Coursing

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Coursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs —chiefly Greyhounds and other sighthounds— catching the prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practiced both by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, as well as commoners with sighthounds and Lurchers. In its oldest recorded form in the Western world, as described by Arrian the sport was practiced by all levels of society, as remained the case until Carolingian hunting law (Forest Law) appropriated hunting grounds, or commons, for the king, the nobility and other land owners.

Animals coursed include hares, rabbits, foxes, deer of all sorts, antelope, gazelle, jackals, wolves. Jackrabbits and coyotes are the most common animals coursed in America. Competitive coursing in the UK and Spain has two dogs running together. In America, generally speaking three dogs are run together.

The competitive version of hare coursing was given definitive form when the first complete set of English rules was drawn up in the reign of Elizabeth I by Thomas Duke of Norfolk. The object is to test the dogs, not to kill the hare, and today only in Ireland the dogs are muzzled. Muzzling allows hares to escape that might otherwise have been caught, but those that are not able to elude the hounds may be injured by the hounds. It is since the conception of coursing a tradition to give the hare a headstart, then later in formal coursing prescribed as "law", to minimize the chance of a catch and to increase the duration of judged competitive work. The rare catch does not always result in an instant death of the hare. In this way slower hares are usually caught, leaving faster hares to breed and multiply. The fastest (jackrabbits) in the USA are faster than the swiftest sighthound, the Greyhound.

The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act and the Hunting Act 2004 (in England and Wales) made it illegal to course hares under any circumstances or to course rabbits without the landowner's permission. In Ireland, Spain, Russia and parts of the USA coursing hare is still legal and practiced as a competitive sport.

[edit] Recommended Reading

Steve Copold Hounds Hares & Other Creatures: The Complete Book of Coursing 1977/1996

A.A. Phillips & M.M. Willcock Xenophon & Arrian On Hunting with hounds 1999

Grant-Rennick Coursing, The Pursuit of Game with Gazehounds 1977

"Dutch" Salmon Gazehounds & Coursing 1977/1999

Stable & Stuttard A Review of Coursing 1971

Walsh Longdogs by Day 1990

[edit] See also

Bloodsports
Baiting • Bullfighting • Cockfighting • Dog fighting • Falconry • Sport fishing • Fox hunting • Hare coursing • Hunting • Insect fighting • Pigsticking