sabbing

Get Involved

Introduction

‘Hunt Saboteur’ - what images do those words conjure up? Do you imagine concerned individuals inspired to risk life, limb and freedom to save British Wildlife? Because that, in a nutshell is exactly what hunt saboteurs do and we hope the following paragraphs will help you understand why.

The closest analogy to help us to explain our actions, is to ask you to try and imagine how you would feel if you witnessed another human being deliberately hurting something smaller and weaker, perhaps tormenting a child or an animal just for fun. This is after all, what is involved in a bloodsport. Wouldn’t you want to try to stop them?

It could be argued that you could ask them or tell them to stop. But what happens when that request is denied? That this callousness just goes on and on regardless of your protests?

The people that become hunt saboteurs, are the people who experience exactly this dilemma. People who know that they can and should do something more...

Sadism and cruelty

The sadism and cruelty involved in hunting has been exposed over and over again - examples on film and video reveal the horrors experienced by wild animals all over the country.

In Britain deer, foxes, hares and mink are all hunted by packs of hounds. All hunting with hounds is cruel by design. Hounds are bred not for speed which would produce a quick kill, but rather for their stamina. This gives the lengthy chase that is so attractive to the followers.

Although hunts often maintain that they are ‘culling’ animals as a form of so-called pest control, the truth is that hunting, generally has no effect on population numbers. Hares, however, being in a state of decline in some areas, are affected by this added unnecessary pressure.

Hunters can seldom control their hounds and havoc frequently occurs. Rioting hounds often kill pets and livestock and cause mayhem on roads and railway lines.

Society’s standards of ethics and morality change from generation to generation. Probably in our lifetime, we have seen greater change in such standards than in any other time in history. Another change is due - a change that will see the abolition of blood sports.

While politicians argue over how many votes they may win or lose over this issue, hunt saboteurs will be out in the fields savings animals’ lives directly until hunting and other such cruel practices are outlawed - we need your help until it does.

Why not contact or join the Hunt Saboteurs Association . Or contact us to find out what YOU can do to help wildlife locally.

“All hunting for ‘sport’ is organised torture, leading to murder.”
Robert Churchward (Ex-joint Master)

go sabbing! [Why sab? ]

What to expect... .. A days sabbing

Once you have made contact with your local group and have told them that you
are interested in becoming an active member you will be invited along to a meeting or simply told when and where to meet.

Most sab groups will have someone who organises the weeks sab and you may
be asked to phone them up to book a space in the vehicle. Once you have done this you will meet up and get into the vehicle for sabbing, this vehicle may be the groups or simply a hire van. Depending on which hunt you are doing and what part of the season it is you could be meeting at any time between 4.00am to 12.00 noon. The early starts are because the first few months of fox hunting, known as cub-hunting, are used to train the new hounds to kill and always take place very early. As the season progresses the meets will take place later in the day and during the main fox hunting season most hunts meet at around ll.00am, whilst most beagle packs meet around l.00pm.

You will be taken to the meet and a days sabbing will begin. A days sabbing can vary and be exhausting one week and `relaxing’ the next. Whilst out sabbing a fox hunt most of the time may be spent in the vehicle just simply driving around and keeping track of the hunt. Other times you may be constantly on the go and running about preventing them from killing. Unlike foxhunts, Beagle packs cannot be followed by roads so you will have to be prepared to go into the fields and follow them. Whilst sabbing a beagle pack there are a few rules which may come in useful during the day. When being chased hares will run in ever decreasing circles until they are exhausted and are then killed by the hounds. You can then predict the direction of the hare whilst being chased, e.g. if a hare turns right whilst being chased you can assume that it will turn right all the time. This hare will be known as a right-hander and will turn right so it will not stray out of it’s territory. With this knowledge you can cut across to intercept the hunt instead of trying to keep up with the pack, which may prove difficult for some people!

NOTE: Do not stand to the side of the pack as this will simply make the pack bigger and do the hunts job for them, always stand at the rear

Keep quite if you see any animal and never point - tell an experienced sab.

A days sabbing may include a visit from the people in blue, some police are unbiased (ish!) and will be fair about what we are doing, others will try to make our lives as difficult as possible !

