Shepherd and Swift 1887

SUBMISSION TO THE RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

IN RESPECT OF THE PROTECTION OF WILD MAMMALS (SCOTLAND) BILL

COURSING WITH DEERHOUNDS r

PREPARED BY THE DEERHOUND COURSING CLUB

July 2000

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CONTENTS

SECTION

1. ORIGINS 2. THE SPORT OF COURSING 3. COURSING WITH DEERHOUNDS 3.1. Rules and Organisation 3.2. Number of Courses Run 3.3. Deerhound Coursing Fixtures 3.4. Deerhound Coursing Trophies 3.5 Coursing season 4. KEEPING COURSING DEERHOUNDS 5. DEERHOUND COURSING MEMBERS 6. DEERHOUND COURSING MEETINGS 7. A WALKED- UP COURSING MEETING a. A DRIVEN COURSING MEETING 9. ECONOMICS OF DEERHOUND COURSING 10. COURSING MISAPREHENSIONS 10.1. Relevance 10.2. Cruelty 10.3. Released Hares 10.4. Escape Avenues Blocked 10.5. Hares Dying of Exhaustion 10.6. Hares Torn to Pieces 10.7. Hares Will Increase If Coursing Banned 10.8. Coursing is Illegal 10.9. Hare is Endangered Species 10.10 Dangerous dogs running loose 11. A COURSING BAN - MEMBERS VIEW

PAGE NO. 3. 4 4. 5. 5. 6. 7. a. a. 9. 9. 10. 11. 11. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 13. 13. 13. 13.

1. ORIGINS The Deerhound is one of the world’s oldest breeds and is Scotland’s national dog, being the direct descendants of the hounds that accompanied the Celts as they migrated Westwards across Europe in the Bronze Age. It resembles a rough-coated greyhound of larger size and bone. Whilst it is not possible to be precise about the exact origin of the breed, it has been established from a wide variety of sources that in the North of Britain there has existed from remote times a breed of large, rough coated, sight-hound used to hunt Red Deer.

Deerhounds have not been regularly used for this purpose for well over a hundred years. The invention of firearms and in particular the development of the sporting rifle dealt a near fatal blow to the breed. Having previously enjoyed significant economic importance - on a par with black cattle - as the provider of venison to the tables of the Clan Chieftains the early 19” century found the breed at extremely low ebb.

Improvements in the design of the sporting rifle rendered it lighter, more certain of action and of much greater range. When the Napoleonic wars ended in 1815 the officers who returned home sought eagerly for an exciting sport, finding the new form of Deerstalking exactly to their taste. Highland landowners were not slow to recognise the opportunities of this development, dividing up the great forests into smaller portions and letting these to wealthy sportsmen. In 1812 there were estimated to be only five forests in Scotland. Less than a hundred years later there were one hundred and thirty. The Deerhound therefore became both superfluous and embarrassing. Recognising no boundaries he would pursue his stag onto adjacent ground - upsetting both game and neighbourly relations.

No longer required for securing meat and out of favour for sporting purposes the Deerhound was facing disaster. The general spread of cultivated land and the coming of the Cheviot sheep further hastened his decline and only the direct intervention of a few sympathetic individuals rescued the breed from certain extinction. Thus the Deerhound teetered on the very edge for over half a century - its population periodically ravaged by distemper - until the late 19rh century when the show arena provided a modest revival.

P This new-found popularity undoubtedly provided a much-needed life raft at a time when such was desperately needed. It was not without inherent danger however as popularity can be a double-edged sword. With such a noble lineage the Deerhound is no mere fashion accessory and many of its supporters felt most strongly that the breed should not be allowed to degenerate into a mere decorative pet. It was agreed that the Deerhound should be preserved as a working breed and to this end in the early 1950s hare coursing was accepted as being both a legal and a practical use for Deerhounds - employing at least some of their working capabilities, The main object was by so doing to avoid an over emphasis upon ‘show points‘ that has led to regrettable exaggerations in other breeds.

