It’s barbaric – and it’s rampant in rural areas. If, like 90% or so of people in the UK, you hate fox hunting, how do you avoid accidentally funding it while you’re on your holidays? This is a holiday guide for people who hate hunting.
A holiday guide for people who hate hunting
First, why do you need this guide? As we’ve said in previous posts, fox hunting still goes on even though it’s illegal. In the words of Chief Superintendent Matt Longman hunt crime is ‘prolific’, as everyone who lives in a rural area knows. As soon as the summer tourists leave, the UK’s 200 or so fox hunts will be out slaughtering our wildlife.
If you want to avoid spending money with these people, there’s no way to know which businesses to avoid. So you’ll need to ask. You can do it by phone, email, or social media. Because so few people write letters these days, a physical letter in the post can be powerful.
Check before you book or visit these
If you’re thinking about booking or visiting any of these, ask if they let hunts on their land:
- Farm cottages
- Holiday cottages
- Websites where farm cottages, holiday cottages and campsites are registered
- Glamping and camping sites
- The Caravan and Motorhome Club
- The Camping and Caravanning Club
- Wildlife tours
- Rural attractions
- Stately homes and gardens
- Country and village pubs and restaurants
- Rural B&Bs
- Wedding venues
- Rural festivals held on farms and private land
- Farm shops
- Farm animal attractions
You might not get a reply. It isn’t unusual, and the silence probably speaks for itself. You can mention their non-response on social media to help other people make wildlife-friendly decisions.
If they tell you a hunt does ‘trail hunting’ on the land, it means they hunt. Trail hunting was outed as a smokescreen for hunt crime in 2021, proved by this important court case.
The sinister side of agricultural shows and fetes
Some country fetes and most county agricultural shows involve hunts. It might showcase packs of foxhounds or have attractions like innocent-looking digging contests, connected with the crimes of terriermen.
Fox hunting-friendly villages and towns to avoid
Some towns and villages support hunt crime by allowing local hunts and their supporters to meet there on Boxing Day, after which they go hunting. Before you visit a town or village, Google it to see if they hold a Boxing Day fox hunt event. If so, and you still want to visit, you can do your bit by avoiding the pub they meet at on Boxing Day and sharing the information on social media. You can also ask the local council to stop hosting it. This helpful resource makes it quick and simple to contact wildlife crime-enabling councils.
How equestrian events feed into fox hunting
Equestrian events like point-to-points and ‘fun rides’ traditionally feed funds into fox hunts. It’s probably best to avoid them all including Pony Club events, since Pony Clubs are intimately tied to hunting.
A holiday guide for people who hate hunting – Things to do if you don’t get an answer
You can do helpful things when you get home from your holidays as well:
- Ask your friends and family to check before they book. The more of us ask, the more pressure is put on businesses that support wildlife crime
- Check out and share this article on What to do About Fox Hunting
Have a gorgeous holiday – and thank you so much for helping to protect the nation’s precious wildlife from criminal hunt thugs.
