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 .........................................................................................................................................