Hunting on Exmoor: FAQ

Do you allow fox hunting on your land?

Absolutely not. The Hunting Act (2004) made it illegal to hunt wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales. This legislation does not apply to trail hunting, a lawful activity where packs follow a scent or trail designed to mimic a wild animal, drag hunting where they follow a non-animal based scent on a predetermined route, or ‘exempt hunting’. Exempt hunting is where exemptions to the Hunting Act are used by various hunting groups to operate on Exmoor within the law – stag hunting is one example of this.

Why does stag hunting go on in the National Park?

Hunting with hounds is allowed in the 2004 Hunting Act where it qualifies as exempt hunting.

This includes the ability to flush deer to guns with two hounds, to shoot hares and to carry out observation and research with a pack of hounds. The National Park Authority does not control this activity on its own land because the hunting rights are generally owned separately to the land. While the National Park Authority owns about 7 per cent of the National Park, almost all of the hunting rights on Exmoor are owned by others. This means exempt hunting can take place across our land without our permission or knowledge.

How do you deal with reports of illegal activity?

We take any reports of illegal activity very seriously. It is not within our statutory role to enforce the law, and we have no enforcement powers, but we work closely with Avon & Somerset Police and Devon & Cornwall Police. As hunting rights on Exmoor are almost exclusively in private ownership, hunting groups are under no legal obligation to work with us on these matters. However, we aim to keep open communication and maintain good working relationships with all groups and organisations that operate on Exmoor.

Do you have governance over trail hunting in the National Park?

No, we do not.

We permit one local Exmoor organisation only (The Exmoor Foxhounds) to ‘drag hunt’ on 1,665 hectares (about 6.4 square miles of our land). Drag hunting is a legal equestrian sport where a pack of hounds follows a pre-laid artificial (non-animal-based) scent (such as aniseed) along a set route, meaning no live animals are pursued, caught, or harmed. Through this license we require the highest environmental standards and reserve the right to modify or terminate the agreement if there are any signs of unacceptable damage, particularly in relation to sites designated for nature conservation or cultural heritage.

We further require that all licensed activities on our land are respectful of others’ rights to personal enjoyment and access to the National Park. If you witness any other hunting groups in the National Park land not licensed by us, this is because they own the hunting rights to that land. Exmoor National Park Authority is not responsible for enforcing the hunting ban on Exmoor and anyone who suspects that hunting is taking place illegally, or is witness to unacceptable intimidating behaviour, should report it to the police.

Last updated May 2026