When “lethal” hunting was banned in 2004 the hunters invented ‘trail hunting’. It is supposed to replicate a real hunt - but supposedly without any animals being killed.

With trail hunting an animal scent is laid which hounds are trained to chase. But often the hounds pick up the scent of a real animal, chase it and in some instances kill it - the hunters can claim this was an “accident”. 

Trail hunts include people on quad bikes. These are called “terrier men”, they traditionally accompanied hunts with their smaller dogs. These terrier dogs are used to follow a fox if it bolts down a hole in the ground, often leading to a fight and the fox being flushed out and killed. If the hunts are now only following a trail scent, and don’t intend to kill any animals, why do they still include terrier men?

There are regularly stories of hunt hounds running across busy roads and railway lines, causing damage on private land, chasing and sometimes killing livestock and pets.

Every year The National Trust licenses dozens of trail hunts on it’s land. I live near the Mendips, regularly taking my kids for walks there, I have been shocked to discover there a several trial hunts planned there in January, February and March this year. I am determined to stop this happening.

Please sign this petition to show the National Trust that we, the public oppose all forms of hunting wild animals with hounds – it is time the conservation body provided protection to wildlife by stopping licensing hunting on its land. Let’s not allow anymore circumstances were a fox can be ‘accidentally’ killed.

Thank you.