Today the Deerhound remains a rare breed with fewer than 2000 specimens in the UK and perhaps less than 5000 world-wide.

The Deerhound is a Kennel Club registered breed and many of the Champions in the show-ring are also winners on the coursing field. With dogs attaining a height at the shoulder of over 30 inches and a weight of more than 100 pounds the Deerhound is an animal of impressive appearance - and one that has not significantly altered in over 500 years. It also remains remarkably free of any inherent faults in either its

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physique or its temperament - a testament to the value of maintaining the Deerhound at work.

2. THE SPORT OF COURSING

Coursing enjoys a long and distinguished history world-wide and is deeply embedded in the culture and lore of the Scottish countryside. Depictions of the sport can be found upon buildings and artefacts dating back 4000 years. By the first century BC the sport was popular throughout Britain and the consensus is that the Brown Hare - not a native species - was imported here specifically for coursing purposes. The Duke of Norfolk drew up the first universally accepted rules for coursing for Queen Elizabeth I and most of these remain in use today.

Significantly the sport of coursing has always been conspicuously differentiated from hunting with dogs by the very clearly stated declaration that the true and only purpose of coursing is to chase and not to catch hares. As long ago as AD 116

r Flavius Arianus wrote “ The true sportsman does not take out his dogs to destroy the hares, but for the sake of the course... and is glad if the hare escapes”, This sentiment has not diminished among coursing aficionados despite the passing of almost 2000 years.

3. COURSING WITH DEERHOUNDS

Deerhound coursing is conducted strictly under National Coursing Club (NCC) and Deerhound Coursing Club (DCC) rules. The latter come into play when the differences between Greyhounds and Deerhounds in, say speed, render the former inappropriate. In every instance these Nles are designed to avoid any abuse of the sport itself, the participating hounds and most importantly the hare.

It must be borne in mind that the hare is not the Deerhound’s natural quarry. It is perhaps not surprising therefore that the Deerhound finds itself neither fast nor agile enough to catch a healthy, adult hare - especially as the rules insist that sufficient ‘law’ must be given to the hare before the hounds may be released. Deerhounds are designed to reach up and not down in order to secure their quarry and have difficulty

r in stooping to pick up a hare - even when they are able to match its pace. As a consequence the kill rate for Deerhound coursing is very low at I - 25 courses. Quite oflen entire coursing meetings pass by without a single kill as the following analysis of the last four coursing meetings in England shows:

North Norfolk 32 courses run 2 hares killed Mid Norfolk 24 courses run 1 hare killed Cambridgeshire 22 courses run No hares killed West Norfolk 13 courses run 1 hare killed

Total courses run 91 Total hares killed 4

It is noteworthy that when a hare is brought down any subsequent examination quite frequently reveals poor condition. Thus the Deerhound plays a modest but important role in ensuring ‘survival of the fittest‘ amongst the hare population and assisting the general health and wellbeing of its quarry in accordance with the law of nature.

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3.1 Rules and Organisation

Deerhound coursing meetings are run in accordance with the stipulations of the NCC with licensed Judges and Slippers employed. In addition ‘pickers up’ are appointed for each meeting whose task, should a hare be brought down, is to secure the hare and ensure that it is dead. On no occasion is the ground restricted in such a way as to impede the progress of the coursed hare and the Slipper strives to ensure that only healthy, adult hares are run. All hares are given the appropriate ‘law‘ or start before the Deerhounds are released.

The Deerhound Coursing Club (DCC) is a sub committee of The Deerhound Club - the body that promotes the breed, defining and regulating the breed standard in accordance with Kennel Club regulations. The DCC is administered by an elected committee of 7 individuals -‘of which 4 are also elected committee members of the parent organisation. The DCC is semi-autonomous, having its own Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and members. It is accountable to the Deerhound Club but produces its own, separate audited accounts. Of the 500 individual UK members of the Deerhound Club, those who wish to course their Hounds subscribe to the DCC mailing list which gives notice of forthcoming meetings. The number of such subscribers averages around a hundred and currently stands at 76.

