On horseback, hunters surround a wood, or area where they know cubs are living with their parents. The hunters make a loud noise by slapping their saddles and shouting. They do this to scare the cubs out of hiding. They also make burring noises "brrrr, brrr" to rouse the cubs. When they see a terrified cub trying to escape, they point it out, so the other hunters can see it. This is why they surround the area "on point".

The hounds are instructed to chase and kill the cubs.

Some cubs and their parents escape. The hunts also like the idea of dispersing cubs, so in future years, they have a greater area to hunt.

The hunts want to train their young hounds. They use a mix of young hounds and older hounds, so the young ones can learn from the older ones. They want the young hounds to understand what to do when the main hunting season begins. They also want to disperse the foxes to make better hunting for them later on.

The hunters also really enjoy it.

It is illegal to pursue wild mammals with dogs for sport.  It is also illegal to confine a wild mammal and then mistreat it.
The two cub hunting convictions (see below) have been made under the Hunting Act 2004.

Yes. The Meynell & South Staffordshire Hunt was convicted following incidents during the autumn hunting period. In 2012, its then hunt master was convicted of setting hounds on a fox during an incident described as cub hunting. In 2019, members of the hunt were also convicted of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. The hunt later disbanded in 2023.

More recently, members of the Portman Hunt were convicted under the Hunting Act 2004 for hunting a wild mammal with dogs following an incident during September 2022, which was during the traditional cub hunting period.

• John Edward Greenall (hunt master) – convicted and fined £3,000
• Glen Morris (hunt staff) – convicted and fined £250

However, collecting evidence of cub hunting is extremely difficult, and it often takes place on private land, out of view.

If you see a hunt on the road or in the fields very early in the morning or in the evening, during late summer or autumn, they are probably cub hunting. You can text the Hunt Saboteurs Association on this number 07443148426. They will alert the local group, if they can. Not all saboteur or monitor groups are in the HSA though, so it's a good idea to search Social Media in advance to find out if there are any other groups around. You can also call the police, especially it you see or hear the hunters making noises around a wood.

YOU CAN ALSO SPREAD THE WORD by telling your friends and neighbours about cub hunting. Our leaflets will help with this. Please order them here.