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There are several differences between the rules of coursing in Great Britain (where it is regulated by the [[National Coursing Club]]) and Irish coursing which has been organised by [[Irish Coursing Club]] since 1916.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcoursingclub.ie/|publisher=Irish Coursing Club|accessdate=2008-02-16|title=The sport of coursing}}</ref> Because hares are not plentiful in all parts of the [[Ireland|island of Ireland]], mainly due to modern [[Agriculture|agricultural practices]],<ref>{{cite|author=Reid, N.; Dingerkus, K.; Montgomery, W. I.; Marnell, F.; Jeffrey, R.; Lynn, D.; Kingston, N.; McDonald, R. A.|date=2007|title=Status of hares in Ireland|work=Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 30|publisher=National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government|ref=Reid-status}}</ref> coursing clubs are licensed by the [[Irish Government]] to net 70–75 hares for their events.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /> The hares are then transported in boxes to the coursing venue where they are kept for up to eight weeks and trained to be coursed. |
There are several differences between the rules of coursing in Great Britain (where it is regulated by the [[National Coursing Club]]) and Irish coursing which has been organised by [[Irish Coursing Club]] since 1916.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcoursingclub.ie/|publisher=Irish Coursing Club|accessdate=2008-02-16|title=The sport of coursing}}</ref> Because hares are not plentiful in all parts of the [[Ireland|island of Ireland]], mainly due to modern [[Agriculture|agricultural practices]],<ref>{{cite|author=Reid, N.; Dingerkus, K.; Montgomery, W. I.; Marnell, F.; Jeffrey, R.; Lynn, D.; Kingston, N.; McDonald, R. A.|date=2007|title=Status of hares in Ireland|work=Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 30|publisher=National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government|ref=Reid-status}}</ref> coursing clubs are licensed by the [[Irish Government]] to net 70–75 hares for their events.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /> The hares are then transported in boxes to the coursing venue where they are kept for up to eight weeks and trained to be coursed. |
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Instead of being coursed on open land, the Irish form is run in a secure enclosure over a set distance. Since 1993, Irish Coursing Club rules have made it compulsory for the Greyhounds to be [[Muzzle (device)|muzzled]] while they chase the hare.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /> After the coursing event, the hares are transported back to where they were netted and re-released into the wild.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /><ref name = "Countryfile"/> |
Instead of being coursed on open land, the Irish form is run in a secure enclosure over a set distance. Since 1993, Irish Coursing Club rules have made it compulsory for the Greyhounds to be [[Muzzle (device)|muzzled]] while they chase the hare.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /> After the coursing event, the hares are transported back to where they were netted and re-released into the wild.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /><ref name = "Countryfile"/> |
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Whereas the British form of coursing is run with dogs winning points for their running and turning of the hare, the Irish form is run on the basis that the first dog to turn the hare wins.<ref name = "Countryfile"/> This is denoted by either a red flag or a white flag, indicating the colours of the respective dogs' collars. |
Whereas the British form of coursing is run with dogs winning points for their running and turning of the hare, the Irish form is run on the basis that the first dog to turn the hare wins.<ref name = "Countryfile"/> This is denoted by either a red flag or a white flag, indicating the colours of the respective dogs' collars. |
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Greyhounds were introduced in the Americas for sport and pleasure, they helped farmers control jackrabbits, and organised coursing meets were taking place in the United States in the 19th century,<ref name="GRA_America">{{cite web|url=http://www.gra-america.org/the_sport/history.html|title=The Most Exciting Dogs in the World|publisher=Greyhound Racing Association of America|accessdate=2008-06-14}}</ref> by 1886 according to [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf Coast]] Greyhounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulfcoastgreyhounds.org/hist-18-19-cent.html|accessdate=2008-04-04|title=Greyhound History in the 18th and 19th Centuries|publisher=Gulf Coast Greyhounds|year=2006}}</ref> ''Open field coursing'' of [[hare|jackrabbits]], which are members of the hare family,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lepus_californicus.html|title=Lepus californicus|accessdate=2008-04-10|publisher=University of Michigan|year=2008}}</ref> now takes place in a number of states in Western America, including [[California]], [[Montana]] and [[Wyoming]],<ref name="Burns 2.58">{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm47/4763/4763-02.htm|author=Burns, T.; Edwards, V.; Marsh, J.; Soulsby, E. J. L.; Winter, M.|title=Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales, paragraph 2.58|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]|date=2000-06-09|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> and is said by the North American Coursing Association to take place also in [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[New Mexico]] and [[Utah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heliosgreyhounds.com/coursing.html|author=Bartel, S.; Mott, E.; Mott, C.; Johnston, S|publisher=Helios Greyhounds|title=Greyhound Coursing and Lure Coursing|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> It takes place with up to four dogs chasing the hare.<ref name="NOFCA rules">{{cite web|url=http://www.nofca.org/rules/2005rules.pdf|format=PDF| publisher=National Open Field Coursing Association|title=American Coursing rules, 2005|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> |
