HUNTSMEN CHASED DEER FOR OVER AN HOUR

Huntsmen 'chased deer for over an hour'
Last Updated: 1:54am BST 22/05/2007

A huntsman and his whipper-in have been accused of breaking the Hunting Act after a herd of deer was allegedly chased across moorland for more than an hour.

Anti-hunt monitors filmed two hounds from the Quantocks Staghounds as they chased a herd of deer across Exmoor a year after the ban came into force.

Richard Down, the huntsman, and Adrian Pillivant, who as whipper-in is responsible for the hounds, went on trial yesterday at Taunton Deane magistrates' court in only the second prosecution under the controversial Act. Both deny the charge.

The law allows the use of dogs to flush out wild animals if they are then shot as soon as possible.
The League Against Cruel Sports launched the prosecution because it said that the herd of 11 deer was chased across the moor. Two hunt monitors said they saw no attempt to shoot the deer humanely or to call off the hounds.

Down, 44, of Bagborough, Somerset, and Pillivant, 36, of Willand, Devon, deny breaking the 2004 Hunting Act.

The Act came into force in February 2005. The prosecution says the hunt took place a year later.

Richard Furlong, prosecuting for the league, said the hunt consisted of the two defendants and followers on horseback, on foot, in four-wheel drive vehicles and on quad-bikes.

He said the deer were pursued for more than an hour from the time when two hounds were seen chasing them to the time when the monitors heard two shotgun blasts.

Mr Furlong said: "These two men hunted in clear breach of the Hunting Act. It was unlawful and they knew it was unlawful.

"They used hounds to search for deer and what took place was a prolonged period of pursuit by the hounds which were in the charge of these two men.

"No attempts were made to ensure the deer were shot as soon as possible by competent marksmen or to ensure the hounds did not obstruct any attempt to shoot the deer.
"No firearms were seen and the only shots heard were more than an hour after the hunt was first seen to pursue the deer."

The defendants are accused of allowing the hounds to pursue the deer in the traditional way with a view to wearing down the quarry so they could be shot later.
"That is why the spectators were there. It was the thrill of the chase," Mr Furlong said.
"The law is clear and allows find, flush, shoot. What happened on the Quantock Hills was not that, it was hunting."

He said in a traditional hunt the deer is chased until it is so exhausted that it turns to face the hounds and is said to be brought to bay. It is then shot.

The trial continues.

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