On Saturday we went to see what the Eggesford were up to at their meet at Kingsland Farm, near Wembworthy. We had a large team out, with two vehicles and three large foot teams.
The hunt didn’t hang around at the meet but headed straight north towards Stable Green and into the steep wooded valley bordering Hollocombe Water, where they would end up spending most of the day.
The sound of hounds in cry echoed up and down the valley and it was difficult to pinpoint them at first. However, one of our vehicle teams spotted huntsman Jason from a highpoint as he went down to the edge of the woods, responding to the sound of his hounds. Terriermen moved in and a little while later Jason took hounds away from the woods to the north. Foot sabs in the woods had recognised the sound of hounds ‘marking’ and converged on the location just in time to catch Eggesford terrier men Nathan and Seward red-handed at a badger sett. Holes were blocked with soil and nets were strung over the remaining open holes to bolt their ‘trail’ (aka a live fox) into. This is not the first time we have caught them destroying a badger sett. Terrier boy Nathan is already on a caution for interfering with a badger sett on a previous occasion.
Needless to say, Nathan and Seward scarpered, taking their spades and nets with them, and the police were called. A foot team stayed behind documenting the sett and keeping an eye on it for most of the afternoon, while other sabs caught up with the hunt, who were straight onto their next fox. IThey covered ground between Highdown and Beera in no time. Sabs covered the scent of a fox that was running from the pack.
Before long, hounds returned to the original valley below the sett where hounds had hunted the previous fox to ground. Sabs were there well before Jason arrived and were able to rate hounds off the fox and call them in the opposite direction. Jason caught up with the hounds in Densham Wood and carried on towards Hollocombe. Sabs caught up with hounds at Higher Minicleave Wood and spent the next hour covering the scent of two hunted foxes. Eventually Jason doubled-back through Densham Wood towards Wembworthy Closes, where he emerged onto the road and hacked back to the kennels, with sabs in tow.
The Eggesford appear to be pretty unpopular in their own neck of the woods. Several landowners complained that they had trespassed on land where they had no permission, a passer-by stopped and thanked us for keeping an eye on their local lawbreakers, and another stopped to give us a donation! We thank them for their support!