Eggesford Hunt, Zeal Monachorum, New Year’s Day, 01.01.26

For another year, the Eggesford Hunt criminals were invited to meet at The Waie Inn, a restaurant with children’s indoor play facilities, before spending the day hunting foxes around Zeal Monachorum. It’s lucky they didn’t lose huntsman Jason Marles in the ball pit.

Several foxes were seen fleeing throughout the day. Last year a deer was mauled to death at this meet, and a few years ago the hunt killed a fox at this meet, right in front of sabs.

This year as usual the hunt started in the quarry at Tuckingmill and hunted along the Devonshire Heartland Way, before continuing east towards Lammacott Farm. Sabs saw a fox running a field away from hounds. Jason brought hounds into that field and they followed the scent to a sett where we believe the fox went to ground. Hunt and terriermen headed back west and we witnessed a fox being coursed by hounds north of Serstone. The fox ran out onto the road, the tarmac helping to foil their scent. Sabs covered the line when the fox ran back into the field and we are confident this fox got away, despite how close hounds were when the chase started.

Towards the end of the day, foot sabs were well-positioned to witness two foxes making an escape. Their scent lines were covered and hounds were rated back. At this time of year, foxes are pairing up, so unfortunately it’s common for hounds to put up multiple foxes in one covert. The final draw of the day was along the valley towards Oak Tree Farm, before boxing up at Serstone Farm.

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Eggesford Hunt, Morchard Bishop, 29.12.25

Eggesford Hunt were hosted by the London Inn, Morchard Bishop. In his speech at the start of the day, huntsman Jason Marles boasted about the pub’s unwavering support for bloodsports. Unlucky for the pub, plenty of people in this area hate the hunt and we’re grateful as ever for their words of support in person and via message over the course of the day.

Part-time local terrierman Seward Folland (the one who was convicted a few years ago for trying to dig a fox out of a badger sett during an Eggesford Hunt meet) was out, but lost the hunt after a few hours and made the mistake of asking one of our sabs for directions. We didn’t see him again for the rest of the day.

The hunt set off on the same route they took at this meet last season, north towards Bishopsleigh, east towards Cann’s Mill Bridge, into the valley between there and Brownstone Moor Cross, via Hele Lane Bridge towards Penford, Wonham, Washford Moor and Washford Wood and then back west to finish between Cann’s Mill Bridge and Billhole Farm, before packing up at Lowertown on the edge of Morchard Bishop.

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Eggesford Hunt, Okehampton, Boxing Day, 26.12.25

We caught Eggesford Hunt red-handed bolting a fox to be chased by hounds at the end of their Boxing Day meet. We won’t be saying too much about this incident in this report, for obvious reasons.

The above incident happened at the end of what was already an eventful day, a lot more eventful than we were expecting considering the turnout. This was the most poorly-attended Eggesford Hunt Boxing Day meet we can recall, despite the decent weather. Just four adult riders and two children on ponies showed up, and the number of car followers barely matched what we would expect for an ordinary meet. A pathetic show of “support” for a hunt with one of the biggest countries in Devon.

They set off from Oaklands on the edge of Okehampton at 11.30, with masked-up terrierman Tom Bounsall on his equipped quadbike in tow. Huntsman Jason Marles headed straight for the valley that runs west towards Upcott House, casting hounds into the hedges and scrub running along the valley. Tom Bounsall positioned himself at the other end of the valley and when hounds briefly picked up and then lost a scent, he and another hunt follower pointed out the direction the fox had gone, to which huntsman Jason Marles responded by putting hounds on the fox’s line.

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Tiverton Foxhounds, Staple Cross, 20.12.25

Our visit to the Tiverton Foxhounds on Saturday contained all the familiar hallmarks of an organised wildlife crime gang: masked terriermen, intentional drawing of fox coverts, foxes and other wildlife forced to run for their lives, and riders using their horses as weapons against sabs. The only missing element was the organisation. For a hunt that’s been in the press a lot lately, following Tiverton Town Council’s decision to declare them “unwelcome” in Tiverton, one might expect at least a token effort at a smokescreen when increased scrutiny was on the cards – particularly in the lead-up to Boxing Day! But there was no pretence of trail-laying or any other ruse.

Terriermen Will Wass and Phil Morish accompanied the hunt on a fully equipped quadbike, in direct breach of the BHSA’s newly issued “terrierman ban”, circulated to all registered packs last week. When they spotted sabs, and knowing full well we’d recognise them, Wass and Morish masked-up. And that was violation number two. According to the BHSA: “To maintain a clear distinction between lawful hunting and those who conceal their identity for confrontational purposes, it is not appropriate for anyone present at or associated with a hunting day to obscure their identity.” The Tiverton, like the Eggesford and so many other hunts, are proving that the hunting world is incapable of regulating itself.

The meet was at Foxlands Farm, not far from Staple Cross, but they didn’t hunt around there. Instead, huntsman Neil Starsmore, whose recent career move involved abandoning the East Cornwall with North Cornwall huntsman Gareth Frain’s wife in tow (proving once again that loyalty is not a strong suit in the hunting world!), led the field of approximately 15 riders along the road for a while before entering land north of Stallenge Thorne Farm, drawing a few hedges and then carrying on north and west towards the Huntsham Estate. They seemed a bit undecided about whether to hunt in front of us or go for a hack and attempt to lose us first.

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South Tetcott Hunt, Highampton, 06.12.25

Our arrival at Highampton Village Hall/Primary School was met with the usual zombie-like glares from the hunt and its supporters, who were hiding in the carpark behind the hall. Huntswoman Amy Parkin and Whip Richard Trewern were only joined by a handful of riders at the meet. Perhaps the weather forecast had changed the minds of several of the regular riders.

From the meet, Parkin dragged the hunt to Odham Moor, where the hounds picked up a line and headed west across Wagaford Water and onto Hollow Moor. For those who aren’t aware, Hollow Moor and Odham Moor is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and part of the European designated Culm Grassland Special Area of Conservation, “one of the largest continuous areas of species-rich unimproved grassland in Devon”, home to several nationally scarce and vulnerable species. Using an area such as this as a private playground for bloodsports is deeply irresponsible.

The day involved hounds tearing across the boggy SSSI, backwards and forwards until hounds approached the edge of ‘Anglers Paradise’ and dangerously close to a nearby shoot somewhere to the north. Despite Parkin and Trewern’s attempts to bring the hounds away, several decided they didn’t want to come back. An hour passed before the remaining hounds returned. At this point the hunt decided they’d had enough. Having spent a few hours disturbing all manner of wildlife, with foxes and deer seen running in various directions, the hunt headed back to the meet and packed up at around 2:30pm.

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Stevenstone and Mendip Farmers Hunts, Joint Meet, Great Gorwood Farm, 29.11.25

Rees-Mogg’s favourite gang of miscreants, the Mendip Farmers Hunt were invited down to Devon this last Saturday, to hang out with the equally miserable Stevenstone Hunt, at their meet at Great Gorwood Farm, Buckland Brewer.

Unfortunately for them both, we’d also invited some of the Mendip Famers’ local sabs along as well. Mendip Sabs and Somerset Sabs.

They started off hacking around the lanes to the north of the meet, with a quick pause to do some tiny jumps at Howley before drawing nearby fields surrounding Greenhill, down towards the valley west of Cabbacott.

Huntsman Thomas then hunted the area on foot, with sabs catching up to him attempting to put hounds into dense brambles at Cabbacott. Realising sabs were on his tail, he scurried off back to the road via swamp of slurry that was draining into a nearby stream.

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Lamerton Hunt, Upcott Barton, 22.11.25

Lamerton huntsman David Lewis looked less than impressed when we showed up at this meet at Upcott Barton near Broadwoodwidger, just a week after Plymouth & West Devon Sabs put a stop to his plans for the day.

For whatever reason, the two sets of terriermen were kept hidden at the start. However, that didn’t last long – nor did the rest of their day!

After riding around some boggy fields between Willtown and Grinacombe Moor, and then between Broadwood Down and Rexton, sour-faced David and his daughter Maria led the hounds back to the meet.

Terriermen on their quadbikes, equipped with spades and terriers for digging-out foxes, reluctantly retreated back to the meet as well.

