HUNT leaders in the New Forest were in defiant mood as they staged their first meet since MPs voted to ban the bloodsport.

Members of the New Forest Hounds (NFH) forecast that the Countryside Alliance and its supporters would defeat a Bill that outlaws hunting with hounds.

NFH chairman Mike Squibb said: "The Bill is being bulldozed through and that's not the way to do it.

"We're reasonably confident that we will win the day using legal challenges and debates on parliamentary procedures. We also aim to lobby government ministers and generally give them a hard time."

NFH spokesman Graham Ferris was also in optimistic mood.

He said formal battle plans had yet to be drawn up, but stressed that hunt leaders across Hampshire were already considering their next move.

"The Countryside Alliance will be taking the lead in the legal challenge but there is still a role for all hunting enthusiasts to take part in protests whenever MPs who voted for this ban appear in public," added Mr Ferris.

"I'm sure that like me, all New Forest hunt supporters have been thinking about what the next move should be."

The two men spoke out after about 30 hunting enthusiasts took part in a successful meet at Godshill Wood, near Fordingbridge, on Saturday.

Mr Squibb said: "We had a good day's hunting. The hounds ran well and caught a fox."

The 2004-2005 hunting season started at the beginning of this month and will continue until next Easter, but the traditional pursuit will cease in 2006 if the government has its way.

Last week's debate ended with MPs voting by 356 to 166 to ban hunting with hounds.

Ministers have vowed to deploy the rarely used Parliament Act to over-ride any opposition in the House of Lords and force through the legislation.

Bloodsports enthusiasts have vowed to fight the government every step of the way, but the New Forest Animal Protection Group is urging foxhunters to give in gracefully.

Chairman Ken James cited plans to delay the ban for two years, giving hunts time to switch to other pursuits such as drag-hunting.

He said: "I hope that common sense will prevail in the hunting community.

"They should take advantage of the time given to them to peacefully and humanely transfer their activities to comply with the law."