The New Forest Hounds have shifted to clean boot hunting, focusing on human scent instead of traditional quarry
New Forest: The New Forest Hounds have made a big change. They’ve switched from using foxhounds to bloodhounds and are now all about clean boot hunting. This means they’re not using any artificial scents or animal scents anymore.
Instead, these hounds are trained to sniff out the sweat of runners as they chase them through the forest. It’s a whole new vibe, and they’re really focused on the human scent from the Quarry Club members.
Founded by Will Day, one of the hunt’s joint masters, this group started after the New Forest Hounds stopped participating in trail hunting. Runners, aged 14 to 66, cover a lot of ground during the five or six hunts they have each time.
Will, who’s 44, shared how they get the hounds ready. “We give them our scent in the morning with cuddles and attention. It makes them think, ‘These are the folks we’re looking for.’”
Before the hunt, they get even more cuddles, and at the end, the hounds are rewarded with dog biscuits, just like you would with a pet. Will describes the experience as an adrenaline rush that makes the hairs on your neck stand up. Everyone is eager to do it again!
After the ban on fox hunting in England and Wales in 2004, many hunts switched to trail hunting. However, that’s also facing a ban from the new Labour government. Some hunts have been known to use animal urine to lay trails.
The government is pushing for ambitious animal welfare plans, stating that trail hunting is often a cover for cruel practices. The New Forest Hounds decided to embrace clean boot hunting in 2022 to keep up with the times.
The League Against Cruel Sports supports this new approach, highlighting that no wildlife is harmed and the hounds are actually following a trail.
