Meet cards....

[L&M]

Or lack of......

We seem to be the only local pack that produces one - the Sec is very careful who receives one, and subscribers are requested not to share meet info, and to direct any enquiries back to the Hon Sec. So far we have had no issues with monitors, and as trail hunt within the law anyhow, have nothing to hide if they did visit.

However, our neighbouring pack, with whom we have always bought a package, are not releasing a meet card for the second season running - despite having monitor/anti visits with increasing regularity.

We have sadly decided to no longer buy a package with this pack as require a meet card to 'plan' our days/to organise days off work, so wonder if not producing meet cards will be counter-productive.....

Thoughts.....?

 

[Kat]

I think it will make it very difficult for people who wish to hunt with them. This is likely to affect their income both short and long term, afterall people who come for one or two days could become future subscribers but not if they can't find out about meets in the first place.

Our local fox hound pack don't even give a meet card to the farmer who owns our yard and they meet on his land twice a year. I wonder if this lack of communication is why they are losing land?

I hunt with bloodhounds so all meets are advertised on the Facebook page and details are easy to find which is helpful for first timers and occasional visitors.

Very few people can afford to hunt every week so if hunts make life difficult for those who want to come along occasionally they are losing a huge section of the equestrian community.

I really don't see why if they hunt within the law they can't distribute meet cards to those who have subscribed, bought packages or visited in the past, plus those whose land they cross and perhaps those recommended by a current subscriber. Then the Secretary only has to field enquiries from actual first timers (although they still need to be able to find out what is coming up in order to enquire).

 

[AmyMay]

How are people supposed to know the date of meets? Are subscribers psychic??

 

[L&M]

Apparently we have to phone the night before - but no good if you want to pick certain meets and need to organise around work diaries.

I think hunting will 'kill' itself before the monitors do sadly.......

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Apparently we have to phone the night before - but no good if you want to pick certain meets and need to organise around work diaries.

I think hunting will 'kill' itself before the monitors do sadly.......

Thats exactly what our local big hunt do, apart from advertising the newcomers meet, the opening meet and boxing day meet, every other date is secret squirrel and to phone the night before, tho not with a witheld number! Newcomers have to provide references from previous hunt or chums in this hunt, so equally difficult for new people to get a foot in the door.
They are complaining loudly about drop in funds etc, but don't appear to understand why....

I gave up, even after attending autumn hunting 8 yrs ago and having hunted with them in the 70s.
Went back to the local drag pack, guaranteed runs, lots on army land so hardly ever cancelled.

 

[kathantoinette]

As land owners we get a hunt card thru the post from our local hunt. It’s been a bit sporadic in the past as we have gone an odd season without getting one.

 

[Orangehorse]

I said to someone today that the emails giving details of meets stopped coming and was told that they had problems with antis as the information had got out and that now people had to telephone the masters or secretary although they would of course notify us when they were in our vicinity.

Now I seldom attend, but I found it quite nice to know where and when there were. Makes it even more of a closed shop.

 

[Shay]

We don't produce a hard copy one. But all subscribers and landowners have access to the electronic one via a password protected site. We advertise the days of the week on which we hunt - you have to contact the secretaries to find out where - and openly advertise 2 or 3 meets a month for all; as well as advertising dedicated children's meets to local PCs. If you keep horses in the are and have concerns about the hunt passing by whilst horses are turned out etc we keep a database so we can contact people individually as we need to.

We do have to change meet details quite regularly. We might plan in good faith to be in a particular place in 1 or 2 months time - or even next week! - only to have the weather change. The ground be too wet, or too firm, the farmer not to be quite where they wanted to be with harvest or planting. The planned feild master to be suddenly unavailable etc. We found a printed meet card caused more annoyance than it was worth as plans would keep changing.

We only hunt within the law and have absolutely no issue with anyone attending in good faith to verify that. But we do have landowners who prefer meets on their land to not be published because of problems with trespass and criminal damage. We try to restrict publication of our children's meets as people have expressed concerns about the harassment of the children when they are video'd and verbally absued.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Shay, I take it that this isn't the SU then, but further perhaps the S&E?

 

[Orangehorse]

We don't produce a hard copy one. But all subscribers and landowners have access to the electronic one via a password protected site. We advertise the days of the week on which we hunt - you have to contact the secretaries to find out where - and openly advertise 2 or 3 meets a month for all; as well as advertising dedicated children's meets to local PCs. If you keep horses in the are and have concerns about the hunt passing by whilst horses are turned out etc we keep a database so we can contact people individually as we need to.

We do have to change meet details quite regularly. We might plan in good faith to be in a particular place in 1 or 2 months time - or even next week! - only to have the weather change. The ground be too wet, or too firm, the farmer not to be quite where they wanted to be with harvest or planting. The planned feild master to be suddenly unavailable etc. We found a printed meet card caused more annoyance than it was worth as plans would keep changing.

We only hunt within the law and have absolutely no issue with anyone attending in good faith to verify that. But we do have landowners who prefer meets on their land to not be published because of problems with trespass and criminal damage. We try to restrict publication of our children's meets as people have expressed concerns about the harassment of the children when they are video'd and verbally absued.

That all sounds very organised and sensible, and something all hunts could copy.