New Year’s Day hunt meets show an industry stuck in the past

As the New Year begins, hunts across England and Wales are once again gathering on 1 January. Protect the Wild says these New Year’s Day meets highlight an industry clinging to outdated rituals, even as political and public support for hunting with hounds continues to collapse.

Sabs and defenders will be out in force

New Year’s Day has long been part of the calendar, but in 2026, it arrives at a moment of growing uncertainty for the industry. Just days ago, the government published its Animal Welfare Strategy, reaffirming its commitment to ban trail hunting amid persistent concerns that it is being used as a cover for illegal hunting. A consultation on the delivery of the ban will take place in early 2026.

Against this backdrop, New Year’s Day meets will take place under heightened scrutiny.

Wildlife defenders and hunt monitors will be present across the country to document hunting behaviour and intervene where necessary to prevent wildlife persecution. Opposition to this barbaric industry continues to grow, not only among campaigners but also within communities and councils, as tolerance for repeated incidents wears thin.

The hunting industry itself is now showing signs of strain.

Hunting under strain?

The British Hound Sports Association has abruptly advised hunts to distance terrier work from trail hunting, which is a clear indication of that unease. Given that terriermen are used to put dogs underground to assist in digging out foxes, their presence during a trail hunt, where proponents claim to follow an artificial scent, is wholly unjustifiable. Protect the Wild believes this move is purely cosmetic, intended to project an image of reform rather than deliver any meaningful change.

Footage released in recent weeks, including widely shared video showing a fox being dug out and thrown to hounds, underlines why stronger legislation is essential. Arrests may follow incidents like this, but prosecutions remain rare, exposing the failure of current laws to protect wildlife.

Protect the Wild founder Rob Pownall said:

New Year’s Day should be about renewal, but for wildlife it brings more of the same. These meets show an industry refusing to accept change. Reform is overdue, and the public expects it to happen.

Featured image via the Canary