There is a heated debate on the internet at the moment, which has little to do with fox hunting. The debate it this, are hunt saboteurs genuinely interested in animal welfare? Or is it a class war that is bringing in money to the hunt saboteurs? Imagine a gang of masked people in a town centre doing what they do and then ask yourself why it is allowed in the countryside and why people are allowed to fund it?

This isn't going to be a post about fox hunting, funnily enough. We all now know that fox hunting is illegal, it has been since 2004. We also all know that illegal fox hunting still happens and needs to be stopped.

Just a quick note, so you know the difference.

Fox Hunting —chasing and killing a fox—ILLEGAL.

Trail/Drag hunting—chasing a pre-laid scent, no animals killed—LEGAL.

Hunting the clean boot—chasing a human runner with bloodhounds, no animals killed, ever, even before the ban—LEGAL.

However, there are people out there that are helping to stop illegal fox hunting without being terrorists. These people are hunt monitors. Hunt monitors are basically hunt saboteurs, but without the masks, violence or GoFund me links.

It cannot have escaped anyone's notice that pretty much every hunt saboteurs social media post happens to have a link to some way to send them money? How much does it cost to sit and watch a hunt then? A few quid in fuel? Or the thousands that are being donated to them? Is that money going to help wildlife? Do they donate it to fox rescue centres? Does anyone have an answer to this?

Then that brings me to the click bait type posts that they share. There is never any concrete evidence of foxes being illegally hunted and killed. The footage is always after the fact, or grainy, or edited together from different videos. The photographs of dead foxes are enough to make any animal lover want to help them save them, but before you donate your money, fact check. Are you sure that fox was killed by that hunt that day? Is there any proof? Or is this a nice way to make you angry and put your hand in your pocket to send them a few quid to "help" them? Even police forces across the country are releasing news statements or "allegations" of illegal fox hunting. Hunts have "allegedly" killed a fox. It has been 'reported' etc etc. If you look at the news these past few weeks there is no proof of illegal fox hunting. Even the police have asked people to send them unedited footage, as the saboteurs have been sending in edited footage in the hopes of a prosecution to no avail. There is also the matter of social media. If a hunt saboteurs association in sharing footage etc on Facebook then it cannot be used in a prosecution, just remember that. They are quite literally shooting themselves in the foot. Well they would be if they ever had any real evidence.

That then brings us to the pure unadulterated violence out in the field. They abuse and attack legal hunts, including clean boot Bloodhound hunts, which have never hunted animals, even before the ban. The saboteurs are quick to share violence from the hunt (yes it happens on both sides), however the violence towards the hunts and their supporters is not reported on half as much.

Then of course you have got the violence that the "animal lovers" inflict on the animals. There are numerous videos and news reports of saboteurs grabbing horses, punching them and even pulling them over. Saboteurs have tampered with laid trail scents which has caused the hounds to be on the road and even killed, on more than one occasion. Then there is the recent news story of an anti-hunt protester that called hounds onto his land with a horn and shot 5 of them.

If you do not believe any of this, then it is up to yourself to research, look at the evidence that is available to you. There are multiple videos that cannot be denied, prosecutions of saboteurs, and national news coverage.

Hunt sabbing has now gone beyond monitoring hunts for illegal fox hunting. It has become an all out war, with people not understanding what they are fighting for.

The violence from most saboteurs is at legal trail hunts and bloodhound hunts, which hunt the clean boot and have never hunted animals. Yet they still have violence from masked saboteurs. If they are trying to save the foxes, why are they sabotaging a hunt that has never hunted animals let alone a fox? Google it, it happens.

Hang on... why are hunt saboteurs targeting drag hunts?

So, before you put your hand into your pocket to donate to your local hunt saboteurs association, ask yourself...

Am I funding rural terrorism? Always fact check, make sure that you are supporting genuinely peaceful hunt monitors, not violent, masked hunt saboteurs.

There is a difference.