Coursing

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 Ireland, the UK and Spain has two dogs running together. In America, generally speaking three dogs are run together.

The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act and the Hunting Act 2004 (in England and Wales) made it illegal to course any type of mammal, with the exlcusion of rabbits & rats. Dogs are still permitted to chase (flush) game into the path of a waiting gun, as long as the maximum amount of dogs used is no greater than two. In Australia coursing is illegal under common law . In some countries such as Ireland, Poland, Spain, Russia and in parts of the USA coursing hare is legal.

References

• Steve Copold Hounds Hares & Other Creatures: The Complete Book of Coursing 1977/1996
• William Dansey Arrian On Coursing: the Cynegeticus London: J. Bohn, 1831 [1]
• 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
• George Turbervile The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting 1576. See page 246 "A short observation ... concerning coursing" [2]
• Walsh Longdogs by Day 1990

See also

• Hare coursing
• Greyhound racing
• Lure coursing
• Sighthound