Hunting was the favourite sport of kings and nobles in the medieval period. The immense popularity of hunting among the aristocracy is clear from the many depictions of it in art and literature. Men and women hunted on horseback with packs of hounds, chasing deer or wild boar through private woodlands or deer parks. Hawks were also kept to fly after rabbits or birds of all kinds. Both horses and hawks were highly valued and wore richly decorated and jewelled equipment. The Normans established several royal forests. Only the kings or their foresters were allowed to kill deer and boar in these woods. Besides huntsmen and grooms, foresters were employed to protect the deer and maintain the undergrowth of the forest, known as the vert.

Animals killed in the hunt were brought back for the household to eat, but the primary purpose of the ‘noble’ sport of hunting was to display bravery and skill. In some ways it was a rehearsal for war. Poorer people also liked to hunt, but they had to make do with shooting rabbits or birds with bows and arrows on common land. There were very severe penalties for trespassing in royal or noble forests.