Consultation on Proposals to Prohibit Trail Hunting in England and Wales

About this consultation

In line with the commitment in the 2024 Labour Party Manifesto, the government intends to ban trail hunting in England and Wales.

Trail hunting is an activity which has grown in popularity following the enactment of the Hunting Act in 2004 as an alternative to hunting wild mammals. It entails laying an animal-based scent trail for dogs to follow. This carries an inherent risk of the dogs picking up the scent of a live wild mammal and then pursuing it, instead of keeping to the laid trail. In addition, concerns persist that trail hunting can be used as a “smokescreen” to facilitate illegal hunting as it helps to obscure any intention to hunt wild mammals with dogs.

In view of these concerns, the government intends to bring in a ban on trail hunting in England and Wales. The government does not intend this ban to extend to other forms of activity such as drag hunting or ‘clean boot hunting’ which would therefore remain lawful.

We consider that an effective ban on trail hunting would require primary legislation. This consultation invites views on our proposed approach to legislating, and any on community, social, business, economic or environmental impacts potentially associated with a ban and how it is brought into effect. We welcome views from the public, landowners, conservation organisations, animal welfare groups, hunt organisers, local authorities, businesses and their representatives and any other interested parties.

The government will use the feedback provided by this consultation to inform the subsequent development of the necessary legislation.

This consultation is being conducted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

A summary of the responses to this consultation will be published in due course.

Territorial extent and application

The UK government considers that the proposed legislation would relate to reserved matters set out in Schedule 7A to the Government of Wales Act 2006, including the reserved matter of ‘Hunting with dogs’. We are therefore consulting on proposals to ban trail hunting in Wales, as well as in England.

Background to the consultation

The Hunting Act 2004 made it an offence to hunt wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales, subject to some  exemptions. Following the introduction of that Act, trail hunting grew in popularity as an alternative to hunting wild mammals with dogs. Trail hunting aims to mimic a traditional hunt by laying an animal scent trail which simulates the natural movement of wild mammals through hedgerows, woods, and ditches for hounds and hunts to follow. The trail hunting season starts in the autumn and continues throughout the winter, with most hunts finishing during March.

Trail hunting has become a focus of concern because, by its very nature, it is difficult to ensure that wild mammals such as foxes are not placed in danger. It involves the laying of a trail using an animal-based scent for the dogs to follow. The trail is not always laid constantly but may be lifted for a distance and dropped again to allow the hounds to search for the scent. Huntsmen and followers often do not know where trails have been laid. This can result in the scent of a live wild animal being picked up. Once picked up by the hounds, the hounds may start to pursue the wild mammal rather than follow the intended trail, with the hunt in fact pursuing the wild mammal. If the hounds are successful in their pursuit, this will inevitably lead to the death of, or injury to, the wild mammal.

The government therefore proposes to introduce legislation to ban trail hunting in England and Wales to ensure that wild mammals are not pursued and placed in danger as a result of trail hunting, to prevent trail hunting being used to avoid criminal liability for hunting with dogs and to support effective enforcement of the law against hunting with dogs.

Our proposals

This consultation seeks views on how an effective ban on trail hunting might best be accomplished, including with regard to:

• How trail hunting should be defined for the purposes of a ban
• How to ensure that the ban on trail hunting will not inadvertently affect other activities which we intend should remain lawful such as drag hunting or ‘clean boot’ hunting
• Whether it should remain lawful to use animal-based scent trails when training dogs for specific purposes
• Considerations relevant to the timing of introducing the ban
• The potential community, social, business, economic and environmental impacts of the proposed approach to banning trail hunting

The specific questions in Part 2 provide the opportunity to comment on these issues and shape the proposed approach to legislation.

Responding to the consultation

This is a public consultation, and we welcome all views. We are particularly keen to seek the views of all those who might potentially be affected by the proposed legislation including from:

• members of the public
• landowners and land managers
• conservation organisations
• animal welfare groups
• hunt organisers and participants
• local authorities

How to respond

The easiest way to respond is through the Citizen Space platform.

If you are unable to use Citizen Space, you can download the consultation documents and return your response via email to TrailHuntingConsultation@defra.gov.uk.

A paper copy can be returned to us by sending it to: 

Trail Hunting Team,

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

2 Marsham Street,

First Floor,

Seacole Building,

London,

SW1P 4DF

If responding by email or post, please state:

• your name
• your email address
• your organisation
• the consultation title

This consultation is also available in Welsh, a copy in Welsh can be returned to us via email to TrailHuntingConsultation@defra.gov.uk or to Trail Hunting Team, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2 Marsham Street, First Floor, Seacole Building, London, SW1P 4DF

This consultation will run for 12 weeks. This consultation opens on 26 March 2026 and closes at 11.59 pm on 18 June 2026.

Responses received after the consultation closing date and time will not be analysed.

Question 29 explains how to send us separately any additional material which cannot be accommodated in the space for answers in this form.

Confidentiality and data protection

A summary of responses to this consultation will be published on the Government website at: www.gov.uk/defra. An annex to the consultation summary will list all organisations that responded but will not include personal names, addresses or other contact details. 

There may be occasions when Defra will share the information you provide in response to the consultation, including any personal data, with external analysts. This is for the purposes of consultation response analysis and provision of a report of the summary of responses only. Please find our latest privacy notice uploaded as a related document alongside our consultation documents. If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, please address them to: consultation.coordinator@defra.gov.uk 

Q1 in the consultation questions below asks whether you would like your response to be confidential. The answer you give will help us respond to any access for information request in relation to this consultation. If you respond ‘Yes’ in response to the question, you are asked to state clearly what information you would like to be kept confidential and explain your reasons for confidentiality. The reason for this is that information in responses to this consultation may be subject to release to the public or other parties in accordance with the access to information law (these are primarily the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs), the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)). We have obligations, mainly under the EIRs, FOIA and DPA, to disclose information to particular recipients or to the public in certain circumstances. In view of this, your explanation of your reasons for requesting confidentiality would help us balance these obligations for disclosure against any obligation of confidentiality. If we receive a request for the information that you have provided in your response to this consultation, we will take full account of your reasons for requesting confidentiality of your response, but we cannot guarantee that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. 

If you respond ‘No’ in response to the question asking if you would like anything in your response to be kept confidential, we will be able to release the content of your response to the public, but we won’t make your personal name and private contact details publicly available. 

Other Information

This consultation is being conducted in line with the Cabinet Office “Consultation Principles” which can be found at: Microsoft Word - Consultation Principles (1).docx (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Next steps

A summary of responses to this consultation will be published on the UK government website on the Defra homepage.

Following careful consideration of all responses to this consultation, we plan to develop legislation to deliver a ban on trail hunting in England and Wales, to be introduced when parliamentary time allows.