The huntsman's horn could soon be sounding for the final time over the Lake District fells after Parliament voted to ban hunting with dogs from February 2005.

Last week, after hundreds of hours of parliamentary debate, the Parliament Act was invoked to push a ban on hunting with dogs on to the statute books.

The law will now come into effect on February 18, 2005. But hunt supporters have vowed that the battle to save the activity is not yet over.

Regional director of the Countryside Alliance Tom Fell called the Government's tactics "ridiculous, dishonest and time consuming".

He said that the alliance had formally lodged a challenge to the legality of the 1949 Parliament Act in the High Court. A second case, also launched, is contending that the ban infringes human rights under the European Convention.

The fate of Cumbria's six fell packs, which hunt on foot, depends on the outcome of these cases.

But, as yet, members of the fell packs say they are still deciding how they will deal with the ban.

Chairman of the central committee of fell packs Edmund Porter said that members would be deciding their position at a meeting of the packs next week. But he would not comment on which options they would be considering until the meeting had been held.

However, other members of the Cumbrian hunt community have indicated that some form of defiant action would lie ahead.

Joint Master of Coniston Foxhounds Roger Westmoreland described members of the hunting community, who publicly described how they were going to defy the hunting ban, as "very foolish."

Indicating that he would be prepared to take some form of action, he added: "If we hadn't told Saddam that we were coming for him in Iraq then we would have caught him a lot sooner."

Mr Westmoreland believed the countryside would alter forever when the ban came into force. "My children and grandchildren won't know the countryside as we knew it. It is changing," he said.

Master of North Lonsdale Fox Hounds Alan Bolt said that he hoped the Countryside Alliance's challenges to the ban would be successful and avoid the need for law breaking from hunt supporters.

But he added: "We don't want to break the law and if there are loopholes in it we will exploit them. In the final situation we might be prepared to break the law - at the moment we are looking at what to do."

Questions of policing have also been raised by the ban. The Association of Police Chief officers has already admitted that prosecutions could only go ahead if someone was seen hunting or if an animal was seen in the chase.

Assistant Chief Constable of Cumbria Police Graham Sunderland said that the force was busy liaising with all parties to avoid an outbreak of disorder but promised to crack down on any illegal activity.

He said: "People have the right to demonstrate within the law and we will respect the rights of all sides in this matter. People have the legal right to protest peacefully. Police would police any demonstration with discretion and sensitivity. However, any breach of the law will be dealt with."

Former anti-hunt activist Harold Taylor, of Staveley, said the tables had been reversed.

He said: "I am very pleased with the ban, but I think that there is a lot of danger that when it comes into force there will be a lot of spite killings of foxes because they (hunt supporters) will be really peeved."

He added: "The law has turned full circle. It is the law of the land and the will of the people."