We monitor hunts throughout the North West to record incidents of hunt chaos. In recent years hunts have become more violent so we have to avoid the more extreme ones knowing that their days of killing wildlife and hounds are numbered. Not all the meets we attend are recorded here.

19 February 2005 - Hunting Banned
In future we cannot list which hunts we are monitoring because it is important they do not know they are being monitored. Today we had monitors at five hunts in Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire. We are delighted to report than NOT a single animal was chased let alone killed at any of the hunts our monitors were present at. Although you might not believe it from the media reports but the hunt ban has already saved many animals from the cruelty of hunting.

16 February 2005 - Holcombe Hunt - The Eagle and Child, Bispham Green
At last the final legal hare hunt for the Holcombe. As a result they were joined by members of other hunts and stayed out longer than normal. Regrettably the newcomers to the hunt decided today was a good time to attack hunt saboteurs and the Holcombe Hunt's Charles Birch decided try and assault a hunt monitor who was taking pictures of the attack on the sabs (pictures to follow). Sadly the hunt managed to kill a hare by riding over it with a horse - the hounds never even saw it or got its scent. Without the saboteurs present they would have killed more hares without question.

12 February 2005 - Holcombe Hunt - The Black Horse, Much Hoole
Vale of Lune Harriers cried off due to the wet conditions but the Holcombe Hunt chose to furfil their final legal weekend hunt. High number of sabs meant the hunt had little chance of killing and even when they did manage to put up a hare it escaped after a long chase. Bad weather then virtually ended the hunt's hope of a final weekend kill.

5 February 2005 - No monitoring
Holcombe Hunt had their hunt ball so no hunt, and we failed to find the beagle pack we chose as an alternative.

29 January 2005 - Cheshire Forest Hunt, The Kennels, Peover
Failed to find our chosen hunt but found the Cheshire Forest Hunt near their kennels crossing the busy A50. They appeared to spend more time causing road chaos than actually hunting. After hunting is banned there will be no reason why they should choose to interfere with traffic - not that they've got an excuse now!

22 January 2005 - Two Hunts

Fell Pack in North Yorkshire and a Cheshire Foxhunt (details withheld for now)

Note: Holcombe Hunt not out due to wet conditions

15 January 2005 - Holcombe Hunt, Bently Wood Farm, Hapton
From Bently Wood Farm public house they rode up the main road to Old Barn farm. It can only be a shortage of land that makes the hunt come here because the farm is bleak and the riders hardly break into a gallop in two hours. Although the hunt put up two hares they had very little chance of catching them in this terrain. Nevertheless this didn't prevent the huntsman taking his hounds into the fog in the hope of catching one.

8 January 2005 - No monitoring
Very wet conditions meant many hunts, including the Holcombe Hunt didn't go out.

1 January 2005 - Holcombe Hunt, Dresser Arms, Wheelton, Nr Chorley
It was surprising to see the Holcombe out given the very wet conditions that had prevented other local hunts from meeting. As it was they were only out for just over an hour and didn't manage to kill any hares in the process. This was the third time this season alone that the Holcombe had met at the Dresser Arms.

28 December 2004 - Forest and District Beagles, Crag Inn, Wildboarclough
Very cold, windy and exposed conditions greeted us at Wildboarclough. Highlight of the day was when an irate whipper-in marched up a hill and then attempted to removed a hunt sabs horn. The hunt's attempt to kill hares was constantly interrupted by the sabs taking control of the pack. Eventually the hunt admitted defeat and packed up.

27 December 2004 - Bleasdale Beagles, Yates Farm, Nr Abbeystead
A bit of a wasted journey as the sabs sent the Bleasdale Beagles packing after just five minutes of attempted hunting of hares. However in that time the huntsman managed to let his beagles worry some heavily pregnant sheep. When are farmers going to realise that hunting dogs and sheep don't mix? Just 14 hunt supporters were present on the biggest day of the hunting season.

Holcombe Hunt met at Leisure Lakes near Southport for their Boxind Day meet and had fewer than 20 supporters present.

18 December 2004 - Unnamed Cheshire Hunt
Details withheld for now.

Holcombe Hunt didn't go out due to conditions.

11 December 2004 - Holcombe Hunt, Bridge End, Helmshore
Heavy fog and very wet terrain didn't prevent the hunt heading onto Holcombe Moors despite several inexperienced children riding with them. Simply keeping the hunt in sight was difficult in the fog and if they had managed to find a scent it is doubtful whether they would have been able to round up all the hounds. After an hour we decided conditions were so bad that we would make our way off the moors.

4 December 2004 - Holcombe Hunt, Blue Anchor Inn, Bretherton
Back to Bretherton for the fourth time we know about this season. Unfortunately the Holcombe managed to killed at least two hares who simply weren't able to outrun the larger hounds in the extremely wet conditions.