The DCC committee administers the day to day affairs of the club and act as stewards at the various coursing meetings. They also publish a calendar of each season’s coursing fixtures which involves IO to 12 meetings annually of which 3 - 4 are held in Scotland. Each meeting is organised and managed by a Meetings Secretary. These individuals liaise with various landowners in order to obtain access to suitable ground. Under the guidance of the committee they determine the size and type of each stake, taking account of the hare population, crop variety and current land use. They also select and appoint Judge and Slipper, organise the pickers up and deal with all matters relating to the meeting including arranging accommodation and subsistence for the above officials. In addition they liaise with gamekeepers to plan the strategy for the meeting and organise all payments, reimbursements and gifts.

It must be borne in mind that the Deerhound Coursing Club, although small, is a national organisation with national membership and coursing meetings occurring in the Highlands of Scotland and the Welsh Marches as well as in the traditional English coursing regions. Most of the clubs meetings are of long standing with fixtures having been held over many years.

3.2 Number of Courses Run

The number of courses run by Deerhounds in the 1999 - 2000 coursing season was 254. The total number of courses run by Deerhounds in the 1997 - 98 and in the 1998 - 99 was 236 and 219 respectively.

Evening out the number of courses run each season to an average of 230 and applying the established and verifiable ratio of one hare killed for every 25 courses run it can be deduced that Deerhound coursing accounts for under a dozen Brown Hares annually. The perceived negative impact of the sport is therefore negligible

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and is more than offset by the conservation benefits - as well as those to the Deerhound itself.

3.3 List of Deerhound Coursing Fixtures in Current Season 1999-2000

SEPTEMBER

24 & 25

OCTOBER

Aberdeenshire 32 hound stake walked - up

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9 23

NOVEMBER

Cambridgeshire 16 hound stake walked - up Lincolnshire 16 hound stake walked-up

5&6 Scottish Borders 32 hound stake walked-up

DECEMBER

12 South Lincolnshire 16 hound stake walked-up

JANUARY

a North Norfolk 24 hound stake driven 15 Mid Norfolk 16 hound stake walked - up 29 Cambridgeshire 16 hound stake walked - up

FEBRUARY A=-

5 11 &I2 26

MARCH

3&4 Aberdeenshire 32 hound stake walked - up

West Norfolk 16 hound stake walked - up North Lincolnshire 32 hound stake walked - up Worcestershire 16 hound stake walked-up

In addition to the above a whole series of related social events support the coursing activity including formal and informal dinners, seminars, lectures and other gatherings.

Deerhound coursing forms the hub around which the vast majority of the membership derives its annual social activity.

The season culminates with the annual club dinner at which the coursing trophies for the current season are presented. This event regularly attracts over 500 members and guests of which a considerable number will be overseas members. Many of

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these foreign members visit the UK solely to see the ancient sport of coursing practised upon the Scottish moors.

3.4 Deerhound Coursing Trophies

A list of the trophies for which hounds compete at various meetings throughout the season is as follows:

ARDKINGLAS TROPHY (Miss Noble) For the winner of most points during the season

DUCHALLY BELL P

(Mrs Edmunds) For the winner of most courses during the season

DUCHALLY TROPHY (Mrs Edmunds) For runner up to winner of most courses during the season

DUCHALLY CUP (Mrs Edmunds) For veteran winner of most courses during the season

THE DARK SHADOW TROPHY (Mr & Mrs R Williams) For the hound winning the most courses who starts the season aged under two years

Meeting Donor For

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Ardkinglas Cup (Miss Noble) Winner Sapphire Bowl (Mr & Mrs Cook) Runner Up Enterkine Cup (Miss Bell) Purse Winner

c- Gordon Brooks Trophy (Mr Green) Plate Winner Veteran Cup (Miss Noble) Best Veteran

SCOTTISH BORDERS Dava Quaich (Mr Cassels) Winner Portsonachan Salver (Mrs Young) Runner Up Ardkinglas Beaker (Miss Noble) Purse Winner Quicksilver Cup (Mr & Mrs Giles) Plate Winner Bunlorum Cup (Mr Moore) Best Veteran

