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Ifaw-Trail-Of-Lies-Full-Report.Pdf Trail of Lies Report on the role of trail hunting in preventing successful prosecutions against illegal hunters in the UK By Jordi Casamitjana Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................5 2. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................8 2.1. Hunting with dogs.................................................................................................................................8 2.1.1. A typical foxhunting day ............................................................................................................ 11 2.1.2. Cub hunting ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.3. Hunting roles ............................................................................................................................. 18 2.2. Drag hunting and bloodhounds hunting ........................................................................................... 22 2.3. The hunting ban ................................................................................................................................. 30 2.4. Enforcement of the hunting ban ....................................................................................................... 36 2.5. The NGOs’ role in the enforcement of the ban ................................................................................. 40 3. METHODS .................................................................................................................................................. 43 3.1. Bibliographical sources ...................................................................................................................... 43 3.2. Testimony of first-hand witnesses .................................................................................................... 43 3.3. Expert opinion ................................................................................................................................... 44 3.4. Hunt monitoring reports ................................................................................................................... 44 3.5. Documents ......................................................................................................................................... 49 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................ 50 4.1. What is trail hunting? ........................................................................................................................ 50 4.1.1. What the hunts say trail hunting is ........................................................................................... 50 4.1.2. What others believe trail hunting is .......................................................................................... 56 4.1.2.1. Media and anti-hunting organisations .............................................................................. 57 4.1.2.2. National Trust .................................................................................................................... 66 4.1.2.3. The Government ................................................................................................................ 67 4.1.2.4. The Police and CPS ............................................................................................................. 68 4.1.2.5. Forestry Commission and Ministry of Defence ................................................................. 70 4.1.3. What does trail hunting look like .............................................................................................. 75 4.1.3.1. The scent ............................................................................................................................ 75 4.1.3.2. The terrain ......................................................................................................................... 79 4.1.3.3. The people ......................................................................................................................... 81 4.1.3.4. The hounds ........................................................................................................................ 86 4.1.3.5. The procedure ................................................................................................................... 87 4.2. Trail hunting used as an alibi in criminal investigations .................................................................... 91 2 4.3. Trail hunting as a false alibi for illegal hunting .................................................................................. 96 4.3.1. MO1 –Laying no trail ............................................................................................................... 101 4.3.2. MO2 –creating false evidence ................................................................................................. 103 4.3.3. MO3 –faking it ......................................................................................................................... 103 4.3.4. MO4 –causing accidents .......................................................................................................... 104 4.4. The criminality of trail hunters ........................................................................................................ 109 4.4.1. Motive ...................................................................................................................................... 109 4.4.1.1. Hunting Declaration ......................................................................................................... 109 4.4.1.2. Temporary ban ................................................................................................................ 116 4.4.1.3. Sabotaging enforcement ................................................................................................. 117 4.4.2. Means ...................................................................................................................................... 118 4.4.2.1. Hunt staff and supporters ............................................................................................... 118 4.4.2.2. Horses and dogs............................................................................................................... 119 4.4.2.3. Access to foxes and hares ................................................................................................ 121 4.4.2.4. Animal scent .................................................................................................................... 125 4.4.2.5. The pretence .................................................................................................................... 127 4.4.3. Opportunity ............................................................................................................................. 128 4.4.3.1. Lack of rules ..................................................................................................................... 128 4.4.3.2. Private land ...................................................................................................................... 129 4.4.3.3. The ‘antis’ credibility ....................................................................................................... 130 4.4.3.4. Enforcement Agencies ..................................................................................................... 131 4.4.3.5. Campaign fatigue ............................................................................................................. 133 4.4.4. Intent ....................................................................................................................................... 135 4.4.5. Hunting as organised crime ..................................................................................................... 137 4.4.5.1. Seriousness of the crime ................................................................................................. 137 4.4.5.2. Planning and coordination............................................................................................... 142 4.4.5.3. Continuity of the activity ................................................................................................. 149 4.4.5.4. Gang culture and corporate criminality .......................................................................... 150 4.5. Case studies ..................................................................................................................................... 154 4.5.1. MO1- Seavington Hunt prosecution ........................................................................................ 154 4.5.2. MO2- Cattistock Hunt case ...................................................................................................... 163 4.5.3. MO3 – X Foxhounds case study ............................................................................................... 174 4.5.4. MO4 – XX Foxhounds case study ............................................................................................. 180 4.6. Solutions .........................................................................................................................................
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