SCOTLAND'S gundogs are in peril, as new legislation aimed at tightening the law around foxhunting hound packs and hare coursing also threatens to affect how dogs can be used in rough shooting.

At the heart of of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill is the principle that chasing and killing a mammal with a dog, for sport or pest control, must be fully outlawed – and the Bill's very existence stems from the belief that previous clampdowns on foxhunting with hounds had left loopholes whereby foxes might still perish by the tooth rather than the gun.

However, rough shooting enthusiasts and gundog trialists fear that the new Bill's provisions around flushing wildlife with multiple dogs – and the definition of that as two or more dogs in any setting where wildlife might be attacked – are so complex that people will be legally deterred from working with gundogs.

Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups have joined forces with BASC and the Kennel Club to raise their concerns about the Bill, and met with MSPs at Holyrood last week to discuss their concerns.

National coordinator for Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups, Lianne MacLennan, said: “Rough shooting and gundog trials are at risk from the provisions of the Bill as it is currently set out. There is a real risk that the complexity of the legislation will deter people from taking part, as they will be worried they could inadvertently break the law, if their dog chases a fox or a rabbit. We believe the intention was not to stop all gundog trials or rough shooting, but that may be the end result.

“Both of these activities attract thousands of participants from across the UK and are an important part of country sports, bringing visitors to rural areas, supporting jobs and boosting expenditure in local pubs and shops,” stressed Ms MacLennan.

BASC public affairs manager Peter Clark said: “The Scottish Government has stated that using more than two dogs to flush a rabbit out of cover to be shot will become illegal under the new Bill.

“Whilst we welcome the Section 6 of the Bill’s exception for game shooting, it isn’t sufficient to protect rough shooting and field trials. The exception would become invalid if a single rabbit was shot at a time when more than two dogs were being used to flush or retrieve game birds.

“BASC has met with Environment Minister Mairi McAllan and will do so again ahead of Stage 2 to put our concerns across and lobby for change. We are reassured by the recent publication of the Stage 1 report that raised our concerns and we will continue to engage with MSPs to ensure they get the message. Further to this, we are continuing our ongoing engagement with MSPs, informing them of the Bill's unwanted and unintended consequences.”

Conservative MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Rachael Hamilton, commented: “The Hunting with Dogs Bill has undeniably caused a great deal of concern among groups concerned with shooting and conservation in Scotland.

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“It was great to welcome members of the Kennel Club, BASC and the Scottish Moorland Groups to Holyrood. I am pleased that they were able to share the concerns of their members with many of my colleagues here.

“As we continue to scrutinise the Bill in Parliament, I absolutely welcome the engagement we have had from stakeholders who are committed to ensuring that the Government’s plans are well informed.”

Responding to the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee's Stage 1 report on the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We thank the RAINE Committee for their careful and detailed report on the Hunting with Dogs Bill, and are pleased to see that the Committee is content to agree to the general principles of it. We will consider all of the report’s recommendations and will set out our full response to the issues raised by the Committee, ahead of the Stage 1 debate on the Bill.

“Chasing and killing a mammal with a dog, for sport or otherwise, has no place in modern Scotland – indeed it has been illegal for twenty years. The Scottish Government is seeking to close loopholes which have allowed that already illegal activity to persist, and our aim is to do that in a way that facilitates legitimate predator control while upholding the highest animal welfare standards," said the spokesperson.

“We have listened to the views of stakeholders and the public when developing this new legislation which we are confident is both progressive and balanced.”