Good Afternoon Resident,

Hare Coursing/Poaching – General Information 

It is currently the time of year where we start to experience an increase in reports of hare coursing/poaching in fields in the area. There are a number of reasons for this increase, but it is mainly due to the cutting of the fields and the change in weather. 

You may be thinking, ‘what has this got to do with me’. We are lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful countryside and fields, and this is what attracts those partaking in Hare Coursing/Poaching. As you will see further down, those who partake in these activities are often also involved in other criminal activities. You may be key to providing information that will assist us in positively dealing with and identifying individuals involved. 

What is Hare Coursing/Poaching? 

Hare Coursing is an activity where sighthounds, such as greyhounds or lurchers, are ‘set’ on live hares. Those involved will then bet on how many times the dog can ‘turn’ or ‘course’ the hare. It generally ends when the dog catches the hare. 

Poaching is when individuals pursue animals such as rabbits, deer and pheasants, using either dogs or weapons to hunt them. 

What can I look out for? 

We rely on the community being our eyes and ears and on the ground. A bit of information that you think is small may prove to be key to an investigation. 

Some key things to look out for: 

What impact does Hare Coursing/Poaching actually have? 

These activities often cause a huge amount of damage to farmer’s fields that subsequently costs them a huge amount of money. They will cause damage to the crops and will sometimes drive through gates/fences/hedges. 

We do find there is a correlation between those who partake in these activities and other organised crimes, such as breaks to outbuildings and garages.

What can I do to help? 

The first and most important thing is being aware of what hare coursing/poaching is and what to look out for. I am not ashamed to admit that before I joined the Police, I had very limited knowledge about it. I hope that this has provided you with some useful information relating to it. 

Keep an eye out for the key things I have mentioned above and please report these if seen. As I said, you may provide a key bit of information for us.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I appreciate it is a bit of a brief whistle stop tour, but if you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Please do click below and let me know if you found this useful. 

Take care, 

PC 27825 Kirstie Bough 

Hart Designated Rural Officer