Greyhounds were introduced in the Americas for sport and pleasure, they helped farmers control jackrabbits, and organised coursing meets were taking place in the United States in the 19th century,<ref name="GRA_America">{{cite web|url=http://www.gra-america.org/the_sport/history.html|title=The Most Exciting Dogs in the World|publisher=Greyhound Racing Association of America|accessdate=2008-06-14}}</ref> by 1886 according to [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf Coast]] Greyhounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulfcoastgreyhounds.org/hist-18-19-cent.html|accessdate=2008-04-04|title=Greyhound History in the 18th and 19th Centuries|publisher=Gulf Coast Greyhounds|year=2006}}</ref> ''Open field coursing'' of [[hare|jackrabbits]], which are members of the hare family,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lepus_californicus.html|title=Lepus californicus|accessdate=2008-04-10|publisher=University of Michigan|year=2008}}</ref> now takes place in a number of states in Western America, including [[California]], [[Montana]] and [[Wyoming]],<ref name="Burns 2.58">{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm47/4763/4763-02.htm|author=Burns, T.; Edwards, V.; Marsh, J.; Soulsby, E. J. L.; Winter, M.|title=Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales, paragraph 2.58|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]|date=2000-06-09|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> and is said by the North American Coursing Association to take place also in [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[New Mexico]] and [[Utah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heliosgreyhounds.com/coursing.html|author=Bartel, S.; Mott, E.; Mott, C.; Johnston, S|publisher=Helios Greyhounds|title=Greyhound Coursing and Lure Coursing|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> It takes place with up to four dogs chasing the hare.<ref name="NOFCA rules">{{cite web|url=http://www.nofca.org/rules/2005rules.pdf|format=PDF| publisher=National Open Field Coursing Association|title=American Coursing rules, 2005|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> |
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Open field coursing is legal in all US states with a huntable population of jackrabbits.<ref name="Stop 2110">{{cite web|url=http://www.stop2110.org/faq.php#q14|publisher=Stop2110 pro coursing campaign|title=FAQ on coursing|accessdate=2008-02-01}}</ref> [[Washington]] state lists jackrabbits as a protected species, due to an unusually low population for a western state, and bans all forms of hunting them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasons.htm|publisher=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife|title=Hunting Season dates, 2007-08|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> |
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During the 2006–07 coursing season, the leading United States coursing body, the National Open Field Coursing Association, registered 480 dogs of various breeds,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nofca.org/lookup/hounds.pdf|format=PDF| publisher=National Open Field Coursing Association|title=NOFCA Hound List|month=December | year=2005|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> and oversaw 83 coursing events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nofca.org/results/stakelist.php?season=2006&Submit=Show+Stakes|publisher=National Open Field Coursing Association|title=NOFCA coursing events, 2006-07|accessdate=2007-02-25}}</ref> Its quarry is the [[Black-tailed Jackrabbit]]. Coursing of [[White-tailed Jackrabbit]]s is organised by a smaller body, the North American Coursing Association.<ref name ="Borzoi"/> |
During the 2006–07 coursing season, the leading United States coursing body, the National Open Field Coursing Association, registered 480 dogs of various breeds,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nofca.org/lookup/hounds.pdf|format=PDF| publisher=National Open Field Coursing Association|title=NOFCA Hound List|month=December | year=2005|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> and oversaw 83 coursing events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nofca.org/results/stakelist.php?season=2006&Submit=Show+Stakes|publisher=National Open Field Coursing Association|title=NOFCA coursing events, 2006-07|accessdate=2007-02-25}}</ref> Its quarry is the [[Black-tailed Jackrabbit]]. Coursing of [[White-tailed Jackrabbit]]s is organised by a smaller body, the North American Coursing Association.<ref name ="Borzoi"/> |
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===Other countries=== |
===Other countries=== |
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Hare coursing also takes place in Pakistan, Portugal and Spain==See also== |
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According to the UK Government review, the [[Burns Inquiry]], hare coursing also takes place in Pakistan, Portugal and Spain.<ref name = "Burns 2.58" /> Pakistan has officially prohibited the use of dogs or hawks for coursing unless a special license is issued for carrying out such activity<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sindhwildlife.com.pk/aboutus/ordinance.htm|publisher=Sindh Wildlife Department|title=Sind Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972|accessdate=2008-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://punjablaws.gov.pk/laws/290.html|accessdate=2008-03-27|title=The Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act 1974|publisher=Provincial Assembly of the Punjab}}</ref> although, according to some reports, hare coursing is still practiced and popular.<ref name = "Burns 2.58" /> Hare coursing in Portugal is run in both forms: open (''Prova de Galgos a Campo''), and closed (park) coursing<ref name = "Burns 2.58" /> where it is known as ''lebre a corricão''.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Correiomanha News|author=Simões, S|title=Taxas - Licenças para armas mais caras com nova Lei|date=2006-09-18|language=Portuguese}}</ref> Hare coursing in Portugal may only be legally undertaken with two dogs<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pgdlisboa.pt/pgdl/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=97&artigo_id=&tabela=leis&ficha=81&pagina=5&nversao=|publisher=Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa|language= Portuguese|title=Regulamento Lei de Bases Gerais Da Caça, article 84 Portuguese|accessdate=2008-06-15|year=2005}}</ref> and operates under the same ethos as coursing in Britain and the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://margon.blogs.sapo.pt/1196.html|author=Gonçalves, M|publisher=Gonçalves, M|title=The Nobreza Hunting em Samora Correia In Samora Correia|language=Portuguese|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> In Spain, the hare coursing is ''open coursing'',<ref name = "Burns 2.58" /> and the areas where the activity takes place includes the Medinrua area.