27 November 2004 - Unnamed Yorkshire Hunt
Details withheld for now.

Holcombe Hunt at the Dressers Arms at Wheelton again! Hunted moorland.

20 November 2004 - No Monitoring

Whether it was the fozen ground or the hunt not wanting to see us antis after our victory in Parliament we don't know, what we do know is that the Holcombe Hunt stayed at home.

13 November 2004 - Two Hunts

Unnamed Cumbria Hunt - Details withheld

Holcombe Hunt - Holden Arms, Rossendale
Another meet in which the Holcombe failed to find a single scent of a hare, let alone a hare to chase. Even the Hunt Sabs decided to give the a miss. Huntsman Alex Sneddon was absent so his duties fell to Ron Stroup. For once he didn't lose the hounds, which must of dissapointed the other hunters as they were desperately in need of some entertainment having paid £40 of the two hours they 'hunted'.

6 November 2004 - Holcombe Hunt - Love Clough, Rossendale
Like the nursery rhyme 'The Grand Old Duke of York' the Holcombe Hunt today marched to the top of the hill and marched right back down again. Sadly for the Holcombe they didn't have ten thousand men but 15 or so rather wet and disspirited hunters. Whether it was pure bloodymindness or sheer stupidy that made them venture out of their homes despite most of Lancashire being covered in fog is anyones guess. Having got to the meet they decided to try hunting, setting off at 12.15 they climbed the hill. Once at the top the hounds chased a rabbit, which resulted in one of the masters shouting at the hounds 'It's a rabbit, it's a rabbit' as if the hounds knew the difference. With visiability down to 30 metres and hounds already disappearing out of sight the huntsman marched down the hill at 12.40. And that was it for the day.

30 October 2004 - Holcombe Hunt - Pack Horse Inn, Affetside, Nr Bury
Not one of the Holcombe's finest moments. Started twenty minutes late because one of their riders was late! Very wet conditions made hunting impossible in most the fields. After unseating one rider over a very small wall several other riders almost slipped on it including several children. Next they were told be a landowner that they weren't allowed on her land because she hadn't been notified that they were coming, this despite Steven Ashworth (Whipper-in) using his best charm on the lady; actually this explains why they had to leave in such a hurry. After riding down two roads, causing traffic problems along the way, they had their only excitement of the day when the hounds chased a large rabbit. After hunting alongside a reserviour the hunt stopped for 15 minutes trying to work out what to do next having realised, finally, that they couldn't go any further. So after just an hour and a half they called for home much to the amusement of us all.

23 October 2004 - Bad weather forces Holcombe Hunt to cancel

16 October 2004 - Holcombe Hunt - Crown Point, Deerplay Moor
Back to Crown Point for the second time in recent weeks. Despite hunting for nearly two hours not a single hare was scented by the hounds, and worrying not a single hare was even seen. The hunt ban may have come too late for the hares on Deerplay Moors.

9 October 2004 - Holcombe Hunt - Dressers Arms, Wheelton, Nr Chorley
Having killed the last time they met at the Dressers' it was a relief when they failed to kill today. In fact the only danger the hunt caused today was to themselves and sheep. Despite the wet conditions several riders attempted to jump a fence which was clearly beyond their capabilities and their horses knew it as well and refused to jump no matter how many times the riders tried resulting in one rider falling off. Whipper-in Steven Ashworth managed to fall off his horse without the excuse of a fence but even by hunters' low standards he is the brightest of the bunch. To cap the day the hunt managed to lose several of their hounds on MOD land again - they do it every year. After one and a half hours and little more than two miles the hunt called it a day, still missing some hounds.

2 October 2004 - Holcombe Hunt, Blue Anchor Inn, Bretherton
Only a week after hunting at Bretherton the hunt was back, again meeting at the Blue Anchor Inn. Only a three weeks into the season and the hunt was down to its regular 15 or so riders. Despite covering seven miles, south of the Blue Anchor and across the canal, they only found one hare which was long gone before the hounds found its scent. They finished off by crossing over and hunting north of the Blue Anchor but found nothing. Strong winds and occasional rain made for a thoroughly miserable day for all.

On Wednesday the hunt was at Standish Hall.

25 September 2004 - Holcombe Hunt, Blue Anchor Inn, Bretherton
Approximately 25 members of the Holcombe Hunt gathered from across Lancashire and Merseyside at Bretherton, near Preston, and suceeded in killing a hare for fun. The sheer stupidity of grown up men and women spending considerable amounts of money to kill a harmless hare will always be baffling to normal decent people. By the time we got to where the hare was killed the only signs of its existance was its blood on the hounds faces.

This was the third meet for the Holcombe Hunt this season but the first we had attended. On Wednesday they hunted on United Utilities land at Crown Point.

18 September 2004 - Holcombe Hunt, White Crow, Coppull - No monitors