25th November 2021
This activity has been suspended on Trust land since November 2020 following a police investigation into webinars involving hunts people discussing the practice.
In October, the then director of the Master of the Fox Hounds Association (MFHA) was found guilty of encouraging the use of legal trail hunting as a screen to carry out the unlawful chasing and killing of animals.
At the charity’s Annual General Meeting in October 2021, members voted by 76,816 to 38,184 in favour of banning trail hunting on National Trust land.
Harry Bowell, Director of Land and Nature said “The board of trustees has carefully considered this issue. Its decision to issue no further licences for trail hunting is based on a wide range of considerations. These include – but are not limited to – a loss of trust and confidence in the MFHA, which governs trail hunting, the vote by National Trust members at our recent AGM, the considerable resources needed to facilitate trail hunting and the reputational risk of this activity continuing on our land.”
Hunting wild mammals with dogs was banned in England and Wales by the Hunting Act of 2004. Following the National Trust’s 2017 AGM, the conservation charity introduced a dedicated Trail Hunting Management Team, which oversaw the licensing process and monitored trail hunting activity against the terms of the new licences.
Since then, the Trust has seen both compliant and legitimate activity, but also multiple reported breaches.
NORTH WEST HUNT SABOTEURS 
I HOPE ALL OTHER LAND OWNERS FOLLOW SUIT AND STOP THESE EVIL BASTARDS FROM MURDERING INNOCENT ANIMALS FORE FUN, THESE SCUM ARE THE PITTS