The Countryside Alliance and the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) are working together in a joint campaign, Future for Hunting.
This is not the end of the campaign. As the government develops it proposals, we may need to call on supporters to take further action to stand up for hunting and ensure that the voices of the countryside continue to be heard.
Sign up now using the form below.
TAKE ACTION
Future for Hunting
The government consultation on banning trail hunting has now closed.
Thank you to all who took part, shared, commented and mobilised your communities.
Make sure you stay informed as policymakers consider next steps by signing up to our Future for Hunting campaign list below.
The government consultation to ban trail hunting closed on Thursday 18 June.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. The government will now consider the submissions it has received before announcing its next steps.
To receive campaign updates, stay informed about developments and be alerted when action is needed to support future campaigning, sign up below.
Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can ensure that rural communities and those involved in hunting have a strong voice in the decisions that affect them.
The Future for Hunting campaign is a joint initiative of the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) and the Countryside Alliance, bringing together regulatory authority, campaigning reach and grassroots mobilisation under one coordinated structure.
Take action for hunting
Help us take action
What is the Campaign for Hunting?
The Countryside Alliance's Campaign for Hunting supports all forms of legal hunting with foxhounds, beagles, harriers and other types of hounds for the benefits it brings to individuals, the environment and the rural economy.
Why should I take action for hunting?
By demonstrating that trail hunting is being conducted legitimately, and using opportunities at county shows, point-to-points and other public events to explain what trail hunting entails, we can change public perception.
What actions will I be asked to take?
You may be asked to take direct action in a variety of different ways including:
submitting a response to the government's consultation regarding the future of trail hunting
signing e-lobbies
completing online petitions
We will offer advice and support throughout if, and when, specific action is required.
In the last few years, the Alliance has protected hunting by ensuring that legislation such as the Kept Animals Bill, the Agriculture Bill and other regulations were not used to restrict our ability to follow hounds. We have also mobilised our members to defeat proposals to ban trail hunting on council-owned land across the country from Cornwall to Yorkshire, and beaten off many attempts to ban the Boxing Day meets in town centres across the UK.
Polly Portwin
Director of the Campaign for Hunting | Countryside Alliance
How trail hunting is conducted and perceived will be reflected in future legislation, so we must take action now to persuade politicians there is no case to strengthen the law.
Lord (Nick) Herbert
Chairman | Countryside Alliance
The threat to our sport is now the greatest since the Hunting Act nearly 20 years ago... Many hunts have a heritage of 150 years or more. It is our duty to protect that heritage. We must think of the next generation and make sue they can go out with a pack of hounds, too.
Lord (Nicholas) Soames
Every day of the year, the Alliance's legislative team watches for hostile legislation and takes action, often behind the scenes, to ensure that the threats are averted. If it has not been for this vital work, we would already have had votes to strengthen the Hunting Act.
Polly Portwin
Director of the Campaign for Hunting | Countryside Alliance
The urgent challenge facing hunting now is the perception that not all hunting activity is legitimate and that not all hunts are operating to the highest standards. Unless we address that perception, further legislation restricting trail hunting and other use of hounds will become inevitable... It is clear there needs to be a change in the way hunting is run to give all stakeholders confidence that we are operating legitimately.