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE Jacqueline Bedford Memorial Salver (Mr Bedford) Bitch Winner Guy Bedford Trophy (Mrs Bedford) Dog Winner The Gillaval Trophy (Mr Cassells) Purse Winner

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Lochindorb Plate Duchally Plaque

(Mr & Mrs Gow) Winner (Mrs Edmunds) Runner Up

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MID NORFOLK Kylewood Cup

WEST NORFOLK Doune Cromach Intershare Trophy

(Dr & Mrs Shaw) Winner

(Mr Hill) Winner (Mr & Mrs W Matthews) Runner Up

NORTH NORFOLK Lochindorb Flask (Mr & Mrs Kermack) Winner

ABERDEENSHIRE Mac and Rory Trophy (Brigadier & Mrs Dunn) Winner Glengarioch Shield (Mr Macintosh) Runner Up

All of the above are managed by a Trophy Steward appointed by the Committee and

P are presented at the annual Breed Show of the Deerhound Club.

3.5 Coursing Season

Whilst there exists no statutory close season for the hare the DCC strictly observes the NCC imposed close season which is designed to conserve the species by providing no disturbance as a result of coursing between 11 March and 14 September in any year.

4. KEEPING COURSING DEERHOUNDS

Since it is illegal in Scotland to take deer other than with a high-powered sporting weapon, hare coursing provides the only legitimate and viable test of the modern, working Deerhound. Unlike some other coursing breeds Deerhounds react fairly indifferently to an artificial lure and have proved rather too easily distracted for track racing. Whilst they will often pursue an artificial hare for a short while they demonstrate little real enthusiasm and nothing approaching the single minded determination produced by a live quarry. Thus no viable alternative to coursing presents itself, which would not result in a gradual degrading of the instinct and physical attributes of the breed. One needs look no further than the modern Irish Wolfhound to see what can happen when a working animal becomes an ornament.

Breeding and training working Deerhounds requires high levels of commitment. A vast amount of time, expertise, industry and expense are required to rear and train successful hounds. A Deerhound puppy can be purchased for around f500 but there exists no specific market for coursing animals. Only exceptionally rarely does an adult or ‘sapling‘ Deerhound change ownership and never for reasons of gain. Similarly no betting or wagering of any description is tolerated at coursing meetings and no prize money is awarded.

The Deerhound is a large breed and has very precise requirements, Whilst their temperament is unrivalled - Deerhounds are often referred to as “the best kept secret in the canine world” - they nevertheless demand an accommodation, dietary and exercise regime that would not shame a human athlete. A survey of Coursing Club members reveals that it costs somewhere between one thousand and fifteen hundred pounds to maintain a working Deerhound. However in order to ensure that one ‘match-ready‘ hound can be entered at any meeting the owner will need to keep three. Fitness problems, injuries and for bitches, seasons, demand this, In addition

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the working life of a Deerhound at competitive level is no more than two to three years and so one must always be ‘bringing on‘ new blood. The keenest coursing members keep five or even more hounds. Whilst these individual members would probably stay within the breed if coursing were to be banned they would have no requirement to keep more than one animal. It can be deduced that somewhere in the region of 150 Deerhounds are currently being maintained by coursing owners at a total annual expenditure of about f250,OOO and that were coursing to be banned this figure would be dramatically reduced.

It must be stressed that when, for any reason a Deerhound comes to the end of its working life it is merely retired and lives out the rest of its days in comfort. None are euthanased or re-homed or otherwise disposed of.

5. THE DEERHOUND COURSING MEMBERS

The Deerhound coursing community is small but in no way exclusive. The only

F stipulation for full participation is that one must own a pure-bred, KC registered Deerhound and be prepared to abide by NCC and DCC rules. The joining fee is deliberately kept low at f10 per annum in order to present no obstacle to those wishing to take part. All meetings are run on a ‘costs recovery only‘ basis with a modest entry fee for each hound. Anyone who so wishes may attend a meeting provided they pay a spectator’s fee of f5 per day.

