No kills for smug little huntsman Jason Marles as we ruined his cubbing meet at Serstone farm, just north of Bow, on Monday. Eggesford killed a young vixen in this area last New Years, and we were determined to not let that happen again.
The hunt were just about to set off as we arrived. Jason took the hounds and his field of just 2 riders into the valley to the south, where he first cast hounds out. A few hounds were picking up on scent in the scrub and beginning to speak, and a fox was seen by runners bolting from the dense bramble patch. Sabs intervened by masking the area with citronella and rating hounds, distracting them from picking up on the scent.
As the day went on they attempted to hunt the hedge lines and copses around Zeal Monachorum, all the way north to the Old Mill and North Yeo farm, and across to the Devonshire Heartland Way. Several foxes were seen by us throughout the day and we did our best to deter hounds from hunting, ensuring that our foot teams were always well-positioned and using horn and imitating voice calls to command hounds.
One fox was chased twice and looked absolutely exhausted the second time but sabs intervened to ensure this fox survived. Hounds struggled crossing the river and one briefly got stuck on a line of barbed wire that was strung across the water. The hunt couldn’t care less that some of their hounds almost drowned.
We encountered many anti-hunt folk and some irritated landowners, as it seems the Eggesford Hunt love to trespass through farms and even some local people’s private gardens and yards in this area despite having been told not to repeatedly (hypocrites). Some landowners told us they weren’t anti-hunt per se but resented the arrogance of this particular hunt who hadn’t even bothered to tell them they were coming and were causing havoc amongst their animals.
Eggs were followed by the usual haggard pile of nearly-deads, including convicted terrier-pensioner Seward Folland and dairylea Duncan Tucker. This hunt is now without a whipper-in as the previous one lasted only 3 months. Being sabbed and putting up with Jason’s whiney BS must’ve driven Josh Smith to the edge, as he now pursues a career playing rugby. A personal best from huntsman Jason Marles, topping his usual record of one whip per season. How are Alex Warden and Gary Rowe getting on Jason?
Thank you to our friend from Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs for joining us.
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