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/19778/newsDate/11-Feb-2003/story.htm|title=Spanish racers hang greyhounds at season's end|author=Ross-Thomas, E|publisher=Reuters|year=2003|accessdate=2008-02-13}}</ref> Coursing has long been undertaken in Spain, where [[Galgo Español|Spanish galgo]]s rather than greyhounds are used.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/285A2002_en.doc|accessdate=2008-06-14|title=FCI-Standard N° 285/24.05.2002/GB Spanish Greyhound|year=2002|publisher=Fédération Cynologique Internationale|format=DOC}}</ref> These dogs have a precarious life after their coursing careers, with the [[World Society for the Protection of Animals]] suggesting that many tens of thousands die cruelly each year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_April_29/ai_85178227/|publisher=Business Wire|accessdate=2008-06-14|title=WSPA Reveals Hanging Horror of Spain's Hunting Dogs}}</ref> Hare coursing also takes place in Russia<ref>{{citation|title=The Russian Hunt|journal=Performance Sighthound Journal|pages=44–51|date=October-December 2005|author=Clark, Sir R.}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Russian Hunt Trip|journal=Performance Sighthound Journal|pages=58–61|date=January-March 2006|author=McGehee, Y.}}</ref> but is illegal in most European countries<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coursing.nl/alg_info.htm|title=Coursing Info|publisher=Windhondenvereniging Coursing Nienoord Leek|year=2008|language=Dutch|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> and in Australia, where it had a long history from 1867 until it was banned in 1985 following a long decline in popularity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.sa.gov.au/chu/programs/history_conference/History%20Conf%2007/Coursing%20South%20Australia%20-%20Peter%20Donovan.pdf|format=PDF| title=Gone to the Dogs: coursing in South Australia|author=Donovan, P.|year=2007|accessdate=2008-03-24|publisher=History Trust of South Australia}}</ref> |
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===Lure coursing=== |
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{{Main|Lure coursing}} |
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Lure coursing is a sport for dogs based on hare coursing,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asfa.org/coursing.htm|title=The Sport of Lure Coursing|publisher=American Sighthound Field Association|accessdate=2008-06-14}}</ref> but involving dogs chasing a mechanically operated lure. Some critics of hare coursing suggest that coursers could test their dogs through lure coursing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.banbloodsports.com/ln-0104b.htm|publisher=Irish Council Against Bloodsports|title=Renewed Call for Humane Alternative to Hare Coursing|date=2004-02-04|accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> However, coursers believe that, while lure coursing is good athletic exercise for their dogs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lurecoursing.org.uk/lurecoursing/index.html|title=Lure Coursing Explained|publisher=British Sighthound Field Association|year=2008|accessdate=2008-04-12}}</ref> it does not approximate the testing vigour and sport of live coursing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fernhill.com/lurebite.htm|title=Lure Coursing|author=Heidenreich, B.; Hawkins, R.|publisher=ASFA Field Advisory News|year=1999|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> |
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==Controversy== |
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[[Image:hare5.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A hare caught by two greyhounds.]] |
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As long ago as 1516, [[Thomas More]] wrote in ''[[Utopia]]'' that, |
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{{bquote|Thou shouldst rather be moved with pity to see a silly innocent hare murdered of a dog, the weak of the stronger, the fearful of the fierce, the innocent of the cruel and unmerciful. Therefore, all this exercise of hunting is a thing unworthy to be used of free men.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=LOAUm_lzB5gC&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=%22silly+innocent+hare+murdered+%22&source=web&ots=PTzlOOUAef&sig=nS908PUjo2qpV8GDElG2L_xYrmU|title=Shakespeare Problem Restated|author=Greenwood, G.|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|year=2003|accessdate=2008-02-20|page=137}}</ref>}} |
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Coursing has long sparked opposition from activists concerned about [[animal welfare]]. In 1892, [[Lady Florence Dixie]] criticised hare coursing as an "aggravated form of torture"<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QlUW4BQk2wcC&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&dq=%22aggravated+form+of+torture%22+coursing&source=web&ots=RlyZ7x2OUC&sig=DVx3dnTNCjb1YgjLZci-YJtm1Ys&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA119,M1|year=2002|title=In Nature's Name: An Anthology of Women's Writing and Illustration, 1780-1930 |author=Gates, B. T.|accessdate=2008-06-14|publisher=University of Chicago Press|page=121}}</ref> and the [[League Against Cruel Sports]] was established in 1924 to campaign against [[rabbit]] coursing on [[Lower Morden|Morden Common]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search2?coll_id=7242&inst_id=73|publisher=Archives in London and the M25 area|title=League Against Cruel Sports|accessdate=2008-02-17|month=September | year=2003}}</ref> and continues to believe that it is wrong to expose animals to the risk of injury or death for human entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1716|publisher=League Against Cruel Sports|title=Hare coursing|year=2006|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> The [[Waterloo Cup]] became a centrepiece of the campaign against coursing in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/east/series7/hare_coursing.shtml|publisher=BBC|title=End of the road for hare coursing|date=2005-01-24|accessdate=2008-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.banbloodsports.com/coursing.htm|title=Ban hare coursing|publisher=Irish Council Against Bloodsports|accessdate=2008-02-18|year=2003}}</ref> In opposition, coursing has long enjoyed the fame of being known as "the noblest of field sports" precisely because the death of the hare is not the aim of the sport. Under most regulated forms of coursing only two hounds pursue the hare, the hounds competing against each other for a short time, and allowing the hare a significant chance of escape – this in contrast to sustained and methodical scent hunting, where superior pack endurance will often wear out and claim the prey. |