Membership is made up of a disparate range of people from widely varying age groups and backgrounds. There are students, doctors, nurses, teachers, refuse collectors, lawyers, labourers, secretaries, police officers, factory workers, soldiers, pensioners and unemployed people. Most are ordinary, honest people. They are pretty evenly balanced between men and women with a smattering of children too! All regularly mix and socialise together without hindrance. On an individual level extremely strong bonds of friendship are forged, that transcend social barriers. The unifying factors are a love of the countryside, a deep affection for the quarry species and a passion to preserve an historic running hound. In almost every case coursing is the primary interest of each member with the whole of their social activity deriving from it.

P- 6. THE DEERHOUND COURSING MEETINGS

All DCC meetings are held at the invitation of the landowners, farmers and tenants. Most are regular, annual events with some meetings being held at the same venue for over 30 years.

In every instance hares are preserved on the ground for coursing purposes and are therefore abundant. This results from careful habitat management and predator control and is in marked contrast to those areas where coursing does not occur - on nature reserves for example-where the hare fares very badly indeed.

Only where field sports are practised - and most especially where coursing occurs - are the proprietors and custodians of the ground prepared to do what is necessary to maintain good hare populations. Interestingly there is also a wealth of anecdotal evidence to suggest that not only are hares more abundant on coursing land but they are also heavier - an accepted barometer of general health and well-being in mammals - and therefore fitter. This last is the opinion not only of many experienced coursing enthusiasts but also, and most especially, of NCC licensed Slippers too. It must be borne in mind that these Slippers are trained and experienced in determining

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whether or not a hare is fit to be run and know their job well. This area warrants some serious scientific investigation.

There are two types of Deerhound coursing meeting - ‘driven‘ and ‘walked-up’. There is usually only one driven meeting each season. The Deerhound Coursing Club is unique in the fact that nearly all of its meetings are ‘walked up’.

7. DESCRIPTION OF A WALKED-UP COURSING MEETING

In order to find and flush a hare all participants walk line abreast across open country with their dogs securely leashed. Ahead of the line walks the NCC licensed Slipper with a pair of hounds in ‘slips’, a type of double leash, which ensures that both hounds can be released simultaneously. The hounds in slips wear a red or a white collar respectively to enable them to be distinguished at a distance one from the other. Adjacent to the line there will be an NCC licensed Judge, mounted on a horse

c\ and ready to ‘score‘ any course by awarding points to each hound for their speed and agility in chasing and turning the hare. In Deerhound coursing no points are awarded for killing a hare.

When a hare is flushed the line halts and the Slipper must decide if it is an adult hare and fit to course. If it is he must then make sure that both hounds have seen the hare and that the appropriate ‘law‘ is given. Only then must he evenly release the hounds,

Coursing is a knock out competition with the winner of each course going into the next round to meet the winner of the succeeding course until only one hound remains. The hounds are judged one against the other by a system of points first codified in the 16rh century. These are based upon:

l The Run-Up Speed over the first part of the course - from when the hounds are slipped until they close up on the hare.

l The Turn Forcing the hare to make a 90 degree turn to throw off pursuit.

l The Wrench Forcing the hare to make a part turn

l The Go By A hound coming from clear behind to clear in front of the other and going on to force a wrench or turn.

Throughout each course the appointed pickers up for the meeting, having already positioned themselves in readiness are following its progress, prepared to immediately secure any hare that is brought down.

The Judge, having followed the running hounds and made a decision will signal the end of the course by showing either a red or a white flag according to the winning hound’s collar. An appointed flag steward will reflect the result to the ‘field‘, the line and spectators, by holding aloft a large flag of the same colour. The appointed card steward then logs the result and calls up the next pair of hounds to slips. Throughout this whole period the line must remain still and quiet. Should the hare attempt to run

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past or back through the line no attempt must be made to distract or impede it. The appointed stewards for the meeting ensure compliance from all present.

