Anti-blood sports campaigners have warned huntsmen will continue to exploit loopholes in Scotland’s fox hunting ban as Boxing Day marked a traditional day for mounted hunts. The League Against Cruel Sports said it’s concerned so-called “drag hunting” is being used as a smokescreen to continue the practice.
Drag hunting is an equestrian sport where packs of bloodhounds chase a human runner or a pre-laid artificial scent. The practice is permitted under the new Hunting With Dogs (Scotland) Act, passed last October – but the League has questioned the credibility of this, saying the hounds used are specifically trained to hunt live animals.
Robbie Marsland, Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “There are a small number of people in Scotland who live and breathe to hunt and kill foxes with dogs. These people consider the fox hunting ban to be an existential threat to their way of life.
“It should be no surprise therefore that they will do everything they can to continue an activity that the vast majority of people in Scotland consider absolutely repugnant. We are now half-way through the second hunting season after the new legislation strengthened the previous fox hunting ban.
“However, the League remains worried that mounted fox hunts are exploiting loopholes that allow them to encourage packs of dogs to chase and kill foxes across the countryside. The League is particularly worried about the number of hunts who now say that they are drag hunting.
“We question any mounted hunt that says they are drag hunting if they use fox hounds and are not registered with the Master of Bloodhounds and Drag hounds Association.”
It comes after the Record revealed in August how hunts are still taking place despite last year’s landmark ban. We uncovered evidence that at least one infamous mounted hunt had exploited a new system for licensed fox control – with more than 40 licences issued for hunting with packs of dogs over a period of about six months.
The Scottish Government and NatureScot, which administers the licences, said they are only issued on strict conditions such as to protect livestock or wildlife. The League said Boxing Day – one of the biggest days in the hunting calendar – would be a “litmus test” for the strength of the ban.
Marsland added: “The fact that at least one mounted hunt had access to a license to flush to guns with more than two dogs is of deep concern. It was the behaviour of mounted hunts who said they were flushing to guns that led to the law being strengthened. In these circumstances it would seem crazy for any mounted hunt to get a license to flush to guns.”
Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess said: “Until now Boxing Day has been a traditional day for hunts, and it will be a true test of how robust our laws are and how well they are being followed. Last year there were reports of groups continuing with this bloody and cruel tradition. A lot of eyes will be on Police Scotland to ensure the ban is honoured and that we learn from any shortcomings in the legislation.”
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