What the four nations actually allow
Animal welfare is devolved, and since 2023 the four nations have genuinely
diverged. This is the same practice compared across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland, with the primary source and a last-checked date against every cell.
This is a description of the
law, not legal advice. Every row links to the primary source and carries the date it
was last checked. Check the source before relying on it — general licences are reissued
each January and commencement dates move.
Trail hunting is the activity in which a dog is directed to find and follow an animal-based scent laid for that purpose. It is defined in statute in Scotland; elsewhere it is described in government consultation documents.
England
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 prohibits hunting a wild mammal with a dog. It does not prohibit trail hunting, in which a dog follows an animal-based scent laid for that purpose.
Proposed change — not yet law
Defra consulted on proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales between 26 March and 18 June 2026. The consultation states that the ban is not intended to extend to drag hunting or clean boot hunting.
Source
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 22 August 2026
Wales
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 extends to England and Wales and prohibits hunting a wild mammal with a dog. It does not prohibit trail hunting.
Proposed change — not yet law
Defra consulted on proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales between 26 March and 18 June 2026. The consultation states that the ban is not intended to extend to drag hunting or clean boot hunting.
Source
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 22 August 2026
Scotland
Banned, with exceptions
- In force from
- 3 October 2023
- Instrument
- Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, section 14
It is an offence to engage or participate in trail hunting unless an exception under section 16 applies. Trail hunting is defined in section 14 as the activity in which a dog is directed to find and follow an animal-based scent laid for that purpose. Commenced by SSI 2023/262.
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 22 August 2026
Northern Ireland
Not prohibited
- In force from
- not recorded
- Instrument
- no instrument recorded
The Hunting Act 2004 extends to England and Wales. No Northern Ireland legislation prohibiting hunting wild mammals with dogs or trail hunting has been identified.
Proposed change — not yet law
The Hunting with Dogs Bill, a private member's bill introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 27 April 2026, would prohibit hunting a wild mammal with a dog and prohibit trail hunting. It completed Second Stage on 26 May 2026 and stands referred to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Source
legislation.gov.uk
· checked 22 August 2026
How to read this
Status describes the position today. Anything proposed, consulted on or before a
legislature is shown separately as a proposed change, and is never counted as law.
“Not recorded” means not recorded. Where a commencement date or an
instrument has not been confirmed against a primary source, the cell says so rather than
estimating.
Data: /api/law.json. Corrections with a primary
source are welcome — a wrong cell here is worse than a missing one.