A Deerhound course that endures for two minutes is considered to be exceptionally long. It must also be borne in mind that all coursing hounds follow their quarry by sight alone. Therefore the hare has only to place itself out of view for an instant in order to escape. Heather, tall grass, crops, or sometimes even the spectators themselves can oflen provide sufficient cover to enable the hare to make clean away.

8. DESCRIPTION OF A DRIVEN COURSING MEETING

A team of beaters drives hares from adjacent land onto the coursing field - a level area of running ground - where the Slipper has positioned himself behind a ‘shy’ or some other form of cover. The rest of the field and spectators are located at the edge of the running ground. Hares are flushed in such a way as to cause them to approach the shy from behind. The Slipper judges the hare’s condition as it runs past him before releasing the hounds in the normal way.

Meetings or stakes, whether driven or walked-up are usually for 32 or 16 hounds with the occasional 24 hound stake organised. Wherever possible the main stake is accompanied by separate minor stakes for beaten hounds. These are the Plate and the Purse for first and second round losers respectively.

9. THE ECONOMICS OF DEERHOUND COURSING

Members wishing to run a hound at any meeting are charged an entry fee to cover the expenses related to putting on the event. The licensed officials required are paid a professional fee for their services. They are also accommodated, entertained and have their travel costs reimbursed by DCC. Similarly all gamekeepers, beaters and drivers are paid a daily fee. The expenses incurred at a typical driven meeting are as follows:

NORTH NORFOLK MEETING-Jan 2000

Fees and Services:

rrc Judge El50 Slipper fao Horse hire fao Keepers flO0 Beaters faoo Gifts f37

Total = f1247.00

Members Expenditure: Entries f600 Spectators f25 Fines f5 Travelling f750 (estimated) Hotels/meals 81200 (estimated)

Total = f2580.00 Leaving aside the cost of beaters - which would only apply to the single driven meeting held each season - the sums quoted above are typical of every one-day Deerhound coursing meeting. Taking the twoday meetings into account therefore

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and remembering that on some occasions a fee for access to the ground is levied it is possible to extrapolate that DCC contributes approximately flOOK into the rural economy - both directly and indirectly each season. The two-day Scottish events are particularly popular with an average of 60 supporters - all of whom stay for three nights in local hotels. In addition they traditionally attract up to 20 overseas enthusiasts from Canada, USA and Europe. It should also be noted that the subsistence and accommodation element of this expenditure occurs in the ‘out of season’ period so vital for the survival of small rural businesses,

Furthermore there is an estimated flOOK of local purchases made by rural dwelling members - the overwhelming majority - in support of the provisioning and upkeep of their coursing kennels. Then there are veterinary fees and protective clothing. It is therefore estimated that the total ‘spend‘ in respect of Deerhound coursing is almost f500K annually - not including any capital costs such as the hounds themselves or any proportion of the real estate occupied by them. It should also be borne in mind that over a third of members live in Scotland.

10. DEERHOUND COURSING -SOME MISAPPREHENSIONS

10.1 Deerhound coursing is irrelevant No it is not. As has been demonstrated above Deerhound coursing is a genuine, if modest, net contributor to the rural economy. It is vital in ensuring the future well being of a rare breed and is of positive benefit in conservation terms to hares. It also forms a complex conduit through which members and supporters can interface with the countryside and connect with the rich tapestry of their rural cultural birthright.

10.2 Deerhound coursing is cruel No it is not. Coursing contains no cruelty whatsoever. The hare is either killed outright or gets clean away. No hare is ever injured as a result of coursing and only a tiny minority are killed. In many cases these later prove to be unhealthy in some degree. Coursing is hugely beneficial to the hare population.

