Action Against Staghunting – Report of the Day

Our outreach day was a great success, with the town busy with both local people and visitors. Despite a slightly frustrating start, when we were told by the harbour master that we could not set up anywhere within the extensive harbour area, we eventually found a spot further into town. As it turned out, this gave us much greater visibility and probably considerably more footfall.

We had a very positive response throughout the day. Many people were willing to stop and talk to us, and several were genuinely horrified when they learned more about stag hunting. A number of people said they would contact their MP, particularly when we explained that although the Government has committed to banning trail hunting, it is important that all loopholes are closed to prevent hunting continuing under another guise.

There was considerable surprise that stag hunting is still presented as a form of ‘sport’ rather than deer management. This prompted a number of conversations about both stag hunting and foxhunting. One horse owner told us that she strongly dislikes the hunts because of the way they treat their horses – an interesting perspective we had not encountered before.

We also heard from a family who had seen a single hound loose on the road during their journey into town that morning, adding to concerns about the risks associated with hunting and hounds being transported or exercised on public roads.

A particularly encouraging conversation was with a member of staff from North Devon College. She was very interested in the possibility of Action Against Staghunting giving a talk at the college. They run courses covering Ethics and the Law, and she felt that stag hunting would be an excellent subject for students to explore.

We had a good discussion about stag hunting, including the way it is presented to the public and the wider issue of children being introduced to hunting. We talked about the photograph showing children being encouraged to look at a dead stag that had just been shot, and she was particularly interested in this aspect. She was very keen for us to come and speak to students, and we hope this will develop into a future opportunity.

There were, of course, a few less enlightened responses. A small group of bikers passing through cheerfully announced that they loved the taste of venison. Fortunately, they were very much in the minority!

Overall, however, the day was extremely encouraging. We were thanked repeatedly for being there and for raising awareness, and there was clearly a great deal of interest in the issue. The fact that people were prepared to stop, listen, ask questions and even say they would contact their MPs showed just how valuable this kind of public outreach can be.

And, importantly, we also had a very nice pasty.