On the 5th April the South Devon Hunt held their closing meet at Grendon Farm, Widecombe in the Moor. The South Devon Hunt usually host their closing meet at Broadaford Farm, owned by William Dracup (Deputy Chair of the Dartmoor National Park Authority who whilst hosting them last year was the Chair of the ‘Park Management Working Panel’). It is no wonder that the Dartmoor National Park continues to allow hunting with dogs when senior members of the Authority are pro-hunt.
Huntsman Joey Emmett left the meet alongside a field of 30+ riders and headed to Riddon Ridge via Cator Common. They spent a while up on the ridge whilst the hunt support littered the road. The hounds only briefly picked up scent here and headed down towards the road, before losing it.
From Riddon Ridge the hunt moved south in the direction of Babeny to the East Dart River, where Emmett was on foot desperately trying to get the hounds to pick up a scent, but due to the hot sunny weather of the day they struggled to do so, and with sabs all around, Emmett eventually gave up and moved on.
Emmett took the hounds south, around Yar Tor and across the road to Yartor Down and Sharp Tor. To be expected with the heat, the hounds failed to pick up anything here either, even with Emmett taking them right through the vast patches of gorse that cover the slopes of the tors.
With the heat showing no signs of easing, and half the field already off home, Emmett crossed the road once again and headed up the slope of Corndon Down before one final futile attempt to hunt just south of Riddon.
After this they all gathered by the roadside for an end of season farewell, before Emmett took the hounds back to Soussons Down to pack up. A short and thankfully uneventful day, we were all glad to finally see the end of the 2024-2025 fox hunting season.
Thanks to Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs, Mendip Hunt Sabs, Hunt audits southwest and South Devon Hunt Saboteurs for teaming up on this one.
As the fox and stag hunting season has now finished, hunt scum now focus on terrorising delicate riverbank habitats and hunting mink (as well as otters and beavers). If you know of the whereabouts of the minkhounds, please feel free to tip us off via text, email, or our social media accounts.
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