Volunteers Embrace Bloodhound Chases as Foxhunting Ban Looms

In the lead-up to the UK government's planned crackdown on trail hunting, where dogs follow animal-based scents, a growing number of people are volunteering to be the quarry in a new form of legal hunting with hounds. Known as "clean-boot hunting," this pursuit involves bloodhounds and horse riders chasing cross-country runners rather than foxes.

One of these volunteers is a nervous Guardian reporter who recently joined the New Forest Hounds (NFH) pack for a thrilling chase across the English countryside. Despite initial trepidation about being "chased by a pack of hounds," the reporter found the experience surprisingly exhilarating. The bloodhounds, known for their ability to track missing persons and escaped convicts, proved to be friendly and harmless, if boisterous, as they pursued the human quarry across bogs, rivers, and dense woodland.

The NFH is one of 22 clean-boot hunts that have emerged across the UK in response to the government's plans to tighten the "unworkable" 2004 foxhunting ban. While some former fox hunters have resigned in protest, the hunt has also attracted volunteers who were previously opposed to any form of hunting. The new pursuit has the rare distinction of being backed by both the League Against Cruel Sports and some former fox hunters, who see it as a way to preserve the tradition of hunting with hounds in a more ethical manner.