This last hunting season has certainly been the strangest I've ever experienced. There have been some outrageously violent incidents where even members of the general public have almost been caught up in the cross-fire. Then came the light at the end of the tunnel on the 18th of February!

We really didn't need to attend the meet at all on the 19th at Darley Moor Aerodrome near Ashbourne and we certainly didn't need to take our shiny new camcorders! BBC East Midlands were following us, while BBC West Midlands were following the hunt and there was an independent South West News Agency as well! There was potential for a good comedy sketch but as it turned out the day was pretty much uneventful and very short. We all returned to Derby where the celebrations continued until late!

Just as the hunts have had to rethink their tactics, we are also in a learning phase. Since the ban we have attended hunts in Leicestershire and Yorkshire. The Countryside Alliance is continually moaning about vigilante action but seem to forget to mention the hunts which still employ hunt stewards (as seen on the Tonight programme) to assault people and vehicles. We are going to continue going out despite the CA trying to convince everyone (including themselves) how law-abiding they are. If we needed any proof of their intentions the following text sums up their behaviour:

The last few weeks of the season were just a taster. The real test will come during mink (and otter - who are they trying to kid?) hunting and in August at the beginning of the next cub-hunting season. We have already received intelligence of the hunts who are retraining their hounds over the summer with the best intentions of complying with the new laws. We have also received intelligence of the ones that are not.