The hunt and the hunt saboteur have a long history in the UK, one that continued even after the ban on fox hunting in 2004. With the ban riddled with loopholes, saboteurs have remained necessary to help protect British foxes. They are a dedicated and eclectic bunch, now embracing new technology such as drones to catch hunters who push the limits of the law. With the UK government moving towards a complete ban on trail hunting, this tumultuous relationship may finally be drawing to a close—although I suspect some unfinished business may linger for years to come.
For most of their history, hunting was legal, so the police responded with covert infiltration and mass arrests. Meanwhile, the hunters responded with violence, trampling sabs with horses, blasting shotguns at vans, and assaulting them with blunt instruments. As tensions escalated in the 1980s, a handful of animal-rights activists adopted more extreme tactics, raiding kennels and launching firebombing campaigns. In 1984, one group, the Hunt Retribution Squad, even plotted to exhume the 10th Duke of Beaufort and post his head to Princess Anne.
More picks from the world of hunting
The Florida Alligator Dragnet
“When an alligator kills someone in America, it can make international headlines. What happens to the thousands of gators that people deem ‘nuisances’ does not.”
The Persimmon Tree at Stand Five
“My Japanese-American grandma spent her final years on a hunting preserve in Alabama. She taught me how to be comfortable as an anomaly in the South.”
An Optimistic Quest in Apocalyptic Times
“Navigating an uncertain future by connecting to Mother Earth.”
Shooting an Elephant in Botswana
“Trophy hunting is uncomfortable for some in the West but a lifeline for many locals.”
Where Are All The Caribou?
“For millennia Indigenous communities have relied on the far north’s caribou herds for sustenance. But as the herds dwindle, the future becomes difficult to predict.”
The Great Cajun Turtle Heist
“Alligator snapping turtle populations in Texas were dwindling. One family of smugglers had been poaching them from the state for years.”
