More landowners take a stand against ‘trail’ hunting
Posted 3rd March 2021
If you didn’t know it by now, the hunting community has admitted that ‘trail’ hunting is a smokescreen.
It is something you and I have known for a long time, that in the 15+ years since the Hunting Act came into being, hunts have carried on chasing and killing mammals as if the law didn’t really exist. This was vindicated in a leaked Hunting Office training webinar published by the Hunt Saboteurs Association in late 2020, in which senior hunt officials were caught on camera admitting that ‘trail’ hunting is a “smokescreen” for the chasing and killing of foxes.
Since these revelations, more than 200,000 emails have been sent by League supporters calling on some of the UK’s largest landowners to end trail hunting on their land. Thanks to supporter efforts Forestry England, National Trust, United Utilities, Lake District National Park, Church of England, and Natural Resources Wales have all suspended permission for trail hunting to take place. Work continues to make these suspensions permanent.
But they aren’t the only ones that have banned hunting. Since the webinars were published the League has been working its way through the UK’s largest landowners and have been pleasantly surprised to see how many have taken a stand against this cruel sport.
The following major landowners have taken a stand and banned trail hunting:
• Thames Water
• Anglican Water
• Yorkshire Water
• Wales Water
• LafargeHolcim
• Network Rail
• Brecon Beacons National Park
• Northumberland National Park
Altogether that’s over 448,000 further acres denied to the hunt.
This doesn’t include all the local councils across the country who are banning hunting, and many more who have got in touch.
Yet many of the major landowners avoid our emails. Are they too ashamed to respond? Do they know that allowing trail hunting on their land could cause them significant reputational damage? We will keep pushing.
Do you know of any other landowners that have banned trail hunting? Or have knowledge of ones you think should?