York & Ainsty South Hunt today met in Easingwold Market Square for their annual PR stunt and Boxing Day Hunt. The Master put on a show whilst doing a speech, trying to act welcoming to the "anti's" and ranted how they should be tolerated as the hunt always welcomes opposing views. Whilst he was busy talking to the supporters, hunt sabs fed the hounds dog biscuits to make them more responsive to monitors in the field and layed a non-harmful citronella scent which stops them smelling foxes. The two police officers present had already told people they wouldn't be following the Y&AS to enforce the ban.

As they set off, to a slow start, the master became very intollerant and raised his whip to hit a sab as more citronella was layed infront of the hounds - funny how their attitude changes when there's no public round.

About an hour in, the hunt begun flushing covers with a full pack of hounds - something which is illegal under the hunting bill - and there was no drag anywhere in the area, nor seen throughout the day. As hounds went into cry, sabs were on the otherside of the cover ready to get between the fox and hunt pack when they broke cover and went into chase. Following this, sabs made howls (a noise made by followers if a fox is seen) to distract the hunt master who was unaware of the sabs on the otherside. He then began rallying the hounds towards the direction of the noise and encouraging them, only to be caught on video camera by the monitors when he, and the full pack of hounds, broke cover. Fox burrows in the woods were filled in - something done the morning of the hunt so no chased animals can get down the holes - this makes them easier to find, chase and kill as they have nowhere to hide. After this, the master (who coincidentally claimed to be legally hunting in his earlier speech!) was asked about the ban and points of law were put to him as he was being filmed; his reply - a middle finger and muttering of "Fuck Off". This was then changed to pointing and saying he'll speak later when he realised he was being filmed.

They then moved onto another, bigger cover and did the same but chased a fox. Due to sabs' intervention and laying of citronella, two chased roe deer and foxes escaped from the hounds. Due to the covering of the scent by monitors, the pack was confused and the hunt moved on to try and avoid being filmed breaking the law. The land owner then came to escourt sabs out of the cover and was confronted about his allowance of an illegal activity occuring on his land; unable to answer he began ranting on about trespass and tried grabbing the video cameras.

Later on as the Y&AS headed back towards Easingwold to pack up, hunt supporters slashed two tires on the landrover used by sabs - obviously in envy of their days lack of success and sabs disrupting their illegal hunt.

THE YORK AND AINSTY SOUTH, LIKE MANY OTHER HUNTS, ARE CLAIMING IN THE PRESS THEY CONTINUE TO HUNT WITHIN THE LAW. THIS IS NOW EXPOSED AS A LIE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR HUNTS WITHIN THE AREA AND INTERVENE, SAVE LIES AND ENFORCE THE LAW.


YORK HUNT SABS