‘More than 800 people’ seen deer hunting since it was made exempt from rule of six
Stag and deer hunters have been breaching the 30-person limit on outdoor sports gatherings and ignoring social distancing rules, an animal rights charity has claimed.
The League Against Cruel Sports claims more than 800 people have taken part in hunts across Devon and Somerset since the new ‘rule of six’ was brought in and hunting was made exempt.
The charity claims over 100 people gathered in Somerset last week to take part in and watch a deer hunt. It said witnesses saw people mingling and failing to socially distance, while others were seen without masks.
The Government made hunting and shooting activities exempt by regarding it as an ‘outdoor activity’ meaning hunters can gather in groups of up to 30.
Organisers of the hunts say the charity’s allegations are ‘spurious and uncorroborated’ and insist they have been operating within Covid-19 guidelines.
Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live
Paul Tillsley, head of conservation for the animal welfare charity, claims to have seen groups of about 130 people on two separate deer hunts last week.
He told HuffPost UK: ‘There have been 800 plus people taking part in hunts just in this immediate three-mile radius since the new rules came in.
‘They were hunting right next to us so it was very easy to see that there was nothing like masks going on. I only saw one person that had a mask on, no one else had one.
‘Every time they stopped, the people in the cars would get out and all mingle and have a chat in groups of around 10 or more.’
Chris Luffingham, director of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said on the charity’s website: ‘That over a hundred people were hunting or watching the hunt chase a distressed deer for many miles, makes a mockery of the sacrifices being made by the vast majority of the British public to avoid large gatherings and to stop the spread of disease during the Covid-19 crisis.’
A spokesperson for the Devon and Somerset Staghounds said: ‘The DSSH is operating entirely responsibly within the government regulations and in line with the Covid protocols issued by its governing body.
‘All DSSH members have been made aware of the regulations and what is expected of them. Sadly it is no surprise that employees of anti-hunting organisations continue to make spurious and uncorroborated allegations about the DSSH.’
Football, rugby, and cricket are also exempt from the ‘rule of six’ but the decision to include hunting as an outdoor activity drew criticism from those suggesting that the Conservative Party – whose members include self-professed hunting fans – made the exemption to please party donors.
A government spokesperson said: ‘Outdoor activity is safer from a transmission perspective, and it is often easier to social distance.
‘Where such activities take place, safety measures must be taken including conducting a risk assessment and compliance with Covid-19 Secure guidance.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.