Nature & Wildlife, Political | Posted on March 30th, 2026 | return to news

Have your say on trail-hunting ban

The government has released a consultation on ‘proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales’. Comments can be submitted until 18 June 2026.

The long-awaited public consultation on a trail-hunting ban was released by the government on 26 March. You have until 18 June to submit your comments.

This public consultation is a chance for everyone to share views on hunting, a very divisive topic which has split the population for generations. The focus for the last 20 years has been on the 2004 Hunting Act, which banned hunting with hounds but has been criticised as having too many loopholes, allowing hunting with hounds to continue under the guise of ‘trail hunting’.

The Labour government announced plans to ban ‘trail hunting’ as part of its animal welfare reform announcement on 22 December, and the consultation is the next stage in the process, where public opinion is gathered. It states: “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.”

Eight days prior to the release of the consultation, peers from all sides of the House of Lords, including senior voices in Labour, held the government to account on its proposed ban on trail hunting.

Speaking in the House of Lords, the Earl of Leicester (Con) asked the government: “What assessment they have made of the contribution of trail hunting to the rural economy?”

The minister’s response showed that the government had made no assessment of the socio-economic impact of a ban and that, despite this, it would be consulting on “how” to deliver a ban – not whether it should.

The Earl of Leicester pointed out that hunting contributes £100 million to the rural economy each year and highlighted a Countryside Alliance survey that found that 97 per cent of hunting participants believe the activity to benefit their physical and mental health.

During the debate, Baroness Mallalieu (Lab) said: “A ban on trail hunting will be seen as a punch in the stomach by people who have already endured a considerable amount of distress as a result of other government policies.”

Despite comments made by peers, the minister continued to reaffirm her intention to pursue a ban and stated that the consultation on how to ban trail hunting would be coming soon. She stressed that: “There are no plans to include other activities, such as drag hunting and clean boot hunting, in the ban on trail hunting.”

Eight days following the exchange in the House of Lords, the government published the consultation.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, commented: “This exchange is further confirmation that a trail-hunting ban is neither justified nor necessary – it is ‘yet another attack on the countryside’. The government needs to urgently reconsider its position, or it risks alienating the rural population.”

On the other hand, the Hunt Saboteurs Association, the UK’s leading anti-hunt direct action group, has welcomed the consultation but has spoken out about the risks of another smokescreen being used when ‘trail hunting’ is banned.

Rowan Hughes, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, said: “Today’s (26 March) Labour government consultation on ‘proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales’ is a direct response to the reality that ‘trail hunting’ is a smokescreen used by those who wish to continue the illegal persecution of wildlife.

“Now ‘trail hunting’ is openly acknowledged to be a smokescreen, it needs to be banned for good, but it’s not as simple as that. We all need to play our part in making sure the updated Hunting Act has no other loopholes which can be exploited; for fox, hare, otter or deer hunting, in the same way as the bird of prey or research exemptions were exploited. This consultation is the opportunity for every member of the public to have our say and tell our story. This consultation must result in a full, unambiguous ban on hunting; we don’t want another 20 years of animal cruelty and excuses.”

The Hunt Saboteurs Association has been actively stopping hunters in the fields for over 60 years and will be issuing guidance to assist with consultation submissions: https://huntsabs.org.uk.

To read the consultation document, visit: Proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales – GOV.UK.

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Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, added: “At a time when the countryside is on its knees as a result of misguided government policies and a cost of living crisis heightened by war, the government has again chosen to attack rural communities with another assault on rural life. A ban on trail hunting is unnecessary, unjustified and unfair.

“This is nothing more than the government attempting to distract from the real problems facing British people. Voters care about the countryside, the food on their table and cheaper energy bills; not toxic culture wars.”

The Countryside Alliance has also published guidance on responding to the consultation for those who support hunting: https://www.countryside-alliance.org/trail-hunting-consultation-2026

This article was updated on 30 March 4:30 with an additional quote from the Countryside Alliance