Over the last few years there has been some terrible stories about the actions of hunts across the country with recorded footage of hunt staff digging out fox dens and others clearly hunting foxes even though it has been against the law since 2004. There also video footage of three senior huntsmen discussing how to create a 'smokescreen' to fool the public into believing that they were only 'trail hunting'. As a result hunting was put on hold in many areas as land owners, such as Forestry England, waited to see if they could clean up their act.
At the start of this winter, the New Forest Hounds made the right choice, in my opinion, and switched entirely from foxhounds to bloodhounds which will only hunt a human scent. Their website is definitely worth a look.
I thought this article in the New Milton and Lymington Times was timely now that the new hounds have settled in and the hunt staff adapted to the new format of hunting. (The article wrongly and amusingly refers to the Strip Cup when they mean Stirrup Cup and not a Strip Club!)
Will Day's comment explains it all,
“It’s important for the wider New Forest to understand what we are trying to do. We are trying to maintain a tradition in a format which can’t be criticised. Everyone is welcome – we are totally open to the public on the hunt day.”
