H Ray attacks Alun Michael (You Say, Saturday, February 1) for claiming that deer hunting and coursing are cruel than not producing evidence.

It's perhaps unfortunate for Mr Ray that, in the Country News section of the same edition, there's a report of the recent Countryside Alliance meeting held at Sixways.

I would urge anyone who has not done so to study two of the photos that illustrated the report.

I would suggest that anyone fair-minded person would be hard put not to conclude that deer hunting and coursing are cruel.

One picture shows a deer up to its neck in water, surrounded by hounds.

I doubt that either deer or hounds are there for a frolic, and would suggest that this was the last desperate moments of an animal that has tried all other avenues to escape, having been pursued to the point of exhaustion on land.

Likewise, the second picture shows not the playful chase of a hare by two hounds but the moment just prior to the animal being ripped apart by its pursuers.

If these two species need to have their numbers controlled, then hunting with hounds (often for hours in the case of deer) cannot be the least cruel method that man can devise.

Those of us who feel hunting is unnecessary will have our belief strengthened by such pictures and hope that others will be moved to join us. Richard Burge of the CA claims we are now in a clear minority.

Well, in the words of one of his favourite quotations, "never underestimate a minority."

A REECE, Worcester.