The British Government has initiated a public consultation on trail hunting, a practice often criticized for providing cover for banned fox hunting. Dan Norris, a Labour MP and chair of the League Against Cruel Sports, expressed his support for the move, labeling trail hunting as a “smokescreen” for unlawful bloodsports during a parliamentary debate. He also called on the government to address existing legal loopholes that allow prohibited hunting activities to persist.
The impending consultation marks a shift in the government’s stance on the contentious issue, dating back to the 2005 ban on fox hunting with dogs. Norris voiced his backing for traditional drag hunting, which revolves around hounds trailing an artificial scent and holds a deep-rooted tradition in rural areas. However, he contended that trail hunting, conceived after the ban, simulates real hunts by using animal-based scents like body parts or urine, often occurring in fox-inhabited habitats and resulting in unintended breaches of the ban.
Pointing to illegal hunting incidents and related offences, data from the League Against Cruel Sports indicated a high prevalence in Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset, and Yorkshire. Norris underscored the need to dismantle the practice of using trail hunting as a pretext for illegal fox hunting and emphasized the importance of genuine efforts to end the unwarranted killing of animals for recreational purposes.