[1] It was founded in 1963, with its first sabotage event occurring at the South Devon Foxhounds on 26 December (Boxing Day) 1963.

[2][3] In 1963, John Prestige founded the Hunt Saboteurs Association in Brixham, England, after being assigned to report on the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, where "he witnessed the hunters drive a deer into a village and kill her.

[6] The HSA has expanded into Europe, Canada and the United States, and have adapted their tactics depending on the type of hunting being disrupted.

The HSA have disrupted deer, waterfowl, turkey, mink and hare hunts, as well as angling and other types of fishing.

[9][10] A public order act was created to help control HSA members on private land.