TAKE ACTION NOW

campaign for a real ban on hunting

The Government has launched a public consultation on trail hunting. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard and help ensure hunting is banned for good. Follow the Take Action link below to view our guidance and submit your response.

The deadline is Thursday 18th June 2026.

Nearly 20 years after hunting was supposedly banned, up and down the country hunts continue to chase and kill foxes, hare, mink, otters and deer for fun.

To make the law fit for purpose and to protect British wildlife, the Government MUST:

  • Ban so-called ‘trail hunting’ and add a ‘recklessness’ clause to prevent trail hunting being used as cover for illegality. The vast majority of hunts do not even use the smokescreen of trail hunting to cover their actions, but hunt as usual. A minority do use smoke-screen trail hunting to cover their actions.
  • Immediately end ‘terrier work’ on hunts. This is where some of the worst animal cruelty takes place (to terriers and badgers as well as foxes). Even hunting’s governing body admits this has ‘no place’ in legal hunting and has tried to impose its own self-enforced ban.
  • Close the loophole exemptions in the law that allow animals to be chased and killed, such as through the ‘research and observation’ exemption.
  • Get tough on those who ride roughshod over the law by reviewing the sentencing powers under the Hunting Act, and to bring these in line with other animal cruelty offences, so it acts as a deterrent.

From those living in rural communities, to hunt saboteurs and animal protection agencies and even police chiefs, everyone knows the law on hunting isn’t working, and it’s time for these rural crime gangs to be stopped.

Check below for more information and to see how YOU can help make this happen.

WEAKNESSES IN CURRENT HUNTING ACT

Weaknesses in the current Hunting Act, along with our proposed solutions.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Speak out to end hunting for good. Use our guidance to complete the Government consultation on Trail Hunting before 18th June.

hunting incidents timeline

Just some of the incidents involving hunts since the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004.

FAQs

We take a look at frequently asked questions regarding hunting.

related news

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Tom Ledbury (far right) supervises a dig out of a fox to be thrown to hounds as a young child looks on.

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On yer bike - nobody believes trail hunting is real. ©West Yorkshire Hunt Sabs

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Hunters laugh as the fox is torn to pieces.

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