TRAIL HUNTING

Trail hunting is the reenactment of a traditional hunt. A rag is soaked in an animal scent and dragged along the ground to mimic the behaviour of a wild animal and this scent is followed/hunted by the hounds. Hunts video their trail-laying activity to demonstrate their adherence to the law.

Trail hunting mimics the traditional hunt but the hounds do not follow a live animal. If the hounds pick up the scent of a live quarry, the huntsman and other members of hunt staff stop the hounds. The hounds are well trained and will respond to the calls of the huntsmen, as documented in various video clips showing them doing precisely that.

There are several exemptions, but the one mostly used is “hunting rabbits” and done mainly by the beagle and basset packs. Rabbits are a serious agricultural pest and were exempt in the 2004 Hunting Act.

An animal-based scent is used by most. Hunts have been experimenting with a new chemical based fox urine to test its effectiveness.

Non fox based chemical scent has been tried and the hounds hunt too fast and doesn’t replicate traditional hunting. The hounds also can lack cry which is essential for us to follow them and it keeps them together. A non-fox based chemical scent can also make the hounds wild and difficult to manage. It actually makes the hunting of a mammal more likely.

Landowners and farmers will legally manage the fox population on their land. A scent can be derived from the animal and stored for future trail hunts.

Occasionally hounds that have become detached or left behind cross prohibited land to catch up.

Quad bikes are not just for carrying terriers they also are used to conduct repairs for fences, turn off electric fences, unlock and relock gates and man road crossings.

Terriers cannot be used with sight or sound of any hunting activity and are only used legally for the protection of game birds.

Mammals live everywhere not just in woods. It is no more reckless to trail hunt in the woods than in fields or moors.

They are often laid hours before and as the day progresses well away from those following the hunt.

Because, in most cases, fields and even farms are not big enough for the hunt to have a full days trail hunting. So the trail day often takes part on many farms during the day and organised road crossings take place.

Autumn hunting takes place early on in the season usually early in the morning to train young hounds to follow the scent. Young hounds could suffer heat exhaustion is used later in the day in high temperatures.

Hounds are pack animals and difficult to house train. they are more likely to eat a sofa than sit on one. Some hounds are taken home by those who have walked them as puppies. Should a trail hunting ban be proceeded with most of the 12,000 hounds would be humanely euthanized as it would be impossible to find homes for them.