Trail hunting ban - would you hunt the "clean boot"?

[BootHunter]

Horsey people - with the talk of an upcoming ban on trail hunting, would you consider joining a clean boot hunt as an alternative?

YANBU - Yes
YANBU - No

IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAIL HUNTING AND CLEAN BOOT HUNTING THEN GOOGLE IT!

I'm a horse owner but I do not hunt because all there is locally to me is "trail hunting" packs. However, if there was a legitimate bloodhound pack hunting human quarry then I absolutely would join, and I can think of several friends who would too.

I personally feel that this could be a great opportunity for the local hunts to evolve into something that more people want to take part in, and probably the only thing that will stop the whole industry from closing down altogether.

Absolutely barbaric

Since the act coming into force and 2021, there have been over 570 successful prosecutions under the hunting act, plus a large amount more than didn’t make it to trial. And many more since.
How anyone can claim that there is no evidence is deluded

I don’t think think this should be a priority for the government, there are far too many of the things that they should be concerned about. I actually think This latest attempt to ban trail hunting is a diversion Tactic and design designed to get people focusing on something else. I think it’s quite manipulative.

Surely if the hunts are such animal lovers they would pay to look after the foxhounds in retirement for the rest of their natural lives? It's not as if it's traditionally a sport for poor people.

Many would pay. But what about the next generation? Or would you ban breeding and let an ancient breed die out, when trail hunting means they can continue to live without setting out to chase actual foxes.

Fox hunting is to Labour what the Falkland Islands are to Argentina: a political distraction to this up emotions and direct them away from the government’s failings.

38 foxes a year really isn’t many and I cannot get worked up about it. That’s nowhere close to 1 a hunt for a whole year. It’s a distraction to unite the core Labour Party. If they cared about animals they would not be destroying habitats with hs2 and falling to eliminate dangerous dogs that kill people. Instead we get legislation to protect a few mangy foxes which would die anyway. Healthy foxes go to ground.

Who is dealing with hunt sabs who injure horses and riders?

By this logic, where do you envisage all these foxhounds with no ‘role’ living? These are dogs who live in packs, in a kennel, and are not suitable as pets. There is only one option for them. I don’t support hunting and feel that by flaunting the current legislation hunts have bought this on themselves, but the naivety of the views on the topic is staggering.

Well actually the data suggests rural fox populations have declined since 2004. This is most likely due to climate change, urban expansion and reduced prey population from diseases.
Unfortunately I tried trail hunting a few times for a season naively thinking it was indeed just following a trail. It was not. I tried another pack....same story.... Surround a copse/kale field and sending in the hounds and then canter to the next one is not a trail in my opinion. They are very deliberate in what they are doing. I want no part of it and I won't support it. Even if it happens by accident then the huntsman has been derelict in his duties and does not have sufficient control of their hounds. Interestingly never ever heard of a drag/clean boot hound actually catching something by mistake. Riot (wildlife crossing the line) does occur and at the start of the season young hounds can go off line but you will instantly see every huntsman ride for his life to get those hounds back instantly. It is not accepted and the hounds quickly learn that. I have watched a pack of experienced bloodhounds sit in a field surrounded by a dozen rioting hares and only have eyes for the MFH.
For these reasons I made the decision to transfer only to legitimate drag/clean boot packs which publish their routes in advance.

With what income? The care of the hounds is funded by people paying to hunt.

I would argue there is still a market for people who want to pay to career around the countryside on their over priced farm animals. Potentially if hunts converted to pure drag then hounds could be slowly retrained and deployed.
If hunts thought like businesses they would recognize there is potential to attract new riders with ethical riding to hounds. Our younger generation (Z and Alpha) are more socially conscious and vocal than previous generations. They are also more likely to document and advocate for what they support and more importantly what they don't. We need the next generation on side for us to continue. We should be looking for the opportunities but instead we keep naval gazing at the threats.....

