Badgers: The forgotten victims of fox hunting

Badger Trust supports the proposed changes to the Hunting Act, which continues to have a significant impact on badger setts across England and Wales. Despite guidance from their own representative body, the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), recommending the withdrawal of terriermen and associated activities, the majority of fox hunts continue to block badger setts.

One of the key roles of a terrierman is to block holes and other potential escape routes to prevent a fox from going to ground when pursued by hounds. This practice routinely results in the illegal blocking of badger setts. A fox will instinctively seek safety underground when chased by a pack of hounds, making sett blocking integral to traditional fox hunting practices.

The blocking of badger setts for hunting purposes was banned on the introduction of the Hunting Act 20 years ago. However, this has been ignored, and sett blocking is carried out on virtually every hunting day by terriermen across the country.

Every year, Badger Trust receives numerous reports of badger setts being blocked, often in connection with specific hunts. However, they represent only a small fraction of the true scale of the problem. Research suggests that tens of thousands of badger setts are illegally blocked every season. 

Of all the crimes committed against badgers, approximately 16% relate to the illegal blocking of setts, the majority of which are linked to fox hunting. This is especially significant given that hunting activity takes place over only five months each year from November to March.

Blocking a badger sett is a criminal offence. Section 3 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 makes it illegal to block, damage, or disturb a badger sett, or to disturb a badger while it is occupying its sett.

Although hunts claim to operate under “trail hunting”, genuine trail laying would not require the blocking of badger setts. Trail hunting is the practice where a scent is laid, often by a rag dragged behind a rider on horse or someone on a quad bike. This is dragged across a field and usually scented with fox urine for dogs to follow. 

A 2022 study by Wildlife Watchdog found that in 75% of cases, trails were false and were used to facilitate illegal hunting. If hunts were genuinely following an artificial trail, there would be no need to prevent foxes from going to ground.

Badger Trust CEO Nigel Palmer said: “Terriermen working for hunts, often seen using quad bikes, block badger setts to force foxes into the open rather than allowing them to escape underground. They also send terriers into setts and dig out foxes, which is illegal. If hunts were truly following a scent trail, terriermen would have no role.”

Badger Trust Wildlife Crime Manager Craig Fellowes MBE said: “The impact of hunts on badgers cannot be underestimated. While reviews of the Hunting Act often focus solely on hounds chasing foxes, it is vital to consider the broader picture and the significant harm hunts cause to a wide range of wildlife. These activities amount to potential criminal offences, and stronger regulation and enforcement are urgently needed.”

Badger Trust therefore calls for:

• A  complete ban on trail hunting

• The removal of all hunting exemptions

• The introduction of offences based on reckless behaviour

• Greater accountability for those directing illegal hunting activities

• Tougher penalties for anyone who interferes with badger setts. 

  
  

The Protection of Badgers Act permits imprisonment, whereas the current Hunting Act does not. Any new legislation must include the option of custodial sentences for wildlife crime.

Organisations such as the League Against Cruel Sports, the Hunt Saboteurs Association, and Protect the Wild have played a vital role in securing the government’s pledge to ban trail hunting. Badger Trust is proud to have worked alongside these groups to help make a ban on trail hunting a reality.