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===Welfare arguments=== |
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Until the 1970s, there was a dearth of [[scientific evidence]] on the welfare impact of coursing. The first thorough study was carried out in 1977–79 by the [[Universities Federation for Animal Welfare]] (UFAW), albeit that it said that it was "not easy to draw conclusions from these reports".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/ufaw.htm|year=2000|title=Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Submission to the Burns Inquiry|author=Kirkwood, J.|accessdate=2008-04-10|publisher=Defra}}</ref> According to a review of this study conducted for the [[Burns Inquiry]], "Of the 53 hares killed, 43 had neck injuries, 18 of which were inflicted by the handler (as evidenced from a clean break and no teeth marks). No clean breaks were believed to have been caused by dogs (where tooth marks were evident). The UFAW team’s assessment was that all chest injuries would have been quickly fatal (in six cases these included a punctured heart); 10 animals without neck injuries had chest injuries. Abdominal injuries included six punctured livers, but generally involved a ruptured gut. In the UFAW team’s opinion, hindleg and [[Back injury|back injuries]] could have been extremely painful until chest or neck injuries were inflicted".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/mainsections/research/macdonald/macdonaldfinal.htm|author=MacDonald et al.|title=Management and Control of Populations of Foxes, Deer, Hares, and Mink in England and Wales, and the Impact of Hunting with Dogs, Section 6.2.3.b.ii.|year=2000|accessdate=2008-02-11|publisher=Defra}}</ref> |
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The Burns Inquiry, set up by the UK Government to examine hunting with dogs in [[England and Wales]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/mainsections/committeedetails/aboutus.htm|title=background to the inquiry|author=Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs|year=1999|accessdate=2008-02-12|publisher=Defra}}</ref> concluded that "We are ... satisfied that being pursued, caught and killed by dogs during coursing seriously compromises the welfare of the hare. It is clear, moreover, that, if the dog or dogs catch the hare, they do not always kill it quickly. There can also sometimes be a significant delay, in ''driven'' coursing, before the ''picker-up'' reaches the hare and dispatches it (if it is not already dead). In the case of ''walked-up'' coursing, the delay is likely to be even longer".<ref>{{cite web|author=Burns, T.; Edwards, V.; Marsh, J.; Soulsby, E. J. L.; Winter, M.|url=http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm47/4763/4763-06.htm#6.68|title=Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales, paragraph 6.68|date=2000-06-09|accessdate=2009-08-18|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]}}</ref> |
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===Welfare arguments in Irish-style coursing=== |
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Since the introduction of muzzling for greyhounds in 1993, deaths to hares are less common, falling from an average of 16% to about 4% of hares coursed (reducing to around 150–200 hares per year). Muzzled dogs are more likely to buffet a hare than to bite it, a factor that may still affect the hare's subsequent survival.<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /> Hares can either die due to injuries sustained by contact with the much larger dogs or due to capture [[myopathy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mikerendle.co.uk/irishhare/Stress%20and%20Capture%20Myopathy%20in%20hares%202006.pdf|format=PDF| author=Rendle, M.|year=2006|title=Stress and Capture Myopathy in Hares|publisher=Irish Hare Initiative|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> The report from the official Countryside ranger at the Wexford Coursing Club meeting in December 2003 confirms that, exceptionally, 40 hares died at the event and the report of the [[veterinary surgeon]] who examined the hares blames the "significant stress" of being "corralled and coursed".<ref name = "Duchas">{{cite web|url=http://www.league.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_318.pdf|format=PDF| publisher=Duchas|title=Report on Wexford Coursing event, December 2003|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> Coursing supporters deny that hare coursing is cruel and say that hares that are injured, pregnant or ill are not allowed to run. Hares are reported to be examined by a vet before and after racing.<ref name="Countryfile"/> |
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In the context of open (not park) coursing, the (British) National Coursing Club evidence to the Burns Inquiry said that muzzled coursing can cause more suffering than unmuzzled if the coursing officials are not able to reach injured hares quickly.<ref name = "NCC2">{{cite web|url=http://www.huntinginquiry.gov.uk/evidence/coursingclub2.htm|author=National Coursing Club|title=Evidence to Burns Inquiry, part two|year=2000|publisher=Defra|accessdate=2009-08-18}}</ref> The [[Irish Council Against Bloodsports]], an organisation that campaigns against hare coursing has video evidence that shows this happening, even in enclosed coursing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.banbloodsports.com/v-coursing.htm|publisher=Irish Council Against Bloodsports|title=Video presentations - hare coursing|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> |
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===The kill=== |