Yes, these ‘animal welfare’ supporters seem to be quite supportive of animal cruelty if it suits them.

There were up to 20,000 foxhounds in the UK pre ban so there will be fewer now but still a significant number.

Even if the pre ban number has now halved, that is 10,000 animals that will be slaughtered if their reason for existence is removed. Great work animal cruelty campaigners!

The few foxes that a currently got caught up in a trail hunt will be killed anyway as they are predators that need controlling.

This is just another vindictive left wing attack on the rural economy.

On the contrary, the hunt was a social gathering for rural people at all levels of income. The left wing ‘stick it to the rich’ attitude is so misguided and often hypocritical.

Very good point. Irresponsible breeding.

Also struggle with all the "WhAt aboUt tHe foX hOunDs?" as they tuck into their intensively farmed pork sausage rolls at the hunt meet.

I just listened to the discussion on Radio 2 how anybody can justify any of it is beyond me. It’s all barbaric and the man speaking on radio 2 basically thinks it’s ok because of the revenue it brings. Unbelievable!

I’ve got to agree with pp who point out the terrible attitude shown by hunts towards their local community. I’ve always lived rurally and in my life I’ve experienced sheep farmers having their flocks attacked by the hunt riding through their fields without permission, hunts riding through Westonbirt Arboretum while people were enjoying the place with their children and older relatives; hunts riding along canal towpaths (illegal, and also full of people walking their pets), hunts massing on a village green letting the hounds shit everywhere; hunts being rude and intimidating to people using the same spaces.

Maybe if they behaved a bit more socially and respected the communities they operate in, they would attract less opprobrium. As it is, they’re seen as arrogant rich bastards and they do nothing to change that opinion.

I think it is a distraction. They can go after an unpopular minority safe in the knowledge it won't cause any outcry.

Yet to actually do something re animals that would make a difference to most peoples lives, like having dog licences to fund dog wardens and dog policing and banning pets over certain weights being walked off lead or without a muzzle and they will cower away from it because it might risk them becoming unpopular with greater numbers of people.

There was a company in Birmingham years ago who collected the urban foxes up and drove to release them in North Wales. One time at an estate of pheasant shooting. The gamekeeper clocked the van driving into a rear entrance, sounded the alarm thinking they were poachers. Their exit was blocked. They were then challenged. In the back of the van were around 25 mangy foxes that this company had rescued to rewild.

For heavens sake the poor buggers wouldn't have a clue and would have died of starvation. Unless it's in a bin they're clueless.

One Christmas our village had a humane dump from somewhere citified. The local guns eventually got together and shot them. No choice with the ewes dropping lambs.

A country fox is healthy and wily. Their city cousins mangy and clueless.

To those saying the current government have other priorities and are using hunting as a distraction I would say read more widely about the other things the current government are achieving.

Isn't saying 'don't look at fox hunting, look at other things' is a distraction in itself?

70% of the UK population are anti hunting. It is important to people.

This is one priority amongst many they are working on.

You can look up what else the government are doing for you here. whathaskeirdone.co.uk/

It was in the manifesto.

The hunt in the last 40 years has been a fun day out for mostly urban middle income people who want to gallop across otherwise forbidden land. I know, I was one. Hell it was fun but what a nuisance we caused other users of the countryside.

Labour have done things that weren't in their manifesto and have not kept their promises, interesting that they decide this policy is so important just as they did with private schools. I think with everything else going on the focus on this shows a lack of judgement.

70% of the population are urban. The rural folk don't tell them how to run their cities, so fairs fair.

Second quote to separate the points.

It would be a very rare poor person who could afford to fiund the purchase, keep, kitting out and transport of a hunting fit horse. I hunted on and off for 40 years. I never met anyone in the field poorer than a groom riding one of her employer's spares. You simply won't meet people earning minimum wage or in the hunting field who are paying their own expenses. It's £100+ every 4-6 weeks just for a set of shoes. Horses are expensive, end of.

Which hunt is that out of interest?