The Eggesford Hunt begins 2025 with a killing spree

Devon's Eggesford Hunt has begun 2025 in the most barbaric way, killing a fox and a deer at two separate meets. These murders should be a stark reminder to the government to prioritise its promise to ban hunting with dogs.

Devon County Hunt Saboteurs reported the killing of the fox, which took place on 4 January. The group shared heartbreaking photos on Facebook. Hounds had torn off the whole upper half of the fox's body:

Just three days earlier, on New Years Day, the sabs reported that that the Eggesford had killed a roe deer while trespassing on land. Hounds chased a number of animals that day, beginning with a fox, as well as two other roe deer. The sabs said:

"Unfortunately we are unsure if the fox who was hunted at speed across such a long distance was killed or not. Having gathered the pack, the hunt headed south via a brassica field and back into the original valley which had been so fruitful for them in the morning. Sabs could hear hounds in cry as they approached the valley and caught up with them just as they were marking a fox to ground in a badger sett. Multiple sett entrances had caved in from the frantic scratching of hounds and the air around the sett smelled strongly of fox. However, our presence averted a digout and convicted badger sett digger Seward Folland packed up and went home at this point."

'You’re too late, they’ve already done it'

Towards the the end of the day, as sabs rated the hounds to prevent another chase, huntsman Jason Marles retorted smugly at the sabs: “You’re too late, they’ve already done it".

Later, a local found the body of one roe deer. The sabs shared the photos to Facebook, and said:

"We think this happened on the second loop when hounds were brought back to the same valley and were heard in cry before sabs caught up with them again at the badger sett."

The group stated:

"The deer’s injuries were concentrated around the rump and leg area, with further injuries around the neck and shoulders, consistent with a dog attack following a chase."

Rabbit hunting

Devon County Sabs pointed out that the Eggesford Hunt switches between loopholes in the law to get away with its murders. Protect the Wild readers will know that most hunts use the trail hunting loophole - that is, they say that their hounds are following a pre-laid scent, rather than the scent of a real animal. The Eggesford does indeed use this flaw in the law. But according to the sabs, it also uses the excuse that it is rabbiting – that is, chasing and killing rabbits, which aren’t protected by law. This lie is most often peddled by hare hunting packs. As far as Protect the Wild is aware, the Eggesford is the only fox hunting pack that is using the excuse of rabbit hunting as it attempts to murder foxes.

A video posted by the sabs at the end of 2024 shows Eggesford Hunt rider and landowner Lloyd Heard saying that the hunt is both trail hunting AND rabbit hunting at the same time! Heard is flustered as he tries to prevent sabs from witnessing hounds as they hunt a fox. He jumps off his horse and can not get his story straight as he yells at the sabs that the hounds are following a trail. He then goes on to say repeatly that the hounds are actually rabbit hunting.

Consistently murdering foxes

When it comes to killing wildlife, the Eggesford Hunt is a repeat offender. Protect the Wild's annual report, A Case for a Proper Ban on Hunting, shows that during the 2023/24 season, the hunt chased at least eight foxes, and killed two more.

Meanwhile, back in 2021 two Eggesford terriermen, Seward Follan and Nathan Bowes, were found guilty of interfering with badger setts as they blocked the entrance to the setts with earth, debris and nets. Bowes told the court that he was there to "humanely dispatch" a fox which had gone to ground. The two men were intent on appealing their convictions, but made a last minute decision to abandon the appeal.

And then back in 2019, huntsman Marles was convicted of using threatening and abusive behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress after charging at two hunt sabs on his horse. He injured one woman with his riding crop, causing her to suffer from a bruised liver. The sab had to be airlifted to hospital.

The recent killings by the Eggesford Hunt should serve as a clear reminder to the Labour government to honor its commitment and make it an urgent priority to permanently ban hunting with dogs.

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