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In 2000, the rules of the National Coursing Club awarded a point to a greyhound that killed a hare "through superior dash and speed".<ref name="NCC1"/> By early 2003, this rule had been deleted in order to remove the appearance of the kill incentive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmstand/f/st030114/pm/30114s08.htm|title=Hansard, Standing Committee F column 200|date=2003-01-14|accessdate=2008-02-17|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]}}</ref> In the United States, points are still awarded for a "touch ... where the quarry is captured or killed".<ref name="NOFCA rules"/> The number of hares killed in coursing is unclear. The UK government's [[Burns Inquiry]] said that about 250 hares were killed each year in formal coursing.<ref name="Burns 2.53">{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm47/4763/4763-02.htm|title=Report of the committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales para 2.53|author=Burns, T.; Edwards, V.; Marsh, J.; Soulsby, E. J. L.; Winter, M.|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]|date=2000-06-09|accessdate=2009-08-18}}</ref> although much larger numbers of kills are believed to take place in informal coursing. |
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The National Coursing Club and the organisers of the Waterloo Cup – the most important event in the UK coursing calendar – each said that, on average, one in seven or eight hares coursed were killed.<ref name="NCC2"/> Inspectors from the [[Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] who attended the event estimated that a greater number, one in five hares coursed were killed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2798493.stm|author=Bocquet, K|title=Waterloo Cup: The final stand?|publisher=BBC|year=2003|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> Observers of hare coursing at the Waterloo Cup regularly reported a minority of people in the crowd cheering when hares were killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwlacs.co.uk/archive/waterloo_cup_2005.htm|publisher=North West League Against Cruel Sports|title=Report on 2005 Waterloo Cup|year=2005|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> |
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==Conservation or pest control== |
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In different parts of the world two contrasting arguments are made in favour of hare coursing. In some places, the high densities of hare leads to the animals being considered as agricultural [[pest (animal)|pest]]s – a view taken, for example, by the [[California Department of Food and Agriculture|California Department of Agriculture]].<ref name = "UC Davis">{{cite web|url=http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7447.html|author=Salmon, T. P. et al.|publisher=California Department of Agriculture|title=How to manage pests - rabbits|year=2002|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> Coursing is sometimes defended on this basis,<ref name="Stop 2110"/> even though the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife]] has said that coursing does not "reduce the population enough to alleviate damage".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=vpcfour|author=Evans, J.; Hegdal, P.; Griffith, R.|year=1970|title=Methods of Controlling Jackrabbits|publisher=Proceedings of the 4th Vertebrate Pest Control Conference, University of Nebraska, Lincoln|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> |
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Elsewhere, such as in the UK, hares are not always seen as pests, and there are ''species action plans'' aiming to significantly increase their numbers.<ref name = "UK Plan">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=410|title=UK Biodiversity Action Plan - brown hare|publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|year=1995|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> Some coursers say that coursing assists conservation because it leads to sporting landowners creating a habitat suitable for hares.<ref name="NCC2"/> Opponents of coursing say that the converse is true, namely that coursing takes place where hares live rather than hares living where coursing takes place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/pdfs/hunting/1_session_b.pdf|format=PDF| publisher=Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|title=Hunting Hearings, minutes of session 1B|year=2002|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> It is also the case that coursing kills slower hares,<ref name = "Reid Mortality" /> and it is said by some coursers that this leaves faster hares to breed and multiply.<ref name="Tyler">{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/lurcherclubs1.htm#p7|author=Tyler, A.|title=Single handed coursing, submission from the Association of Lurcher Clubs to the Burns Inquiry|year=2000|accessdate=2008-02-18|publisher=Defra}}</ref> |
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==Debate and legislation== |
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[[Image:Dodwilson.JPG|thumb|left|[[United Kingdom|UK]] Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] tried and failed to ban hare coursing in 1969 and 1975.]] |
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===United Kingdom and Ireland=== |
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The practice of hare coursing has only recently, in historical terms, been debated in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]], although Parliament created an exemption in 1921 from the [[animal cruelty|cruelty]] legislation, the [[Protection of Animals Act 1911]], for animals released for coursing.<ref name = "Archive">{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm47/4763/4763-app8.htm|author=Report of Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales|title=Final report, appendix 8|year=2000|accessdate=2008-02-11|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]}}</ref> [[Eric Heffer]], MP for [[Liverpool Walton (UK Parliament constituency)|Liverpool Walton]], was a major opponent of coursing in the late 1960s, and Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] joined in the criticism.