IanB 0 Posted June 21, 2006 Report Share Posted June 21, 2006 How to hunt legally with Foxhounds Legal hunting with Foxhounds (MFHA, Federation of Welsh Packs and Central Committee of Fell Packs) is likely to involve the options listed below: 1. Trail hunting 2. Flushing using two dogs 3. Hound exercise rides or walks across country 4. Flushing to a bird of prey 5. Rabbit hunting Packs of hounds cannot be just left in kennels without any meaningful purpose to their lives and key to maintaining the infrastructure of hunts is retaining the support and involvement of hunt members. So trail hunting is likely to be the most used option for the duration of the temporary ban. It remains legal for there to be separate groups of people, each group with two dogs and for them to flush foxes to a gun(s). These separate small groups can take place in close proximity provided that the two hounds do not join with other hounds nearby in pursuit of a single fox. If this occurs, albeit unintentionally, then every effort should be made to stop the hounds as soon as is possible. It should be understood that the Act states that when flushing, hounds must be under sufficiently close control to ensure that they don’t obstruct the shooting dead of the quarry animal as soon as possible after it is found or flushed. Hunts may use this option in response to farmers’ requests for fox control. Hounds need to be exercised each day. Exercise will involve walking out (daily), longer exercise with hunt staff on bicycles or horses in the summer months and then the Autumn and Winter hunting seasons. During the temporary ban hound exercise rides across open country are likely to be developed to attract mounted followers. There are no new restrictions on the hunting of rabbits. A combination of the options can be used within a day’s hunting. How to hunt legally with Harriers, Beagles and Bassets Legal hunting with Harriers, Beagles and Bassets will operate along similar lines to that with Foxhounds whereby hunting can involve trail hunting, flushing to a gun(s) with two hounds, hound exercising and rabbit hunting. Although there are no new restrictions on anybody hunting rabbits, it is an option most likely to be taken up by those hunts and clubs who have traditionally hunted hares. It remains legal to dig out rabbits and to stop their burrows. The hunting of a hare, with any number of hounds, which has been shot is exempt. Where hare shoots take place hunts can liaise with shoot organisers and after the shoot use hounds to hunt and retrieve any hares which have been shot. Hare hunts may also hunt hares with two dogs for the purpose of research and observation in order to continue their role of monitoring the size and health of hare populations; albeit this cannot be as effective as in the past due to restricting the number of dogs to just two. A combination of the options can be used within a day’s hunting. Note: Anyone killing a hare by flushing to a gun(s) with two dogs must be in possession of a Game Licence – these are available from Post Offices at a cost of £6.00. How to hunt legally with Minkhounds The advice for mink hunts for legal hunting is very similar to the other forms of hunting. Activities might include hound exercise, trail hunting and flushing the mink to a gun(s) using just two hounds. Mink are an alien species and every effort should be made to eradicate them or, at least, to reduce population levels as far as is possible. To assist in population reduction mink hunts can flush to a gun(s) using two dogs or use terriers below ground where mink are threatening game birds being preserved to be shot. However, the same terriers cannot be used for the purpose of protecting farm livestock or other wildlife. No more than two minkhounds can be used for the purpose of research and observation of mink. The hunt can then inform water bailiffs and gamekeepers of their presence so as to advise trappers of relevant locations. Likewise, groups of people each with two hounds can “draw†waterways and confirm them clear of mink. Any mink flushed must be shot. It is also legal for minkhounds to hunt rats and rabbits. How to hunt deer legally Legal deer hunting, similar to the other forms of hunting, may involve the three key constituents of trail hunting, flushing using two dogs and hunting with two dogs for the purpose of research and observation as previously described. These elements can be combined within the day. It remains legal for there to be separate groups of people, each group with two dogs and for them to flush deer to a gun(s) or to hunt for research and study. These separate small groups can take place in the same area provided that the two hounds do not join with other hounds nearby in pursuit of a single deer. If this occurs, albeit unintentionally, then every effort should be made to stop the hounds as soon as is possible. The Hunting Act says that when flushing, hounds must be under sufficiently close control to ensure that they don’t obstruct the shooting dead of the quarry animal as soon as possible after it is found or flushed. Deer may be actually hunted using two hounds for the purposes of observation and study and this will assist hunts to identify those deer that require culling for management or welfare reasons. The hunts will continue their 24 hour ‘call out’ service to locate and rescue a deer which is or may be injured using two hounds, but unfortunately this vital welfare role is adversely affected by the limitation of just two hounds. In the past many of these injured deer were encountered during a hunting day and dispatched. Unfortunately, with two dogs only, some of these deer will not be located. How to undertake legal hunting activities with lurchers and other gaze hounds It is illegal to participate in, attend, facilitate or permit land to be used for a competitive hare coursing event – which is defined as a competition in which dogs are, by the use of live hares, assessed as to skill in hunting hares. Coursing as a form of hunting, i.e. lurcher coursing is also banned unless it is exempt. Coursing is also explicitly forbidden under the general exemption for field trials of dogs involved in shooting. However, much traditional lurcher work will remain unchanged, providing the quarry is a rabbit or rat, and flushing a hare with two dogs before it is shot will still remain legal. You can still go lamping, ferreting or bushing for rabbits. However if your dog inadvertently starts chasing a hare you must make every effort to stop the pursuit immediately. People who want to work their dogs to hare can use them to flush the quarry out of covert on the condition that it is then shot as soon as possible by a competent person rather than killed by the dogs. Rabbits can be hunted or coursed in any fashion and rabbit burrows can be legally stopped. Anyone working lurchers should have the written permission from the landowner to hunt legal quarry, (i.e. rabbits and rats) and carry it with them when out hunting. Proof of Insurance, i.e. Countryside Alliance membership, should also be carried. A good relationship with landowners, farmers and gamekeepers must be maintained at all times. Note too that the police have wide-ranging powers to confiscate vehicles, dogs and other property if they suspect you are, or have been, illegally hunting. Anyone killing a hare by flushing to a gun(s)with two dogs must be in possession of a Game Licence – these are available from Post Offices at a cost of £6.00. Link to post
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