hare coursing

[rona]

Defra UK; Policy on hunting with dogs

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by rona

Defra UK; Policy on hunting with dogs

okay thats fairly clear - cheers - hare coursing is banned in the uk (not Eire tho) under the hunting act - however you can use dogs to hunt rabbits or rats.

so if you see dogs beeing used to course hares call the police - but do be sure you can tell a hare from a rabbit as migrate is already understaffed and the police will not be best pleased to have their time wasted.

[rona]

There is a special farm watch service set up by some police forces and farming communities, if you are in an area where Hare coursing is rife, it may be worth putting contact numbers into your mobile phone
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[RobinP]

Certainly the police are very active in North Herts and have made a number of arrests and achieved convictions, the conviction rate has increased quite impressively. During the summer months this area is popular with birders so any unusual activity is noticed and usually reported.

[posie]

With reference to all the acts of cruelty to animals that occur, have you noticed that the Human Race is getting it's come-uppence.........e.g.PIG-flu, 2)mad COW disease(CJD)which I think is also connected to scrapey in SHEEP 3)BIRD flu What will be next? only trouble is we can all get these diseases.....'The sins of the brothers ...................' ! ! ...posie...

[squeek]

yep i hear ya posie,
ive thought this a while now.

[squeek]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Its illegal what they are doing Squeek so petitions won't do any good as they are criminals and they don't abide by rules like eeyore said if you see anything report it but for god sake dont let them see you doing it and make sure you can get away quick leave it to the police once you have reported it.

yes off course, i should have known this

[davecatt]

Squeek

I agree with Kaileigh on this I understand your need to do something about this sort of thing,but its been going on for centurys and the fact is public opinion may influence governments and businesses to change
(sometimes), it wont influence the sick individuals that get a kick out of hunting down or baiting wild creatures.

I'm getting on a bit now but I grew up in an environment were poaching was a common practice, I used to shoot rabbits for the pot. I've no problem with killing something that's going to be eaten as long as its done humanely.

I used to use a air rifle which meant you had to get close and be accurate.

That was more than 40 years ago,I've grown up since then, I get a lot more satisfaction nowadays using a camera.

But a certain person I grew up with is the sick sort who courses not only hare but roe deer with greyhounds and a lamp. I found that out one evening in the pub when I told him I'd found a roe buck with its throat cut. He replyed by describing exactly where the deer was and said he'd done it for a laugh to wind up the game keeper.

Someone who could have such disregard for life is not going to change unless something drastic like a very long prison sentence happens to him.

[posie]

I may be wrong but I think it's mainly male humans who enjoy cruel 'sports' perhaps it's the testosterone in them. originally men were given the 'drive' by nature to hunt and catch enough food for the family . this 'drive' (however it is brought about) is still there....Now, some of us have evolved so that we are able to forego this activity due to being (for want of a better word) civilised.Also you will find that the 'type' of people involved in cruelty are ones where the culture is rammed into them as babies,so the programme cannot change easily.,whereas in more civilised groups we find it easier to drop undesired family , clan , or group traditions (also because we have evolved emotionally and they have not.)Tradition wins over evolution in those circles. ** POSIE**

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by posie

I may be wrong but I think it's mainly male humans who enjoy cruel 'sports' perhaps it's the testosterone in them. originally men were given the 'drive' by nature to hunt and catch enough food for the family . this 'drive' (however it is brought about) is still there....Now, some of us have evolved so that we are able to forego this activity due to being (for want of a better word) civilised.Also you will find that the 'type' of people involved in cruelty are ones where the culture is rammed into them as babies,so the programme cannot change easily.,whereas in more civilised groups we find it easier to drop undesired family , clan , or group traditions (also because we have evolved emotionally and they have not.)Tradition wins over evolution in those circles. ** POSIE**

you may have a point to an extent - though i'd point out that women too are convicted of animal cruelty offences on a regular basis.

also although i dont want to turn this thread into yet another hunting yes/no argument i'd point out that there is nothing inherently cruel about hunting for food , nor even with using a long dog in such pursuits ( a lurcher running down a lamp beam on a rabbit for example kills with as much certainty and speed as a rifle bullet) and if you are going to eat meat then acquiring it this way is no less civilised than buying it from a supermarket - where someone else has killed and shipped it and it may have had a very cramped an unpleasant life and inhumane death.

however as hare coursing has little to do with putting food on the table that argument is a red herring - the purpose of coursing is not specifically for thye dogs to kill the hare, there would be far easier ways if that were the aim but to test the dogs speed against the hare and each other and to gamble on the outcome - that puts it in the needless suffering purely for enjoyment category and to my mind it is no better than badger baiting or cock fighting etc