Why the MDBA
The sight of hounds and horses in flight has stirred emotions for generations. With ever increasing focus on the ethics and legality of hunting it is the responsibility of our members to clearly demonstrate that they uphold both the regulations of our association and the law of the land. For this the association operates a compliance scheme.
The objective of the compliance scheme is to give our members a framework to adhere to during a day’s hunting and give visibility to any interested parties on how they comply with UK laws.
- Draghounds will follow a scent which is non-animal based. A sample of the scent to be used must be lodged with the Association Compliance Officer at the start of each season. A further sample must be provided if that scent is changed or modified at any stage.
- Hunting the clean boot will mean just that. The runner(s) will be hunted by the hounds without the benefit of any scent enhancement.
- All routes that the drag will be laid, or the clean boot runner will take, must be mapped out in advance and clearly communicated to the person(s) laying the drag, or the lead runner. It is recommended that GPS technology is utilised where possible.
a. It is further recommended that the OS Maps application is adopted as the standard for recording and disseminating this material (i.e. as .GPX files). - The routes taken should be chosen in consultation with farmers and landowners, as well as any relevant public bodies. They should at all times seek to avoid any conflict with wildlife, or domestic livestock, adverse effects on farmers’ crops or other assets, and any conflict with the general public, private or public landowners.
- All members must provide the Association Compliance Officer with advanced notification of every meet.
a. Notification by way of a ‘meet card’ is preferred (e.g. accessible on hunt website), however notification on a meet-by-meet basis is permitted. Notification must routinely be provided at least 7 days in advance.
b. Exceptionally, late-stage changes to a meet location/time may be communicated to the Association Compliance Officer no less than 12 hours in advance. - The Meet Compliance Documentation must include the following details:
a. Date, time and specific (e.g. What3Words) location of the meet.
b. The name Master/Hunt Official who has organised the meet.
c. The name of the person either laying the drag or the lead runner in case of hunting the clean boot.
d. The name of the person in control of the hounds. - Attached must be a map in a readable form of the route(s).
- Each member pack must appoint a Pack Compliance Officer (PCO). This can be a Master, Hunt Official or a third party. It cannot be the Huntsman or Whipper-in (i.e. the person, or persons, in direct control of the hounds).
- All Pack Compliance Officers must complete Meet Compliance Documentation prior to each meet.
- During the season, representatives of the Association Compliance Committee will make unannounced visits to meets in order to ensure that the actual activities being undertaken reflect, as much as is practicable, the intentions set out in the Meet Compliance Documentation.
What is draghunting, and how is it legal under UK law?
Draghunting originated in the 1800s, as a test of the capability of a pack of hounds to follow an artificial scent on a pre-determined route, no animal is chased and no animal is caught. From its very inception a mounted field followed the hounds, as a test of the courage and the skill of the riders to keep up with the hounds across evermore challenging country. Draghunting is a legal and transparent sport and was fully compliant with the Hunting Act, 2004 even before it was enacted.
What is “hunting the Clean Boot” (bloodhound hunting) and how does that differ legally?
Hunting the Clean Boot is a fully legal sport recognised by all as the hunting of human runners with Bloodhounds. The runner or runners are called the Quarry; they do not lay a scent but rather the bloodhounds are hunting the natural scent given off by these runners. This type of hunting has been in existence for over 100 years and is becoming more and more popular.
How do you ensure the sport remains ethical and doesn't inadvertently harm wildlife or chase live animals?
All of the routes are preplanned which allows the person planning the hunt to minimise the risk to wildlife. For example avoiding areas where live animals may be found, and starting the routes in open ground to ensure that they have a clear site of the hounds to ensure that they are following the correct scent.
Are there risks of legal penalties if something goes wrong (e.g. hounds chase a wild animal)?
Relevant UK law applies to all activities.
What is “trail hunting” and how is it distinguished from draghunting?
The aim of Trail Hunting is to simulate traditional hunting as practised before the hunting Act came into force.
Who monitors or governs the sport to maintain its legality and ethics?
All Hunts are governed by the relevant UK laws, members of the MDBA agree to follow the association code of practice and routine monitoring and inspection by the association to ensure compliance.
Is the sport ever suspended or restricted on public or government-owned land?
All hunting is at the behest of the landowners and without their support and permission hunting cannot be conducted, as an association we have supported our members in dealing with various governmental departments e.g Natural England to ensure the sport can continue.
What are the ethical arguments against the sport, and how are they addressed?
The objective of the association is to Promote the sport and fundamental ethic of draghunting and hunting the ‘clean boot’, the essence of which involves the use of hounds to provide pleasure without the pursuit or killing of wild animals or any attempt to imitate such pursuit and killing; therefore as a sport it is clearly acknowledged by many interested parties to minimise the risk to wildlife and thus there are few ethical challenges.
What obligations do hunts have to landowners or affected neighbors?
Hunts do not have a right to hunt and it is only with the permission of the landowner that they can cross the land, through the planning phase of the routes all potential affected persons should be identified and actions put in place to ensure that they are not disrupted.
How can members of the public report or raise concerns about potential legal / ethical breaches?
All hunts are subject to UK law and, in the first instance any concerns should be directed through the appropriate channels, the Association can also be contacted via the contact details on this page.
Are there any criteria or restrictions for who is allowed to hunt?
All hunts are open to any one to join, however those in a position of responsibility e.g. Huntsman / Master must not have a conviction for animal cruelty or a hunting related offence.
Our Members
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