New fox hunting legislation in Scotland

I thought this bit was interesting -

"The rules also prohibit trail hunting, where dogs follow an animal-based scent. "

I wonder whether this is a case of the law breakers spoiling it for everyone? Presumably there were some trail hunts out there who were trying to stay within the law, or is that very naive of me? I wonder how the licensing scheme will work.
 
Orangehorse said:
So you could go with drag hunt with a human quarry?
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Yes, and also an artificial scent as drag hunts do. Drag hunts used to use an aniseed trail, I believe.

Trail hunting as still allowed in England allows the trail layers to legally use genuine fox scent for the trail, which always was a ridiculous loophole and has been much exploited by the naughty hunts.
 
Orangehorse said:
So you could go with drag hunt with a human quarry?
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You could 'hunt the clean boot' which means using bloodhounds to track the natural scent of human quarry - no additional scent required either animal-based or otherwise.

According to the MDBA, drag hunts follow 'an artificial scent' so presumably should be OK too.

However, I did note in the proposed wording of the legislation it stated: "An animal based scent is described as a scent derived from a wild mammal (for example urine) or an artificial scent designed to mimic that animal scent." So just being 'artificial' is not enough. (I haven't had a chance to look at the final legislation to see if this wording still stands).
 
Tiddlypom said:
Yes, and also an artificial scent as drag hunts do. Drag hunts used to use an aniseed trail, I believe.

Trail hunting as still allowed in England allows the trail layers to legally use genuine fox scent for the trail, which always was a ridiculous loophole and has been much exploited by the naughty hunts.
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Thanks for that, I didn't know that and it's interesting.
 
I think the original law was rubbish anyway (although as a foxhunter in my youth I disagreed with the ban).

What it should have stated was what WAS allowed i.e. clean boot or artificial scent, and anything else was not. It would have stopped all the trying to get round things and doubts.

Although what it does to the pure foxhound, as a breed for hunting foxes, who knows?
 
There never has been trail hunting practiced in Scotland so it’s banning something that doesn’t happen anyway. Maybe it was a preemptive strike? But there are no trail packs there.
 
Clodagh said:
I imagine ultimately foxhounds will go the way of otterhounds, one day.
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I do hope that you're wrong but the the packs of foxhounds that I am intimate with in this country as far as breeding goes are not breeding for the same prey/fox sense as last century. As per many gundog breeds, I fear that foxhounds will become a shadow of their former selves.

The ancient art of venery in this country is no more.
 
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gunnergundog said:
I do hope that you're wrong but the the packs of foxhounds that I am intimate with in this country as far as breeding goes are not breeding for the same prey/fox sense as last century. As per many gundog breeds, I fear that foxhounds will become a shadow of their former selves.

The ancient art of venery in this country is no more.
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I agree, and it hadn’t been for years. Go to France for venery, they are amazing thee.
 
I’m hoping that the Scottish packs can be trained to be fully human trail.

L&R sadly posted about their last meet and that things were no more. I was sad as they run amazing newcomer days and fun rides.

I also travel across the country to go to the Berwickshire hunt rides and fun days as they are amazing and so much fun and beautiful countryside.

I would be extremely sad if these things all disappeared.
 
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