Coursing
845038
200541431
2008-03-24T14:15:28Z
MikeHobday
989150
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'''Coursing''' is the pursuit of [[Game (food)|game]] or other animals by [[dog]]s —chiefly [[Greyhound]]s and other [[sighthound]]s— 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 [[Lurcher]]s. 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 [[hare]]s, [[rabbit]]s, [[fox]]es, [[deer]] of all sorts, [[antelope]], [[gazelle]], [[jackal]]s, [[wolf|wolves]]. [[Hare|Jackrabbit]]s and [[coyote]]s are the most common animals coursed in [[United States|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 2002|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 Australia coursing is illegal under [[common law]] <ref>Appeal of Redman (1949) 49 SR (NSW) 360</ref>. In some countries such as Ireland, Poland, Spain, Russia and in parts of the USA coursing hare is legal.
==References==
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*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
==See also==
*[[Hare coursing]]
*[[Greyhound racing]]
*[[Lure coursing]]
*[[Sighthound]]
[[Category:Dog sports]]
[[Category:Hunting]]
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