Hare Coursing and Illegal Hunting

Hare coursing — using dogs to chase hares — is illegal in England, Scotland and Wales but continues as organised crime with significant animal welfare consequences for brown hares and local wildlife.

Key Facts

Hare coursing was banned in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004 and has been illegal in Scotland since 2002
Organised hare coursing is linked to serious crime networks and often involves intimidation of landowners and rural communities
Brown hares can suffer from exhaustion, injury and death during coursing events
The Police Rural Crime team and National Wildlife Crime Unit prioritise hare coursing as a serious rural crime
New legislation in the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 increased penalties for hare coursing significantly

Welfare Considerations

Hare coursing causes extreme welfare harm to individual brown hares, who are chased at speed by multiple dogs and may be killed or severely injured during events. The brown hare is a UK priority species already in long-term decline due to agricultural intensification. Coursing events on farmland also cause welfare harm to other wildlife disturbed by the arrival of large numbers of vehicles and people. Despite its illegality, hare coursing continues as organised crime in rural areas, requiring active police engagement and community reporting to combat. The increased penalties introduced in 2022 represent a positive development but enforcement remains challenging.

What You Can Do

Report hare coursing immediately to police on 999 if it is in progress or 101 for intelligence
Support the National Hare Coursing Information Centre which monitors coursing activity
Engage with rural crime teams about hare coursing intelligence sharing in your area
Advocate for resources for dedicated rural crime units with wildlife crime capacity
Support brown hare conservation by creating diverse farmland habitat through agri-environment schemes