Boxing Day hunts are poised to disappear entirely with the process to outlaw trail hunting due to start next year.
Trail hunting involves laying a scent for the hunt to pursue instead of a live animal, and was brought in to replace fox hunting, which Labour banned in 2004.
Activists have consistently argued that foxes are still being mauled by hounds during these events. National police chief for illegal hunting, Devon and Cornwall's assistant Chief Constable, Matt Longman, has claimed trail hunting is regularly employed as "a smokescreen" for unlawful fox hunting.
The Government is now set to fulfil its manifesto pledge for a complete ban, anticipated within this parliamentary term as part of its animal welfare framework due for publication on Monday. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman declared: "In our manifesto we said we would ban trail hunting, and that's exactly what we'll do. There is evidence that trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals, and that's not acceptable."
Ministers had pledged to overhaul animal welfare and will initiate a consultation gathering opinions on implementing a complete prohibition in the new year. The shooting of hares in England is also anticipated to be outlawed for the majority of the year under the proposed changes, reports the Mirror.
Thomas Schultz-Jagow, RSPCA director of advocacy and prevention, praised the measures being implemented to halt this "abhorrent and cruel bloodsport". He declared: "Every year, wild animals, pets and horses suffer whilst being chased and killed by packs of hounds on trail hunts while rural communities endure anti-social behaviour and intimidation."
He added: "There is mounting evidence that, since the Hunting Act came into force in 2004, 'legal' trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen to illegally hunt with dogs. This has made enforcement of the Hunting Act extremely challenging for the authorities."
Statistics from the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) revealed that during the hunting season, there were 264 cases of unlawful hunting, with 211 foxes reported as being pursued - representing a 10% rise - and 19 foxes confirmed or strongly suspected to have been killed.
LACS chief executive Emma Slawinski expects fox hunting to be eliminated completely. She said: "Trail hunting was invented after fox hunting was banned by the last Labour government in 2005, as the hunts were convinced the ban wouldn't hold.
"It's been 20 years, so it's time the hunts got over themselves and finally realise fox hunting is never going to come back, that the government and the public aren't taken in by their claims trail hunting is a real thing, and that actually it's time to make the law stronger so it's easier to prosecute those who are going to carry on hunting regardless.
"However, we would also ask the government goes further by closing the loopholes in the Hunting Act that give hunts other excuses to kill wild animals with dogs, such as deer, hares, otters and mink, and increase the penalties for those convicted of illegal hunting."
The Countryside Alliance said alterations to the legislation are entirely without justification, and accused Labour of having an "obession" with hunting. Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner, remarked: "Animal rights activists have spent 20 years making increasingly spurious claims about the legal activity of hunts without any evidential basis.
"Trail hunting is a legal activity which supports hundreds of jobs and is central to many rural communities. "Particularly following its assault on family farms, the government should be concentrating on tackling issues that genuinely help rural communities flourish, rather than pursuing divisive policies that hamper them." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox