England and Wales: hunting-dog exemptions and the 2026 consultation

Key facts

Statutory framework

Hunting Act 2004, with specified exemptions [source]

The mammal and method determine the relevant rule

The Hunting Act 2004 supplies the framework for hunting wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales. GOV.UK’s mammal-hunting guidance explains that hunting foxes with a pack is illegal and describes limited circumstances for stalking or flushing with up to two dogs. Its explanation links that activity to damage caused to property or the environment, prompt shooting and the relevant land permission. Dogs below ground are addressed separately, with a narrower bird-protection context and a one-dog limit. These are method-specific exceptions, so a general label such as pest control does not explain which conditions apply.

Permissions and the full exemption conditions

Schedule 1 of the Act sets out the exempt categories and their particular conditions. Landowner or occupier permission is part of those arrangements, rather than a substitute for them. The government’s public guidance separately covers deer, other mammals and game birds, illustrating why gundog retrieving and mammal pursuit should not be merged into one rule. For a proposed activity, the useful description includes the species, purpose, dog role, number of dogs and land involved. Those details allow the relevant statutory category and land permission to be identified without inferring an exemption from a breed, club membership or the handler’s choice of terminology.

A consultation is a separate policy record

In 2026 Defra published proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales and invited views about the definition, implementation and possible impacts. The consultation page is a record of proposed policy, with its own published documents and response process. It should be read alongside the current mammal guidance and legislation rather than treated as an enacted ban merely because consultation has occurred. Historical hunting reports likewise describe their own period. Keeping the current statutory framework, a policy proposal and an old field account distinguishable helps readers follow the debate without converting any one of those sources into permission for an individual outing.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• GOV.UK: hunting mammals (opens in a new tab)
• Hunting Act: Schedule 1 (opens in a new tab)
• Defra: 2026 trail-hunting consultation (opens in a new tab)

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