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info@kilsheelancoursing.com |
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HARES & COURSING
ABOUT HARES
The Irish Hare (Lepus timidicus hibernius) is considered to be a sub-species of the Mountain Hare although there is a suggestion that the Irish Hare deserves full species status, as they would have been isolated in Ireland since the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. The most recent study on the population concluded that there are in the region of 650,000 hares on the island of Ireland.
Irish Hares can measure up to 56cm and can weigh 3.5 Kg. They can reach speeds of up to 45 km/h. Unlike the Mountain Hare they stay brown all year and only rarely do individuals develop a white coat. They are more adaptable than their cousin the Brown Hare and can be found on mountain or peat bog, and on good agricultural land or seemingly inhospitable rocky ground. They prefer to lie in rough and make a form, which is an area of flattened vegetation on the ground. Unlike the rabbit, they do not live in burrows, but prefer to squat down in their form, where their excellent 360° vision allows them to watch for predators, and the open ground, coupled with their speed and stamina, allows them to make good their escape.
ABOUT COURSING
The first and most important aspect of any coursing meeting is obviously the hares. Prior to being coursed all hares will have been dosed for parasites and also had treatment to prevent foot related disease. They will have received the best of feeding, (oats, fruit, vegetables, beet, etc., along with tree branches which they like to strip the bark from), they will have been inspected by a veterinary surgeon and an official from the Irish Coursing Club to assess their health & well-being.
The hares will have been allowed to get used to the coursing field each day in the lead up to coursing. They are allowed to graze in the field and get used to it’s dimensions and contours. At the top of the field there is a man-made escape. This is a barrier a few inches off of the ground under which the hare can safely pass, but which prevents the dogs from following. (Greyhounds hunt by sight, and once they lose sight of the hare, the hunt is effectively over)
It is from the Roman scribe Arrian, writing early in the 2nd century, 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 happiest when the hare makes good her escape …"
On the day of coursing, each hare will be coursed only once. For each course a fresh hare is released past the slipper’s hut. Here the slipper will be holding the two competing dogs, one wearing a red and the other a white collar. The hare will have been given fair law (a head start of not less than 80 yards) before the two greyhounds (both of whom are muzzled) are slipped.
The course will take place over a distance of 300-400 yards and the winner is the greyhound adjudged to have caused the hare to turn first, (even a slight change in direction is classed as a turn). The judge will be on horseback to allow him to keep on line with the dogs coming to the all-important first turn and will then wave a red or white flag to signify the winner, who will then progress onto the next round. Competitions or stakes are run in a knockout format over one, two or three days, depending on the number of greyhounds competing.
EFFECTS OF COURSING ON THE HARE POPULATION
According to Quercus, who undertook a study of the status of Irish hares on behalf of the National Parks & Wildlife Service, a total of 1% of Irish hares are harvested for the purposes of coursing. Since the introduction of muzzling of greyhounds for coursing in 1993, hare mortality due to coursing is responsible for the removal of less than 0.1% of the total adult population annually. Quercus concluded that the level of hare husbandry afforded the hare by coursing clubs actually enhances the continued survival prospects of the species.
The coursing clubs of Ireland are very proud of their sport and the very positive contribution they make in protecting and promoting the welfare of the hare.
Photos courtesy of Yvonne Harrington |
