Stag hunts can last for hours, subjecting the animal to extreme physical and emotional distress. The stag’s body is pushed to its limits as he races through fields, forests and streams in a desperate bid to survive. Meanwhile, the hunt will swap out pairs of hounds as they tire, meaning the pressure is relentless.

Hunting stags to the point of collapse with hounds has been a ritualistic process since medieval times. The stag’s suffering (so evident during a prolonged chase) was symbolically associated with the suffering of Christ, and stags were generally the subject of much myth and folklore.

Stag hunting (which also includes hind hunting) takes place exclusively in Devon and Somerset. Much of it happens in Exmoor National Park. Stag hunting also happens on the Quantocks, in Somerset. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

May 1, 2024 · On Saturday 20th April 2024, sabs from across the country headed to Exmoor for a national hit on the Devon & Somerset Stag Hounds closing meet. Despite the best efforts of all sabs involved, the hunt tragically killed a stag who they had hunted to exhaustion. What the stag had endured up to this point was the horrific cruelty of stag hunting.

Nov 30, 2021 · Stag hunting is an illegal sport that continues to take place despite people like Armstrong exposing those who engage in the cruel practice. It involves an hours-long chase with hunters using...

Mar 12, 2024 · In less than two minutes riders and support from the Devon and Somerset Staghounds (D&S) are seen casually committing numerous offences. It also demonstrates how the presence of monitors deterred what would otherwise certainly have been the death of yet another deer inside Exmoor National Park.

Stag hunters on quad bikes and motorbikes chasing a stag to exhaustion. Not what you’d expect to find in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). But if you go for a walk on Somerset’s Quantock Hills, this is what you might come across.

Nov 10, 2023 · Stag Hunting involves the selection of one stag. He is separated from the rest of the herd and the hunt begins. A stag who becomes exhausted and cornered can and will lower his head and try to defend himself with his antlers.

Mar 31, 2025 · As opposed to the trophy hunting of Autumn Stag hunting, Spring Stag hunting is all about the sport of the chase, with a young stag between one and three years old being selected. Without the weight of large antlers, heavy body mass, and the strain of the rut, young stags can run much faster.

May 22, 2023 · The stag is now being hunted, not being flushed as the law states. The chase can go on for hours, one report from the season reported witnessing a stag being chased for 15km, and this is a common occurrence.