Who they are and where they hunt

The DSSH hunt red deer in both Devon and Somerset. Their territory extends from the River Taw in the west to the Parret in the east, the boundary on the south is a line east to west through Tiverton and the Bristol Channel is the boundary on the north.

The average annual take of deer by this hunt before the ban was 20 autumn stags, twelve spring stags and 60 hinds.

The hunt today claims to continue managing the herd by hunting within the law. The website states “Although staghunting, as it was practised, was banned by the Hunting Act 2004, the D.S.S.H, with the support of the farmers and landowners of the moor have continued to meet 3 times a week during the season to manage the deer on their behalf, monitoring the numbers, distribution and health of the herd and operating within the restrictions imposed by the act. The hunt has also continued to provide a very efficient 24hrs casualty service to locate any sick and injured deer.”

Monitoring: This hunt has been frequently monitored by investigators from the League Against Cruel Sports (as it hunts very close to land owned by the League) and others, and normally the hunts claims is doing “exempt hunting”.

Apart from being the most powerful of the three stag hunts, the Devon and Somerset Staghounds is also one of the largest landowners on Exmoor. As long ago as 1926 they began acquiring many acres of moorland to protect their sport, registering them in the ownership of the Badgworthy Land Company Ltd. for use as a perpetual hunting ground. They have also bought sporting rights from other landowners, including the Friends of the Quantocks.

Kills and chases Spring 2023