Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Hunts take the initiative to show the positive side of trail hunting
Trail hunting, says the League Against Cruel Sports, is a smokescreen for the hunting fraternity to continue the illegal practice of chasing wild animals. But an event has been staged by two hunts to demonstrate how, they say, trail hunting is strictly co
THE Countryside Alliance and pro-hunt groups have encouraged people to get out this Boxing Day and support their local hunts.
A special event was held in Dunkirk near Yate in South Gloucestershire ahead of the busy Boxing Day meet where hunt supporters and their opponents congregate in towns and villages.
On Tuesday, December 12, the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt and the Royal Artillery Hunt hosted a demonstration of trail hunting in Gloucestershire aiming to show how hunts follow the law and the technical side of the sport.
The event was organised by the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), a body that promotes and supports hunting with hounds in the UK.
Trail hunting is a sport that involves following an artificial scent laid by a person rather than chasing a live animal.
It is a legal and ethical way of enjoying the tradition and excitement of hunting with hounds without harming any wildlife.
However, the League Against Cruel Sports and those who oppose hunting say that it is a ‘smokescreen’ and that the chasing and killing of foxes continues.
Julian Barnfield, executive director of the BHSA, explained the process of laying and following trails in different terrains and conditions.
He insisted that trail hunting is not a cover for illegal hunting but a genuine sport that respects the wildlife and the countryside.
As the hounds were tracking a scent around some woodland, he explained: "This is where we take a lot of criticism for laying trails in woodland.
“We get it levelled against us that we’re doing it to find a wild mammal but that is not the case.
“We see wildlife moving everywhere in the countryside – out of hedgerows and small areas of woodland – so wherever we lay our trail, there’s always wildlife like foxes and deer moving around.”
On Boxing Day, all the hunts will be laying trails, they’ll all be following trails, they’ll all be hunting in an entirely legal fashion, and I think everybody must come out and see what it’s like WILLIAM ASTOR
He said there are other ways to lay a trail, with some up to four miles ahead and others not so far. Others may apply them back to front, which was also demonstrated.
“By laying trails if things go wrong on the day, new trails can be laid,” he explained. “Packs that lay trails hours in front can be one to four hours in front. The trail layers are never seen because they’re already laid in front.
“Normally, the huntsman wouldn’t know exactly where the start of any trails is, but he’ll see the area that he needs to be in and take the hounds there, encourage them to drop their heads and search for a line that’s been laid.
“Quite often, hunts will introduce a check. The trail layer will stop, pick the lure up, seal it in a bag, go a distance, a few twists and turns, drop it back down and go again.
“This has a couple of functions. It can slow the whole thing down if it’s too quick and make it a little bit more challenging for the huntsman and the hounds to work things out. It’s all about simulating an authentic day’s hunting.
He added: “Every day can be different. The scent can be altered by atmospheric conditions or how clean or dirty the ground might be with stock. What could be a great hunt on a trail out here today could be a real struggle tomorrow. It’s very dependent on weather and ground conditions.
“It has its challenges, and it’s not a perfect science. Some days, hounds will run well, and some days, it is difficult.”
William Astor, Fourth Viscount Astor, chair of the BHSA, said that
the event was a way of educating the public about how trail hunting works, follows strict rules, and acts in an entirely legal way.
He said that he and others love riding on horseback and trail hunting in the countryside. He said the sport is becoming increasingly popular, and there is a bright future for it.
"This is to show how trail hunting works and how trails are laid and then how the hounds follow a trail,” he said. “It's to show that when the hounds are in full cry, charging across a field, they're following a trail and hunting entirely legally.
“People love getting out on the horseback, the riding, the trail hunting and getting into the countryside. It's fun and it's exciting.”
He said during the demonstration that deer could be seen unharmed running through the field and that the hounds were well controlled.
“The huntsman controlled the hounds,” he said. “They were called back and they didn't chase the deer. Then they were following the line backwards at one point, and he called them forwards so you can see how the hounds are controlled. That's very important because what we don't want to do is to see anyone breaking the law. This event is here to educate everybody who comes and sees a hunt, showing what happens, how it works, and how trail hunting is following the strict rules and acting entirely legally."
He said he was looking forward to seeing people support their local hunts on Boxing Day and that those who believe they were anti-hunt should get out and see ‘how it's done properly'.
"On Boxing Day, all the hunts will be laying trails, they'll all be following trails, they'll all be hunting in an entirely legal fashion, and I think everybody must come out and see what it's like.
“That's part of what we're trying to do: explain what it's about. Too often, hunting has been seen to be exclusive, and we're trying to make it inclusive so everybody can come out, so it can survive and continue."
He said other similar events will be held, with up to four in the spring.
“We asked various anti-hunt groups to come along and watch today. I don't think anyone came but we did ask.”
Helen Walsh, a BHSA PR representative, said that she has been trail hunting for seven years and enjoys the adrenaline rush and the social side of the sport.
She noted that trail hunting is a legal and ethical way of getting out in the countryside and seeing the hounds working with the huntsmen.
"I've been trail hunting since 2016 so it's relatively new. I've trail hunted after the ban, so all I know is trail hunting.
“Apart from being an adrenaline rush and very exciting, there's the social side. You get to spend that time with friends, watching the hounds, following where the trails have been laid, and seeing them tracking it.
“To those who are against the hunt, I say they should go and find out what trail hunting is about. For example, here today is a chance to show that trail hunting is legal and how it works, as well as getting out in the countryside, seeing the hounds working together with the huntsmen."
She said that she has had times when anti-hunt protesters have become aggressive towards her and that it can be dangerous when they interfere with the hunt.
“I was cantering towards a gateway in Cheshire, and a couple of saboteurs shut the gate right before me. It can be quite dangerous when they interfere like that.”
Polly Portman, director of the hunting campaign at the Countryside Alliance, said that trail hunting is a lawful and thrilling sport with many social and cultural benefits for the rural community.
She said that the media often focuses on the negative aspects of hunting and that there is a vocal minority of people who are against hunting.
"We have 12,000 days hunting a season, and only a handful of them ever reach the press. They're usually the negative things. When we're just going about our daily business, that's not interesting to most people, so unfortunately, the press often picks up on the negative side.
“This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that hounds are going out; they can be seen in the countryside and dressed traditionally.
“All the traditions that people have seen in the past are still out there today. We've kept the infrastructure of hunts, the businesses and the hounds, which is the most important thing to all of us.
“They've been bred for hundreds of years. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that we are still allowed in the countryside to partake in lawful activity. It's a really big community activity, and often, for people in rural areas, possibly remote, living on their own, the hunt is a big part of their lives.
“There's the economic side of it, but socially, it's important, and we are very good at having activities where people come and get together. They mix with like-minded people.”
She encouraged people to visit the BHSA and Countryside Alliance websites to find more information about hunting within the law, local packs, and more on trail hunting.
She said she was now looking forward to Boxing Day: “It's a big day, with many hunts taking place across the countryside and meeting in towns and villages.
“It's a perfect opportunity for people to access hunts, see them, meet people and find out more about them and those who attend.
“It's also a chance to meet the hounds; it's our greatest asset, and we love our hounds.”