<ref name = "Guardian">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/dec/29/uk.past2|author=Bowcott, O|title=Wilson tried to save pint and curry favour|year=2005|work = The Guardian|accessdate=2008-04-13}}</ref> Under his premiership, the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] voted for Government Bills to ban hare coursing in 1969 and 1975, but neither passed the [[House of Lords]] to become law. In 2002, the [[Scottish Parliament]] passed the [[Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002|Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act]], which banned hare coursing in [[Scotland]]. In 2004 the British Parliament passed the [[Hunting Act 2004|Hunting Act]], which banned hare coursing as well as other forms of [[Fox hunting|hunting with hounds]] with effect from 18 February 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040037_en_1.htm|title=Hunting Act 2004|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> Prosecutions were successful against two prominent hare coursers in 2008{{Failed verification|date=August 2009}}<ref>{{Failed verification|date=August 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED09%20Dec%202008%2018%3A59%3A59%3A007|title=Two convicted on hare coursing charges|date=2008-12-11|work=Eastern Daily Press|author=Hill, C.|accessdate=2008-12-11}}</ref> and against two Yorkshire landowners in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/No-penalty-for-horse-trainer.5506348.jp|publisher=Yorkshire Post|date=2009-07-29|accessdate=2009-07-29|title=No penalty for horse trainer who held 'hare coursing' event}}</ref> The private prosecution brought against the organisers of the March 2007 North Yorkshire event organised by a Field Trialling Club clarified in September 2009 that hare coursing is still an illegal activity under the [[Hunting Act 2004]] even if the dogs used are [[muzzle]]d.<ref name=BBC1Sep09>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8231495.stm |title=TV chef admits hunting offences |date=2009-09-01 |accessdate=2009-09-01 }}</ref> |
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No formal coursing has taken place in [[Northern Ireland]] since 2002, as Ministers have refused the coursing clubs permission to net hares for coursing <ref name="Countryfile"/> and have protected them from being coursed or hunted under the [[Game Preservation Act (Northern Ireland) 1928|Game Preservation (Northern Ireland) Act]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2006/20060114.htm|publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]]|title=Game Preservation (Special Protection for Irish Hares) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-doe/news-de-051007-protection-for-irish.htm|title=Protection for Irish hare|publisher=Department of Environment, Northern Ireland|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> The two Northern Ireland coursing clubs therefore travel to the Republic to hold meetings jointly with coursing clubs there.<ref name="ICC fixtures"/> [[Opinion poll]]s commissioned by the [[League Against Cruel Sports]] as part of its campaigning have shown very strong public opposition to hare coursing from both urban and rural residents of Northern Ireland<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.league.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_394.doc|author=Brown, Millward |title=Hare Coursing Survey|year=2006|publisher=League Against Cruel Sports|accessdate=2008-02-11|format=DOC}}</ref> and the Republic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.league.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_436.pdf|format=PDF| title=Coursing poll in Republic of Ireland|publisher=League Against Cruel Sports|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> |
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{{clear}} |
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===California=== |
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In early 2006, the [[Television channel|TV channel]] [[KABC-TV|ABC 7]] showed a film of coursing with sets of three greyhounds competing in the chase of a number of hares.<ref name = "ABC">{{cite news|url=http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/iteam&id=3874872|author=Noyes, D|title=I-Team Uncovers Blood Sport In Bay Area|publisher=ABC7|year=2006|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> Coursing was banned in [[Solano County, California|the County concerned]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/iteam&id=4116201|publisher=ABC7 News|title=Coursing Banned In Solano County|year=2006|author=Noyes, D.|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> and California Assemblywoman [[Loni Hancock]] promoted a bill, AB2110, to make it a crime for any person in California to engage in open field coursing – defined as a "competition in which dogs are, by the use of rabbits, hares, or foxes, assessed as to skill in hunting live rabbits, hares, or foxes". A pro-coursing campaign was also established.<ref name="Stop 2110" /> The Bill was passed by the Public Safety Committee<ref>{{cite web|url=http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_2101-2150/ab_2110_cfa_20060509_162901_asm_comm.html|title=Bill Analysis, AB 2110|author=Long, G.|publisher=Assembly Committee on Appropriations|accessdate=2008-06-14|year=2006}}</ref> but did not become law. |
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==See also== |
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⚫ | |||
*[[Rabbiting]] |
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*[[League Against Cruel Sports]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 21:24, 8 September 2009
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wolstenholme_Greyhounds_Coursing.jpg/300px-Wolstenholme_Greyhounds_Coursing.jpg)
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport, in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a number of variations in its rules around the world. Informal coursing can be a true form of hunting. It is often conducted to kill game or vermin, mainly for food, and occasionally as a form of gambling.
Coursing is a long established and almost universal hunting technique, practiced historically with greyhounds, other sighthound breeds, or with lurchers which are crossbred sighthounds, and working breeds. The sport grew in popularity in Europe during the 19th century, but has since experienced a decline due in part to the introduction of greyhound racing and betting.
In recent decades some controversy has developed around hare coursing, with some viewing it as a cruel bloodsport and others seeing it as a traditional activity that assists in the conservation of hares and tests the ability of sighthounds. Since 2005, hare coursing has been banned in the UK but continues elsewhere in the world as a regulated and judged, competitive sport, especially in Ireland and Spain, as well as in Russia and the Western United States. Elsewhere, in Eurasia for example, coursing continues as a classic form of hunting.
