Can you respect a person who condones hare coursing?

[Purwell]

Looking back through this thread I am struck by how many posters seem to no longer contribute.
In particular I would like to know why Insomniac didn’t think the hares are defenceless.

I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highways

[Anonymous]

It might be because they are more agile than a greyhound, so not totally defenseless

[Purwell]

One dog possibly they could escape from but not two.

I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highways

[threenaps]

What Purwell says above has reminded me of when I was young, many years ago, and I used to take an older couples dog for walks. The dog was fit and well cared for and well trained. It was a cross between an Alsatian and a Labrador. One day I took it out into the country and we were walking along the edge of a ploughed and raked field when the dog saw a hare in the field. Its predatory instinct kicked in and it ran at the hare. The hare, being prey, ran off. The dog ran faster and just when it was closing on the hare, the hare whipped around and ran in the opposite direction. The dog running at top speed was unable to turn like that and by the time it had turned around the hare was someway off. This continued a few times until the hare reached the edge of the field, went into the ditch and up the other side and through the hedge where the dog could not follow.

One against one, the hare won.

[Purwell]

That is how coursing points are calculated, by making the hare “turn”. In well organised events the hare is rarely killed, the winner is the dog which turns hare more times than the other. The “Slipper” does not let the dogs go until the hare is at a distance that gives it a chance to outrun the dogs.

Traveler coursing is another kettle of fish altogether.

I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highways

[Author]

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