What to wear - Strong, waterproof clothing and footwear should be worn to keep you warm and dry. Dull colours are always the best and even wearing similar clothes as the hunt supporters can be of benefit (wax jackets, flap caps, etc.)

What not to wear - Do not wear bright colours as you will stand out against the countryside. You must have warm clothes so flimsy T-shirts and vests are of no use, do not think you are going on a picnic!

BE PREPARED FOR COMPLETE WEATHER CHANGES, FROM BOILING
HOT TO COLD AND FROM WET TO DRY

What to bring

Sandwiches, petrol money, suitable clothing, pen & notepad or dictaphone, local O/S maps, hunting horn, binoculars, camera/video, etc.

The above list of things that would be useful to bring along to a `sab’ ( if you have any of them). Such things as sandwiches and petrol money are essentials but most other things will be supplied by the group, if you have them bring them, if you don’t - don’t worry.

Attitudes during the day

Whilst out sabbing you will come across a lot of different reactions from the hunt and it’s supporters, some may be violent, most will be argumentative. The best way (in my opinion) to deal with the hunt’s reaction is to ignore them (unless being attacked, of course !) You must see yourself as doing a job - SAVING ANIMAL’S LIVES.

Do not bother getting into arguments over the pro’s and con’s of hunting - its wasted on them, you will not change their views and you will also be distracted away from stopping the hunt. Stay confident and do not allow the hunt to push you around, you have a perfect right to be there. Always remember that if the hunt does start to become violent you are totally within yours RIGHTS to act in self-defence and PROTECT yourself.

If the police do arrive at the hunt, try to be reasonable with them and do not wind them up even if they are being a bit annoying. Make sure that they are not allowed to push you around and tell you things which you are quite within the law to do. Remember that you do not have to give your name and address unless you are the driver of the vehicle. If you are arrested always remember that you do not have to say anything to the police and you do not have to make a statement. It is much better to keep totally quiet until you have been released. The police only talk to you because they hope that you will drop yourself in it and they will get an easy conviction. The rest of the group will always wait for you if you have been arrested and will help you find a suitable solicitor if needed - so don’t worry!

NOTE: This is not meant to be a section on how you should behave at a hunt but is to be used as a guide - it is up to you how you act...

After we have dealt with the police a days sabbing can go a number of different ways; the hunt will pack up and go home, they will box the hounds up and drive off with them in the hope that they will lose us and have a chance of hunting somewhere else, they may `ignore’ us and try to continue hunting, they might try to ‘frighten’ us off or if the police aren’t already there will call the police in the hope that there being there will stop us. Whatever happens on the day you must always remember that you are there to save an animal’s life, so all your decisions must always put the animal `first’.

After the days sabbing you will be brought back to the meeting place, or you may even be dropped off home. You will be thanked for coming along and asked if you will be going again - We hope so.

DURING THE DAY YOU SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING, EVERYBODY HAS TO START SOMEWHERE AND IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND JUST SIMPLY ASK !

Sabbing and the law - what effects you?

• Section 61 - Trespassing on Land. The police can now direct you to leave land, if you have been asked to leave by the occupier or have used threatening words or behaviour.

• Section 68 - Aggravated Trespass. Obstruction or disrupting of a ‘lawful’ activity (i.e. - hunting) while trespassing on land in the open air, (includes footpaths, bridleways and byways). The police can now direct people committing or intending to commit this offence to leave the area.

• Section 69 - Failure to leave land. (Pretty self explanitory)

• Section 70 - Trespassory Assemblies. It applies to an assembly, by 20 or more persons, at a place on land, in the open air. To which the public have limited or no right of access and where the police reasonably believe an assembly is likely to be held without permission of the occupier. Also organising or inciting such an assembly is punishable by imprisonment.

If you do get arrested, there is no such thing as a ‘friendly chat’ to sort things out.
THINK before you talk, remember to keep silent. Always ask for a good solicitor.

Don’t panic - other members of the group will wait for you to be released.
Know your rights!

Words you will hear the hunt use...

Whilst out attending hunts you will hear a number of words or sayings which you may not understand. These are used to describe some of the hunt actions and are frequently used by all hunt supporters.