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News - north dartmoor beagles upset local farmer

Farmer bans hunting dogs - 15 April 2004

A sheep farmer has banned a hunt from running across his land because he claims its beagle dogs were frightening his animals.

David Evans of Trehausa Farm, Week St Mary, has lived at his home for three years and has a 50-acre holding upon which he farms around 250 ewes.

He claims that five dogs that were running around his fields caused two lambing ewes to miscarry - but the hunt maintains that its dogs were behaving perfectly, and that one was actually injured by the farmer.

Until recently, said Mr Evans, he had a "live and let live" attitude towards the hunting debate but his opinion changed drastically after he found five hounds tearing around his field and his sheep in panic.

"Knowing that many of my heavily in lamb ewes were in these fields, I set forth on the quad bike to investigate," he said.

"The sight that greeted me was of five hounds tearing around a field and sheep running in panic. After a few minutes I had the hounds in flight up the valley and calmed my sheep and led them to safe ground up the hillside".

"Later two of the ewes each aborted stillborn twins that otherwise would have seen life and grown into three happy ewes and a ram.

"Such a cruel loss would be bad enough if the dogs had been strays but they were hounds of an organised hunt," he said.

Mr Evans said he eventually found out that the dogs had come from the North Dartmoor Beagles. After contacting them, he had found the organisers' attitudes about the incident irritating.

"The whole thing was annoying and I feel this view of hunting from the countryside ought to be told," added Mr Evans, who said a formal apology was no compensation for the loss of the lambs and upset to the ewes.

Asked to comment, Joint Master of the North Dartmoor Beagles, Harvey Paulger, said he apologised to Mr Evans for the beagles that had strayed into one of his fields.

Mr Paulger went on: "However, I categorically refute the implication that they chased his sheep.

"Our hounds are steady with all forms of livestock and we are proud of the discipline of our pack.

"Mr Evans was tearing around on his quad bike and one of our beagles was seriously injured as a result. Our young dog hound, Tawny, sustained broken back legs and was in agony when we picked him up a few moments later. We were shocked and upset by the extent of his injuries.

"As a hunt, we work with hundreds of farmers and landowners and enjoy the vast majority of their support. We discuss wildlife management, hare conservation and encourage good hare habitat. We are not cruel or arrogant. Our followers are knowledgeable country people and include retired farmers, vets, teachers and GPs. Mr Evans is entitled to his views and we respect that. Our beagles will not stray on to his property again."

The hunt takes in a small area of Cornwall around Week St Mary and Widemouth Bay

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