History
Formal coursing
Whether for sporting or hunting purposes, hare coursing was in Europe historically restricted to landowners and the nobility, who used sighthounds, the ownership of which was at certain historic times prohibited among the lower social classes.[1] The oldest documented description of hare coursing is the work Kynegetikos (Greek), otherwise known as Cynegeticus (Latin), which was written by Arrian circa 180 AD. This work, known from its first complete English translation as On Coursing 1831, by William Dansey, was considered by its original author as a necessary addition to the classic work of the same name Cynegeticus (On Hunting), scent hunting, by Xenophon. Arrian felt compelled to describe the sight hunt and sighthounds because the Ancient Greeks only knew the scent hunt. It is from Arrian that the most famous quote on the sporting fairness of coursing originates "... true huntsmen do not take out their hounds to catch the creature, but for a trial of speed and a race, and they are satisfied if the hare manages to find something that will rescue her".[2][3][4]
The competitive version of hare coursing was given definitive form in the UK[5] when the first complete set of English rules was drawn up in the reign of Elizabeth I by Thomas Duke of Norfolk,[6] providing for a pursuit of no more than two hounds, a headstart termed "Law" to be given to the hare for a fair run, and for the manner of awarding points on "Speed", "Go-bye", "Turn", "Wrench", "Kill" & "Trip", to judge the dogs' performance.[7][8] The first modern coursing club was established at Swaffham in 1776,[6] and the National Coursing Club was founded to regulate the sport in 1858.[3][9] During the 1800s, coursing crossed the class divide,[10] and reached its peak of popularity, with more than 150 coursing clubs in Britain,[6] some attracting up to 80,000 people.[3] By the late 19th century, hare coursing had become a predominantly working class sport.[11]
Coursing declined during the 20th century, notably due to the development of urban greyhound racing in the 1920s,[3][12] and there were less than 30 coursing clubs in the UK by 2000.[3]
Informal coursing
The oldest form of hare coursing simply involved two dogs chasing a hare, the winner being the dog that caught the hare; this could be for sport, food or pest control. In order to indulge in the informal practice, or hunting, various cross breeds (under the generic British term lurchers) have been created;[13] such animals may be specifically bred for coursing, such as the staghounds used to hunt coyote in the USA. Informal coursing has long been closely associated with peasant hunting or poaching,[14] lacking the landowner's permission, and is often seen as a problem by the local public, landowners and the police.[15] Clubs affiliated to the Association of Lurcher Clubs organised informal coursing with the landowner's permission, sometimes using a single lurcher rather than a pair to chase a hare.[16]
Description of formal coursing
Modern hare coursing is practiced using a number of sighthounds: mainly greyhounds but also Borzois,[17] Salukis,[18] Whippets,[19] and Deerhounds[20] that are registered with a governing body such as the National Coursing Club or Kennel Club in Great Britain, the Irish Coursing Club or the National Open Field Coursing Association (NOFCA) in the US. Events are conducted through local coursing clubs which are regulated by their governing body. The objective of coursing is to test and judge the athletic ability of the dogs rather than to kill the hare.[3]
Such hare coursing has a number of variations in how it is undertaken. Open coursing takes place in the open field, and closed coursing (or park or Irish style) takes place in an enclosure with an escape route. Open coursing is either run as walked-up coursing, where a line of people walk through the countryside to flush out a hare, or as driven coursing (such as the Waterloo Cup), where hares are driven by beaters towards the coursing field. In each case in the UK with Greyhound coursing, when a suitable hare appears, a person known as a slipper uses a slip with two collars to release two dogs at the same time, in pursuit of the hare which is given a head start (known as fair law), usually between 80–100 yards (70–90 metres).[3]. Elsewhere the sighthound is slipped by the handler.
The chased hare will in the UK then run at around 40–45 km/h (24–26 mph)[21] and the course will last around 35–40 seconds over a third of a mile (0.5 km).[3] The Greyhounds which pursue the hare will, being faster, start to catch up with it. Since the Greyhounds are much bigger than the hare, and much less agile, they find it hard to follow the hare's sharp turns, which it makes as the Greyhounds threaten to reach it. This agility gives the hare an important and often crucial advantage as it seeks, usually successfully, to escape.[3] Under National Coursing Club rules, the dogs are awarded points on how many times they can turn the hare, and how closely they force the hare's progress. The contest between the Greyhounds is judged in the UK usually from horseback, and the winning Greyhound will proceed to the next round of a knock-out tournament.[3] The 2003 UK coursing season ran from 1 October to 28 February.[22]
Variations in Irish coursing
Hare coursing is popular in the Republic of Ireland, with the national meeting in Clonmel, County Tipperary, being the most important event in the coursing calendar, attracting 10,000 spectators,[23] and claimed by its organisers to be worth up to €16 million for the local economy.[24] There are around 70 formal coursing clubs in the Republic and two in Northern Ireland,[21] together holding 80–85 meetings per year.[25]
There are several differences between the rules of coursing in Great Britain (where it is regulated by the National Coursing Club) and Irish coursing which has been organised by Irish Coursing Club since 1916.[26] Because hares are not plentiful in all parts of the island of Ireland, mainly due to modern agricultural practices,[27] coursing clubs are licensed by the Irish Government to net 70–75 hares for their events.[21] The hares are then transported in boxes to the coursing venue where they are kept for up to eight weeks and trained to be coursed.
Instead of being coursed on open land, the Irish form is run in a secure enclosure over a set distance. Since 1993, Irish Coursing Club rules have made it compulsory for the Greyhounds to be muzzled while they chase the hare.[21] After the coursing event, the hares are transported back to where they were netted and re-released into the wild.[21][23] Whereas the British form of coursing is run with dogs winning points for their running and turning of the hare, the Irish form is run on the basis that the first dog to turn the hare wins.[23] This is denoted by either a red flag or a white flag, indicating the colours of the respective dogs' collars.
