Fox hunting season is over, but for the sabs, it’s just beginning

The official fox hunting season may be over, but the work of the Hunt Saboteurs Association is never done. It is a 365 day commitment to keep our country’s wildlife safe. From the riverbanks of the summer mink hunts to legal battles in parliament, this is how ordinary people are standing as a year-round shield for wildlife.

Sabs end the season in style

On 7 March 2026 the Sheffield Hunt Sabs stepped out onto the fox-hunting foray for a final season outing, and dominated the field. The close-knit, uncompromising group split into four tactical teams. They scuppered the hunt at every bridleway and gate. The presence of the sabs meant the hounds couldn’t pick up a single scent without disruption.

The only fox spotted all day had no reason to fear the hounds, trotting past the Hunt Sab’s van, no care in the world. Simon Howell and volunteers watched the stunning vixen slink away into the bushes. Howell quickly masked her scent with a citronella bottle. It was a quiet, clean victory for the sabs. As the jumped up pricks on horseback packed up in frustration, they ended the season in style.

However, for the HSA there is no such thing as an off-season. Groups like the Sheffield Hunt Sabs don’t just protect foxes, they provide a 365-day shield for wildlife. As one season closes, another, just as brutal, begins. The red coats may disappear for a few months, but other killers in our fields remains.

And these people aren’t professional activists, they’re teachers, doctors and labourers.

Radical kind of empathy

They come from every kind of background and form a line of defence for the defenceless. I spoke to a bus driver, businessman, an off-grid lifer, and a retiree. In the current economic hellscape, most of us are fucking knackered by Saturday, but the sabs, choose to spend their days sitting in muddy fields, sacrificing sleep and comfort. They represent radical empathy.

They face the aggression of the hunt without pay. Their dedication is unwavering. Whilst the hunters treat the countryside as their playground, sabs treat it as a sanctuary. And while the public believes the ‘ban’ worked, the reality is way more sinister.

As this season ends, mink hunting begins in April and runs until September. This summer ‘sport’ takes place along riverbanks where hounds hunt small mammals. Sabs  wade through freezing-cold waters, spraying scent dullers on the banks to protect mink. This is ignored by mainstream media, but it’s just as brutal.

Then there are 68 hare hunts currently operating across England and Wales. Hares, unwilling to leave their territories, can be chased in circles for up to 90 minutes before the animal collapses from exhaustion.

This is because they live above ground and have no holes to hide in to escape the jaws of the hounds. They are run until their hearts literally burst. This inhuman practice is a relentless war of attrition against a species already in decline.

The countryside’s dirty secret

By 12 August, the focus shifts to the moors for the start of red grouse season. And before the fox hunting season even restarts, sabs face the dirty secret of the hunting world: cubbing. From August to October, hunts take young, inexperienced hounds into small woods called ‘coverts’. They surround these areas to prevent cubs from escaping and teach these young dogs to kill by tearing apart cubs born that year.

In 2025 alone, there were over 100 reports of foxes being chased during this period, yet the crime stats regarding the legal system are diabolical. Only 2% of reported crimes against wildlife resulted in a criminal conviction in 2024, with only 14 convictions successfully secured for hunting.

The link between wildlife crime and other violence is also clear with 80% of wildlife offenders being active in other serious crimes such as domestic assault and assault.

These are not ‘country gentlemen’ out for a stroll, they’re dangerous individuals. Furthermore 78% of hare coursing offenders have a history of violent crime. This absolute legal failure is exactly why Sheffield sabs believe direct action is the only answer.

Solidarity in the face of the hunt

The Sheffield Sabs build their bravery on a foundation of genuine solidarity and mutual care. This is not a group of individual activists but a collective that has stripped away ego to become an efficient, life-saving machine. Whilst the huntsman appeared dejected by the sight of them, the sabs drew strength from this.

They move through the landscape with a shared purpose, navigating broken footbridges and thick, thorny brush with a level of physical grit which puts the mounted huntsman to shame. A commitment to every living being fuels this grit, from the fox trotting past the van to the toads saboteurs help across the road.

In a society which feels like a fucking burning hellscape, the Sheffield Sabs provide a blueprint for a different way of living. The community checks on one another constantly, ensuring no one stays behind.

Their laughter and camaraderie are a stunning defiance to the culture of violence they oppose. It proves that when people leave their egos at the door, they can outflank even the most archaic of cruelties.

Featured image via the Canary