10.3 The hares are released from boxes No they are not. Only fully wild hares are coursed. These are located by ‘walking up‘ and run over ground with which they are entirely familiar. They have greater speed and stamina than their pursuers and have the added advantage of a long head start,

10.4 All of the avenues of escape are blocked No they are not. No impeding of the hare is allowed in any form.

10.5 The hare often dies of exhaustion after being coursed No it does not. A fit and healthy hare easily out-paces and out-manoeuvres a Deerhound. Also the fittest and healthiest hares are to be found where coursing is practised.

10.6 The hare is often torn to pieces whilst still alive No it is not. No one in the DCC can recall ever seeing a hare torn between two hounds, Deerhounds are extremely strong animals weighing 80 to 100 pounds. They are evolved to pull down red deer stags and their jaws are hugely powerful. It is not logical to assume that any small quarry taken at speed, by the neck or back, by a coursing Deerhound will not be killed instantly.

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10.7 The hare population would increase if coursing were banned No it would not. Quite the reverse would occur and the hare would seriously decline - as it has in every area where coursing does not occur. The hare is an agricultural pest that is tolerated and encouraged for its sporting value. If coursing were to be banned hares would be shot and snared to reduce their numbers. It is noteworthy that whilst the populations of game birds are regularly replenished no shoot in the UK puts down hares to replace those shot. Only in coursing areas are hares fully protected and occasionally re-stocked.

10.6 Hare coursing is already illegal No it is not. Properly organised coursing, conducted under rules and with the permission of the landowner or tenant is perfectly legal. Going onto land without permission to kill hares with dogs is poaching -which has always been illegal. A ban on coursing would merely serve to abolish an ancient sport, which is being conducted responsibly and beneficially. Illegal poaching would simply continue as it does today and because of this a banning of proper coursing would simply serve to worsen the

,- situation for the hare, which would lose its protection.

10.9 The hare is an endangered species No it is not. The hare is a common mammal that in some areas constitutes a serious agricultural pest. If you do not see many hares it is probably because you live in an area where no coursing takes place. Anyone who joins a walked up Deerhound coursing meeting will see hares in abundance.

10.10 Coursing results in packs of dangerous dogs running loose No it does not. Deerhounds are not dangerous and pose no threat when coursing, No other hounds are ever released until the last coursing pair has been recovered. Deerhounds are unique amongst coursing breeds in that they always return to their owners immediately after their course has ended. Owners of any accidentally ‘loose‘ hound are fined - half their membership fee! -on the spot.

11. DEERHOUND COURSING -THE MEMBERS VIEW

Finally we offer two concluding - we believe conclusive - arguments. One based

e upon the preservation of freedoms and another based upon the preservation of a life style now sadly out of favour with the urban majority.

Coursing enthusiasts - paradoxically - do not seek to kill. Those who course do so for the archaic pleasure of the pursuit - not for the blood lust of the kill. Observe the field when hounds are running. Who calls for the death of the hare? No one. Listen rather to the silence if a hare is brought down; see the subdued demeanour of all present.

Observe also the partisan support of the quarry by those who have devoted their lives to its pursuit. Hear the spontaneous shout of “Go on the hare!” whenever a course is close run. See, if you will the absolute determination that no suffering will result from a hare being brought down.

Then there are the rights of we humans. If we must concern ourselves with the rights of our fellow creatures, surely the Rights of Man must claim precedence?

The argument that a civilised society would not permit hunting with dogs seems at first sight a powerful one. But -and leaving aside the observation that if this argument is to be taken even half seriously then all forms of hunting, including shooting and

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fishing, must be included -we must surely also ask what kind of civilised society is it that seeks to use the fullest extent of its legal powers to control the activities of its citizens at such a miserly and mean spirited level? If the concept of freedom under the law means anything at all it must surely protect the freedom of the individual to follow any path he or she chooses which does not seriously impinge upon the equivalent freedom of others.

In a democratic state the majority is potentially all-powerful. The difference between the use of this power and the application of similar power by a dictatorship lies not only in the source of its legitimacy but also in the manner of its application to minorities. In Britain we hold dear the protection of free speech and enforce the rights of individuals to hold and express their views - even when these are offensive to any civilised person. How much more important then is the right to freedom of action?

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