But Emma Judd, a representative of the League Against Cruel Sports, believes “hunts very rarely lay an actual trail”.
“If it is laid, it is laid near where wildlife and other animals such as livestock are being kept,” she said. “So animals do get killed from trail hunting.”
She said research by the organisation also revealed a majority of people supported a strengthened Hunting Act, amid the belief it is being used as a cover-up.
“That’s across the board – whether they live in the rural areas or urban areas, and it’s very similar across political splits,” she said.
The league believes the West of England has one of the highest rates of illegal fox hunting in the country based on footage gathered by hunt saboteurs.
“Fox hunts wreaking havoc on rural communities,” Ms Judd said.
“These incidents included trespass in people’s gardens, attacks on family pets and hounds running riot on roads.”