Our vehicle made sure they packed up and went home, while foot sabs were getting help for a poorly sheep in a field on the edge of the village.

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Eggesford, Riddlecombe, 17.11.25

The hunt met at Middleton’s Westacott Barton in Riddlecombe for a Monday of terrorising wildlife and local people around Riddlecombe and Ashreigney. A small team of us kept eyes on them the entire day. Several foxes were seen by our drone, their escape aided by the intervention of foot sabs on the ground.

Jason spent the day drawing one field of beets/brassicas after another, as well as the woods at Dolton Beacon and Shear’s Wood and the valleys between Northcott, Furze and Bolts. At one point the pack went off on a strong line from the edge of Shear’s Wood all the way to Dolton Beacon Cottages and into one of the solar farm fields at Riddlecombe Moor, where they obviously have no permission to be. Instead of stopping them, Jason hunted hounds on all along this route. The busy stretch of the A3124 at Dolton Beacon was forced to a standstill when Jason eventually gathered the pack on the main road. Fortunately the fox got away.

The last hour was spent back in the valley south of the meet and then east to Moorwater and Churchwater with a final (apparently unplanned) stint around South Farm and Densham on the edge of Ashreigney. Two separate landowners complained that hounds and riders had entered their land without permission. One landowner on the edge of Ashreigney was running around trying to find out whether the hunt were intending to go near her ewes. After hounds chased a sheep to death in this exact area just a few weeks ago, we’re not surprised she was concerned! Several hounds ended up scattered as far south as Horridge while Jason and the bulk of the pack carried on drawing northwards before finishing at Goodcott and hacking back to the meet.

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Eggesford Hunt, Hatherleigh, 08.11.25

For the second time in a week, Eggesford Hunt returned to Hatherleigh to terrorise wildlife on the County Wildlife Site at Hatherleigh Moor and the surrounding area. This is usually their annual Hatherleigh Carnival meet, and although the carnival committee have finally decided that inviting wildlife criminals to their event isn’t a good look, the hunt still meet in the town square outside the George Inn on carnival day. Based on the conversations we had with locals all around Hatherleigh Moor, most Hatherleigh residents are utterly fed up of the hunt’s presence.

The first hour was spent on the moor, with huntsman Jason Marles casting hounds into very dense covert, exactly the kinds of places where foxes would lie up. You can see several examples of this in our drone shots. Fortunately hounds mostly kept drawing a blank until they got to the edge of the moor at Deckport Farm, where they chased a fox south to Merryland Stream and Becka Moor.

With hounds running ahead in cry, Jason galloped past one of our foot teams on the moor and shouted “that rabbit’s a runner”. Remember this is a hunt that don’t bother with the pretense of trail-hunting. They blatantly hunt foxes and have several criminal convictions and cautions for digging foxes out of badger setts. ‘Rabbit-hunting’ is about as plausible a ruse as trail-hunting is (i.e. completely implausible) and still illegal if done on land without the landowner’s permission. The speed at which Jason and his lackeys were trying to gather hounds back to them north of Becka Moor leads us to suspect they probably didn’t have permission to be on that land!

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Stevenstone Hunt, Patchill, 5.11.25

A mid-week surprise visit to the Stevenstone, who met at Patchill on the edge of Petrockstowe. We arrived a little late and the hunt were already out around Hartleigh Wood, accompanied by about 5 riders and a handful of supporters, as well as badger-digger Ben Vincent on his terrier quad.

As to be expected with the Stevenstone these days, we found hounds littering the nearby area, most of them running back and forth between Filleigh Moor and the plantation at Beara. After some time, Stephen James emerged from his midmorning nap to regain control of the wayward hounds. Unfortunately for James, most of the hounds had other ideas. Even with help from other members of the hunt to try and reunite the pack, many hounds clearly preferred exploring by themselves.

Having eventually gathered some of the pack, James decided it was time to resume the hunt, taking them into nearby Newcourt Wood. Hounds got on a line and headed west through a mouldy maize field but quickly lost the scent and decided they much preferred the smell of the manure that had recently between spread on surrounding fields.

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