Trophy hunting in the heart of the English countryside

An international tour operator has been castigated for offering trophy hunting holidays in the heart of the English countryside to hunters from overseas.

In an exclusive news story published in the Daily Express, Europe Hunts was exposed for offering holidays at locations including Woburn Deer Park where hunters shoot animals including red deer stags bred for their spectacular antlers on an attached deer farm.

Europe Hunts is charging up to £25,000 to shoot a stag considered to have world record antlers – but its price list also offers other species of animals in locations in Bedfordshire and Norfolk, including Soay sheep.

It follows on from Woburn Deer Park hitting the headlines last month when it was revealed that Danish travel company Limpopo and Diana tours was offering trophy hunting packages to shoot the stags there.

Chris Luffingham, Director of Campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

“It is sickening to know that trophy hunting is taking place here in the heart of the UK and that Europe Hunts and Woburn are profiting from this vile activity.

“Killing animals and posing with the corpse of the victims is something that the vast majority of the British people will find abhorrent – we call upon Woburn Deer Park to stop this practice now.” 

The pressure group Bedfordshire Against Trophy Hunting uncovered the trophy hunting operation.

A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Against Trophy Hunting, said:

“This is a disgrace and should be investigated by Parliament.

“It is utterly wrong that international hunters are coming here to kill stags which have been bred for their magnificent antlers.

“This situation goes far and beyond culling of estate deer. It has become an industry with lucrative sums being paid for trophy stags.

“Woburn Abbey Deer Farm, which falls within the Woburn estate, should be asked to give evidence at a Parliamentary inquiry. This is becoming a big moral issue in the UK.”

In a slick, but sickening video on the Europe Hunts website, scenes of the English countryside are intercut with deer being shot in the neck and spurts of blood gushing out.

Europe Hunts was set up by Texan Aaron Bulkley, the man behind Texan Hunting Tours which offers up to 60 exotic animals for shooting. He is assisted by the Englishman Alex Hinkins who litters social media with photos of the animals he has shot.

The company targets wealthy Americans who enjoy the despised canned hunting experience in which animals within enclosures are targeted and shot.

Chris Luffingham, added:

“We are a nation of animal lovers and people will be outraged that Woburn is breeding deer with giant antlers and then profiting from hunters coming in from overseas and shooting them for fun.”

Bedfordshire Against Trophy Hunting has started a petition to try and get the hunting stopped.

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