Quantock Staghounds 28/3/24
Meet: Hurley Farm, Crowcombe.
Sabs attended the meet of the QSH in atrocious weather conditions. After wind and heavy rain the previous night, the weather took a turn for the worse with hail and thunder. Sabs were dropped of at Crowcombe Park Gate and positioned themselves along the western edge of the hills whilst one sab observed from the A358 Taunton to Williton road.
The hunt moved to Crowcombe Park Gate from the meet and drew Crowcombe Park, four stags were seen fleeing with one running right in front of supporters parked at the top of Halsey Combe.
After a change of hounds, the huntsman brought the dogs over to Slaughterhouse Combe where a herd of stags had been sheltering from the storm. The stags came out of the top of the combe with the huntsman riding alongside and cracking his whip in an attempt to turn them back towards the hills. The stags surged ahead though and down Halsey Combe.
On the lower flanks of the hills, the stags took the hunt northwest to Paradise Combe and then on to Weacombe. Weacombe Hill and Combe is National Trust land. Did that stop them hunting? No it did not. After a time a large herd of deer were pushed out of Weacombe Combe. The hinds went into Biknoller Combe where sabs stood guard, but it seems the stags crossed back into Slaghterhouse Combe somewhere.
Early afternoon and the weather became even more severe with driving hail and thunder and lightning overhead. Sabs were concerned regarding the lightning strikes in open hilltop country, some way too close for comfort! See photo in comments. Did this stop them hunting? No it did not. With no regard for their own animals (think of all the metal tack on the horses!) they continued trying to separate off a stag to chase.
Sabs caught up with them back at Paradise Combe just as a herd of stags came fleeing out. These were possibly unseen by the hunt as shortly afterwards the huntsman and hounds appeared, but thankfully headed back to the meet.
With the field and car followers now dwindling the hunt called end of day at 2:45pm with no stag killed but a whole lot of distress caused to the deer who were forced out of shelter and terrorised for hours in the storm. Today the hunt displayed little thought for their horses, hounds, or the deer of Quantock Hills. No surprises there, though you’d think lighting strikes might be the limit!
Many thanks to Mendip Hunt Sabs, Wildlife Guardian and the local resident’s group who braved the dreadful conditions today. Combined with the weather once again during Spring Stag Hunting the QSH had a blank day.
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