagement Team responded to multiple reports of illegal hunting activity, namely hare coursing, on 30/08/26 in the Bardfield area. Three men, aged 37, 24, and 22, from addresses in Kent and south-east London were detained and searched, and three dogs, a thermal imaging scope, and a quantity of cash were seized.
FURTHER NEWS
The Welsh Border Wildlife Protectors have broken news – with photos taken by Flint and Denbigh whipper-in, Cat Evans, – of an 8-year-old child being blooded in January 2026. The boy, whose father, Mathew Holmberg, is master of the Flint and Denbigh Hunt, is shown having his face smeared with the blood from a freshly killed fox (also pictured) by huntsman Conall McGrath.
