No Land, No Hunt!
No Land, No Hunt!
Fox hunting is a VERY HOT POTATO. Nobody involved with a hunt really wants the spotlight turned on them – because once campaigners start looking closely, things have a habit of going south. Hunts have plenty they would rather keep out of sight.
So let’s turn the floodlights firmly onto the landowners and find out what is actually happening out there.
The landowner must not allow illegal hunting to take place on their land – or risk ending up in court. Hunting Act 2004, Section 3.
Some landowners may be very pleased that we’re asking questions. They may not particularly want the hunt on their land and might simply be looking for a reason to say no. Let’s help them find one, shall we?
And what about the landowners who actively support hunting? Let’s make allowing the hunt onto their land more difficult than stopping them.
So, if you live near land used by a hunt (or are aware of any) – whatever kind of land it is – here’s your toolkit. There are things you can find out, questions you can ask and actions you can take.
Our aim is simple: reduce land access, build relationships with landowners, and give campaigners the tools to support them.
Read on…
What can we, as anti-foxhunting campaigners, do about land and landowners?
The first thing is to understand the issue. You could spend hours trawling the internet for information – or, much more enjoyably, listen to our TRULY EXCELLENT podcast, in which Pip and Dr Lynne Graham explore the subject in detail. Dr Graham, a criminologist, is also the founding member of Northumberland Hunt Watch, an hunt monitor group. She knows her stuff.
They look at why landowners give hunts permission to use their land, the different factors that influence those decisions, and, most importantly, what we can do to challenge the situation and build positive relationships with landowners.
Because if we want to stop hunting, we need to understand not just the hunts themselves, but the landowners who make it possible.
In the podcast, Dr Graham answers these questions:
Questions
- Who are the landowners?
- How important are the landowners?
- Do all landowners hunt or support the hunt?
- Why do landowners allow hunts on their land?
- What role does the hunt’s relationship with farming play in that?
- How would you describe your relationship with landowners and farmers?
- How did you achieve that?
- What advice would you give to new groups?
- Why is this important?
- How do you encourage change within hunting communities?
- What do you think needs to change?
- So what would that look like in practice?
- So what can you, the listener, do about it?
So, what can you do about it?
Once you’ve had a listen to the podcast, start thinking about land access in your area. Who owns it? Who manages it? Do they allow hunting on their land or are they victims of trespass? Start a dialogue with the owner and or manager.
Send them a letter. We’ve written one for you. You can send it from AAF, so there is no need to identify yourself locally. We all know how terrifying that can be.
Our LANDOWNERS LETTER is ready for download. It’s non-confrontational, and sets out the landowner’s responsibilities and offers help if they need it.
Want to find out which public landowner has banned hunting on their land? What about those who allow it? Who are they?
I need help. What shall I do?
Contact us. Our contact form is below. Make use of it, and we’ll get back to you asap. Or just email us
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