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Hare coursing is a kind of coursing in which hares are pursued with sight hounds, usually greyhounds or mixed-breed hounds called lurchers. (Coursing is a more general term for hunting with sight hounds, almost exclusively greyhounds.) Like other sorts of hunting, hare coursing is often called a blood sport by animal welfare activists, and is practiced in a variety of ways: as a formal, organized sport and more informally.
Traditionally, hare coursing is the hunting of hares with dogs (when practiced formally, greyhounds; when conducted informally usually Lurchers which may have been bred specficially for the purpose). In formal hare coursing the objective is to turn the hare using greyhounds that are registered with a governed greyhound body. Today the term typically refers to a sport in which the primary purpose is to judge the athletic ability of the dogs rather than to kill the hare. Informal coursing is often conducted to kill (whether for betting or for food) and nearly always lacks the landowner's permission.
In recent decades, controversy has developed around hare coursing as some view it as a bloodsport, while others see it as a traditional activity that should not be legally restricted.