A warning has been issued for the tell tale signs of illegal fox hunt “cubbing” that people need to be on the look out for in Yorkshire.
Cubbing, as the name suggests, is the practice of using young hounds to hunt fox cubs before the main season begins later in the year.
The illegal practice usually takes place in Autumn straight after the crops are harvested.
However, West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs are warning for people to look out for the practice in Yorkshire as the time for the practice begins.
It usually begins from late August and runs until November.
Hunting with dogs was banned and made illegal back in 2004.
The Hunting Act 2004 outlawed the chasing and killing of wild animals with packs of dogs.
Cubbing, or Autumn hunting, is the term given to a period of hunting which takes place prior to the start of the main season.
Cubbing usually takes place as soon as the crops begin to the harvested, late August or early September depending on location, through to the beginning of November.
It is a time traditionally used to train new hounds before entry into the main pack in November.
They are given the chance to learn to hunt through different techniques.
It usually takes place around small copses, woodlands and patches of elephant grass and maize before starting to utilise open runs across fields.
It normally takes place between late August and September normally early in the morning and in late evenings.
The first stage, which takes place until roughly October, is focused on teaching hounds to kill.
This practice is where hounds get their first taste of blood to develop their instinct to kill.
The second stage tends to take place during October but this time it is about encouraging the foxes and cubs to take long open runs, providing the chase.
This article by Danielle Hoe was first published by YorkshireLive on 2 August 2021. Lead Image: (Image: PA).
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