SURVEY: Just 18% of public believe trail hunting is NOT a smokescreen

Survey by Survation for Protect the Wild took place this month

A new survey taken earlier this month has revealed that only 18% of the public believes that trail hunting is NOT a smokescreen to get around the ban on hunting wild animals with dogs. The majority of the public also believes there must be stronger legislation to protect wildlife.

The poll, carried out by Survation for Protect the Wild, questioned 2,075 people of various ages from across the UK. The first question asked:

"Which of the following statements is closest in your view?

• Hunts are using the activity of ‘trail hunting’ to get around the ban on hunting wild mammals with hounds

• Hunts are not using the activity of ‘trail hunting’ to get around the ban on hunting wild mammals with hounds

• Don’t know"

The result shows that around half of those surveyed believe that hunts are using the activity of trail hunting as a smokescreen to continue tearing apart wild animals. Only 18% believe that trail hunting is a genuine activity.

What is trail hunting?

Trail hunting has been used as a guise for 'traditional' hunting for the past two decades. Hunts say that they are they are following artificial scent trails pre-laid in advance of a hunt, when they are typically doing no such thing. Rather, hounds continue to follow the scent of real animals as though the Hunting Act 2004 never came into force. When they are caught, hunt staff say that they laid a trail and that their hounds accidentally killed wildlife.

2023 saw a new trend: some hunts actually started laying trails - and this presents as much of a danger to wildlife as if no trail had been laid. The trail mixture used is of animal-origin, so the hunt is still essentially training hounds to hunt animals. The scent trail is very short, conveniently laid where wildlife are known to be, such as in coverts, and is done for appearances rather than a genuine move away from traditional hunting. Essentially, the trail is laid to give a hunt an alibi for any potential police investigations or court cases. We have seen a small but growing number of packs initially following a trail, and rioting on - and killing - wildlife anyway.

Public confusion

Meanwhile, 33% of the public answered that they don't know whether hunts are using the activity of trail hunting to get around the hunting ban. This lack of knowledge is likely because of a lack of prosecutions by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Despite hunts across the country tearing up foxes, deer, hares, mink and otters week in, week out, police forces usually fail to act, so prosecutions  - and therefore media coverage - are minimal, and public awareness of the practice of trail hunting is low. And for those who do know that trail hunting exists, hunts have deliberately ensured that people are left confused and unsure about what they're really up to.

Stronger legislation is urgently needed

The second question in our survey asked:

"Which of the following statements is closest to your view?

• There needs to be stronger legislation to protect wildlife from hunts

• There does not need to be stronger legislation to protect wildlife from hunts

• Don't know"

An overwhelming majority voted that there needs to be better legislation to protect wildlife from hunts.

Before coming into power, the Labour government stated in its manifesto that if it won the election, it would strengthen the Hunting Act by closing the trail hunting loophole. The British Hounds Sports Association - hunting's governing body - has called Labour's stance a "mean and vindictive assault" on the bloodsport. It is organising a National Trail Hunting Day on 14 September in a desperate bid to convince Labour politicians and the public alike that trail hunting is harmless.

It is unlikely that Labour will be convinced by this desperate PR stunt but the government has a responsibility to keep its pledges anyway. Our survey shows that the public wants the government to stand up for wildlife and properly ban hunting once and for all.

Protect the Wild argues that the Labour government can go a massive step further to consign hunting to the history books. Instead of strengthening the trail hunting loophole - which would be a big start in protecting wildlife - it can scrap the Hunting Act completely and bring in brand new legislation. We commissioned Advocates for Animals to help us develop new legislation – the Hunting of Mammals Bill, which could be implemented by the government. We believe that all the loopholes and exemptions that hunts use need to be removed entirely, not argued about for years to come.

Now is the time to work for a proper ban on hunting!

• Join almost 122,000 pro-wildlife supporters and sign our petition, calling on Secretary of State Steve Reed to replace the Hunting Act 2004 with the robust Hunting of Mammals Act. Add your name here.

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