Variations in the United States
Greyhounds were introduced in the Americas for sport and pleasure, they helped farmers control jackrabbits, and organised coursing meets were taking place in the United States in the 19th century,[28] by 1886 according to Gulf Coast Greyhounds.[29] Open field coursing of jackrabbits, which are members of the hare family,[30] now takes place in a number of states in Western America, including California, Montana and Wyoming,[31] and is said by the North American Coursing Association to take place also in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.[32] It takes place with up to four dogs chasing the hare.[33]
Open field coursing is legal in all US states with a huntable population of jackrabbits.[34] Washington state lists jackrabbits as a protected species, due to an unusually low population for a western state, and bans all forms of hunting them.[35]
During the 2006–07 coursing season, the leading United States coursing body, the National Open Field Coursing Association, registered 480 dogs of various breeds,[36] and oversaw 83 coursing events.[37] Its quarry is the Black-tailed Jackrabbit. Coursing of White-tailed Jackrabbits is organised by a smaller body, the North American Coursing Association.[17]
Other countries
Hare coursing also takes place in Pakistan, Portugal and Spain==See also==
References
- ^ "The greyhound". New Sporting Magazine. 4. Baldwin & Cradock: 5. November 1832 – April 1833. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ^ Arrian, William Dansey (1831). On coursing. Translated by Dansey, William. J. Bohn. p. 108.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Blanning, C. (2000). "National Coursing Club Evidence to Burns Inquiry, part one". Defra. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ "Deerhounds Coursing Club, Evidence to Burns Inquiry, Annex 1". Defra. 2000. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ^ see page 246 Turbervile "A short observation ... concerning coursing" http://www.archive.org/details/turbervilesbooke00turb
- ^ a b c Martin, J. (2005). Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports. Routledge. pp. 78–79. ISBN 041535224X.
- ^ Watson, A. (1896). "The Hare". pp. 142–164. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ Duke of Norfolk. "Original British Coursing Rules". Nachtmusik Afghans. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ Holt, R. (1989). Sport and the British: A Modern History. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN 0192852299.
- ^ Metcalfe, Alan (2005). Leisure and Recreation in a Victorian Mining Community: The Social Economy. Routledge. p. 69. ISBN 0415356970. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ Tichelar, M. (2006). "Putting Animals into Politics: The Labour Party and Hunting in the First Half of the Twentieth Century". Rural History. 17 (2). Cambridge University Press: 213–234. doi:10.1017/S0956793306001889.
- ^ Orford, J.; Sproston, K.; Erens, B.; White, C.; Mitchell, L. (2003). Gambling and Problem Gambling in Britain. Psychology Press. p. 4. ISBN 1583919236. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Guide to lurchers". Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Archived from the original on 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ Osborne, H.; Winstanley, M. (2006). "Rural and Urban Poaching in Victorian England". Rural History. 17 (2). Cambridge University Press: 187–212. doi:10.1017/S0956793306001877.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Crackdown on hare coursing gangs". Lincolnshire Echo. 2008-01-30. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Tyler
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Open Field Coursing with Borzoi". Borzoi Club of America. 1998. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ Saluki or Gazelle Hound Club Coursing Section (2000). "Evidence to Burns Inquiry: An introductory guide to saluki coursing". Defra. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
- ^ National Whippet Coursing Club (2000). "Evidence to Burns Inquiry". Defra. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ Deerhound Coursing Club (2000). "Evidence to Burns Inquiry". Defra. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ a b c d e Reid, N.; McDonald, R.A.; Montgomery, W. I. (2007). "Factors associated with hare mortality during coursing". Animal Welfare. 16 (4): 427–434.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Official Report, Lords". House of Lords. 2003-10-28. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ a b c O‘Reilly, M (2008-02-10). "Countryfile". BBC.
- ^ "Thousands to attend coursing event". The Irish Times. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ^ "Fixture list 2007/08". Irish Coursing Club. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ "The sport of coursing". Irish Coursing Club. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ Reid, N.; Dingerkus, K.; Montgomery, W. I.; Marnell, F.; Jeffrey, R.; Lynn, D.; Kingston, N.; McDonald, R. A. (2007), "Status of hares in Ireland", Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 30, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Most Exciting Dogs in the World". Greyhound Racing Association of America. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- ^ "Greyhound History in the 18th and 19th Centuries". Gulf Coast Greyhounds. 2006. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Lepus californicus". University of Michigan. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ^ Burns, T.; Edwards, V.; Marsh, J.; Soulsby, E. J. L.; Winter, M. (2000-06-09). "Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales, paragraph 2.58". HMSO. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Bartel, S.; Mott, E.; Mott, C.; Johnston, S. "Greyhound Coursing and Lure Coursing". Helios Greyhounds. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "American Coursing rules, 2005" (PDF). National Open Field Coursing Association. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ^ "FAQ on coursing". Stop2110 pro coursing campaign. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ "Hunting Season dates, 2007-08". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ "NOFCA Hound List" (PDF). National Open Field Coursing Association. 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|month=
ignored (help) - ^ "NOFCA coursing events, 2006-07". National Open Field Coursing Association. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
External links
- ABC7 coverage of open field coursing in California
- American Sighthound Field Association – engages in lure coursing
- Countryside Alliance (UK and Ireland)
- Harding Cox (1899) on Coursing & falconry
- Irish Council Against Bloodsports
- Irish Coursing Club
- League Against Cruel Sports (UK)
- National Coursing Club (Great Britain)
- National Open Field Coursing Association (US)
- Sporting Press – Ireland's Leading Greyhound/Coursing Newspaper