Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill - Additional Call for Views

Overview

We are seeking your views on one aspect of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill.

In evidence at Stage 1, the Scottish Government was clear that rough shooting, when using more than two dogs to hunt a wild mammal, would be considered an offence under the Bill.

In her written response to the Committee’s Stage 1 report, however, the Minister for Environment and Land Reform clarified that “the two-dog limit does not necessarily mean that not more than two dogs can be present at a rough shoot”.  She stated the Bill would apply to each individual person using dogs to hunt quarry as part of a rough shoot where wild mammals such as rabbits or hares may be shot rather than apply to the rough shoot as a whole.

During the Stage 1 debate in the Scottish Parliament, the Minister further stated that rough shooting would be permissible under the Bill provided that, “one person uses their own two dogs to flush their own quarry, not working in proximity to, or with, others in pursuit of the same quarry and not allowing other dogs to join them”.

This call for views invites individuals and organisations to comment on this specific aspect of the Bill ahead of Stage 2.  This call for views will run between 2 and 9 November 2022.

The responses to the wider call for views on the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill can be found here.

The Committee will not, as part of its scrutiny, address or explore issues which are outwith the scope of the Bill as outlined above. Submissions which contain offensive language, do not comply with GDPR requirements or are not relevant to the Committee’s scrutiny will not be published.

Share your views

Do you have any comments on this clarification from the Scottish Government about rough shooting and the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill?