Hit Report 18/11/17
South Dorset Hunt: Meet, Higher Burton Farm, Charminster.
With Lady Townshend’s bloodthirsty Cattistock hunt being covered by a legendary Monitor, and the Portman hunt being covered by Dorset Against Blood Sports, we decided it would be rude to not pay a visit to the South Dorset hunt!
Armed with Sabs, a Monitor and the Red Landy and acting on a received tip off, we arrived nice and early to drop Sabs in to areas that we were fairly sure they would be visiting, to pre-beat and spray. After picking them back up they were then dropped ahead of where we predicted them to head for from the meet….and they did! With Sabs on foot and Sabs and a Monitor watching from the road we had them fairly well covered. They spent some time drawing along the hedge lines… something this huntsman seems to like doing, as well as hiding behind them. Covering ground fairly swiftly around Limekiln Copse, Three Cornered Coppice, Wolfeton Clump and Lower Covert, they then headed off towards Little Piddle Farm with not one but five quads loaded with terrier boys and equipment… though why they needed shovels and terriers on a trail hunt we have no idea!!!
With Sabs and Monitor already there waiting, the huntsman and whip came out on to the road and cantered away from us, disappearing for a moment, then reappearing with the hounds! Heading back toward us and the busy main road. The hounds then decided to shoot off through the hedge (well half the pack) straight on a line and off at speed towards the busy road. Looking worried the huntsman and the rest of the hounds cantered up the road and off in pursuit followed by the smallish field. The driver spun the Landy round and followed a few quads….no number plates….onto the main rd. It all got a bit hectic for a while with quads slowing traffic and stopping at various points and the huntsman seeing us trying desperately to call the hounds away from the road. Terrified deer were seen running in blind panic towards the road before being chased back by quad boys and running along the hedge adjacent to the road. Spinning the Landy again the driver put on hazard lights and slowing the traffic as he could see that the Deer were going to run across the road ahead and they did, nasty accident avoided.
The hunt then did the game of hide from the Sabs/Monitor…and their support for the rest of the day. They went up to an old favorite Little Piddle Bottom and let the hounds run around doing their own thing. From there they crossed the road to Coombe Bottom putting the hounds into Heave Coppice, again flushing out scared Deer. By this time the field was very diminished. They carried on running and hiding for the rest of the afternoon until as the light faded the five remaining riders and five quads rode off over the horizon to return to the meet by the rear entrance.
Directly after the incident with the Deer and riders on the busy main road, Sabs phoned the police. They reported the occurrence but didn’t state why they were there ie as a member of the public. Very soon after the police turned up, one car and a riot van. Upon realising that they were dealing with Sabs/Monitor they became immediately uninterested. They looked at footage and photos and then said that nothing could be done as no members of the public had reported anything! So what are we then Dorset police??? They said they would remain in the area but within minutes had left….
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