Hare coursing on the rise in Hampshire due to early harvest

The Country Watch Rural Crime Task Force, formed in May by Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones, received reports of coursing incidents as early as June.

These incidents are expected to persist until March next year.

From April 2023 to March 2024, there were 300 reported hare coursing incidents in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Hare coursing has begun earlier than expected this year (Image: OPCC)

Hare coursing is not only harmful to wildlife but also damages fields, crops, and property.

It often involves violence and intimidation towards farmers and landowners.

Organised criminal gangs, frequently operating across county borders, are usually behind these activities.

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with more than 75 per cent of their combined area consisting of countryside, provide an ideal setting for illegal activities such as hare coursing.

The large, open fields, cleared after crop harvesting, are particularly susceptible to these crimes, which typically peak in the autumn season.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has prioritised tackling rural crime for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

She said: "We need to take the fight to the criminals and the organised crime gangs that are working across the beautiful countryside in our two counties.

"Their activities, such as hare coursing, theft of machinery, and poaching are leaving these farmers and landowners, as well as their businesses, suffering.

"There is a strong link between hare coursing events and other crimes such as burglary to farm buildings and outhouses – often targeting farm machinery."

The newly established Country Watch Rural Crime Task Force, an expansion of the Country Watch team, is committed to working proactively with rural communities.

Inspector Cath MacDonald, who leads the Task Force, said: "We are fully aware of the impact that hare coursing has within our rural communities.

"We have the resources to disrupt these illegal events, prosecute those responsible and provide reassurance to those who are suffering harm from the impact of hare coursing."

She urged the rural communities to support the task force by reporting all incidents of hare coursing to the police.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 also provides legal standing against trespassing on land with the intent to hunt a hare with a dog, and possessing an article for this purpose.

There are multiple offences related to hare coursing, including attending an event, entering a dog into an event, and participating in an event.