COURSING, among sportsmen, is of three sorts, viz. at the deer, at the hare, and at the fox. These coursings are with greyhounds ; for the deer there are two sorts of coursings, the one with the pad dock, the other either in the forest or purlieu.
The best method of coursing the hare is, to go out and find a hare sitting, which is easily done in the summer by walking across the lands, either stubble, fallow, or corn grounds, and casting the eye up and down ; for in summer they frequent those places for fear of the ticks, which are common in the woods at that season ; and in autumn the rains' falling from the trees offend them. The rest of the year there is more trouble required ; as the bushes and thickets must be beat to rouse them, and oftentimes they will lie so close, that they will not stir till the pole almost touches them ; the sportsmen are always pleased with this, as it promises a good course. If a hare lies near any close or covert, and with her head that way, it is always to be expected that she will take to that immediately on being put up ; all the company are therefore to ride up, and put themselves between her and the covert before she is put up, that she may take the other way, and run upon open ground. When a hare is put up, it is al
ways proper to give her ground, or law, as it is called : that is, to let her run twelve-score yards, or thereabouts, be fore the greyhounds are slipped at her ; otherwise she iskilled too soon, the great er part of the sport is thrown away, and the pleasure of observing the several turnings and windings that the creature will make, to get away, is all lost. A good sportsman had rather see a hare save him self after a fair course, than see her mur dered by the greyhounds as soon as she is up.
In coursing the fox no other art is re quired, than standing close and in a clear wind, on the outside of some grove where it is expected he will come out ; and when he is come out, he must have head enough allowed him, otherwise he will return back to the covert. The slowest greyhound will be able to over take him, after all the odds of distance necessary ; and the only danger is the spoiling the dog by the fox, which too fre quently happens. For this reason, no greyhound of any value should be run at this course ; but the strong, hard, bit ter dogs, that will seize any thing.