gbal Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Plenty around on my perms, I don't shoot them, 2 reason's 1 they don't damage enough crop, grazing on sheep farms I shoot on and 2 I don't eat them. Its interesting to read about a heavily shot Fox population seems to show a decrease in Hare population. Badgers will also take leverets, I am just really surprised though about the lack of Hare's due to culling Fox.s, can any one enlighten me as to why fox/hare : see posts 15 and 18........and 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako 75 .243 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Been watching this thread with some interest,as I was out lamping about 4wks ago when the silage had been cut.Myself and the keeper stopped counting them at just over 100!!..and that was on only 90 acres of grass. Will need to cull them off a bit to stop our friends in caravans showing to much interest!...A real shame as I love watching them. I can only put the numbers down to giving Charlie a good hammering....46 from January 1st on about 1900acres. Glenn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB1 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 fox/hare : see posts 15 and 18........and 27 Yes, done that. but still don't understand why a heavy Fox cull on an area with a decent Hare population, will actually cause an incline in the Hare numbers. I would have thoughtt it would have the opposite effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbal Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Yes, done that. but still don't understand why a heavy Fox cull on an area with a decent Hare population, will actually cause an incline in the Hare numbers. I would have thoughtt it would have the opposite effect. Maybe I have misunderstood-the Leicestershire study seemed reasonably conducted,and seems to fit with the other two posts.None of these suggested there was a heavy hare population,which could sustain losses to foxes (as can some rabbit populations).I sort of had the idea that as foxes predate leverets,especially,then reducing fox numbers would increase the number of leverets surviving into adult hares? Which seemed to make sense-where hare numbers are a bit/very low (nearly everywhere,it seems),removing some of their fox predators helps the hare population to increase.(No where seems to have so many hares that reducing fox predators will make no difference to an already over heavy hare population,though that is just about possible..'in theory'.Populations do tend to find a balance level,determined by resources ,predators,weather,etc)......or have I just got it all wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB1 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Probably not wrong gbal about the natural balance. Its more likely me getting it wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbal Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Probably not wrong gbal about the natural balance. Its more likely me getting it wrong. Well,ok-whatever the processes,it is just good to see hares make something of a comeback,when given some enlightened and helpful human intervention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW58 Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Good point - illegal coursing is/or at least was a significant problem here in NE Scotland, although I haven't heard any mention of it lately. I spoke too soon - in today's BBC Scotland news pages - Three men charged over hare coursing in Morayshire. I hope they get more than smacked wrists, but I'm not very hopeful. Congratulations must go to Police Scotland for taking this seriously, now in the hands of the Sherriff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 To the OP well done. Sadly not seen any hares down here for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biathlonjimmy Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Although these chaps were convicted it took 9 months to bring them to justice from when they were caught. http://www.lincs.police.uk/News-Centre/News-Releases-2014/Three-Men-Guilty-of-Hare-Coursing.html Lincolnshire police seem to deal with coursing quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW58 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 The Police take illegal coursing seriously, but the courts don't - £150-300 fines won't deter these characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brown dog Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 My family farm arable and beef in East Anglia- over the last few years we have noticed a marked decline in Hare numbers, not just an annual variation but a general trend. In conjunction with a number of other farms and estates in East Anglia we invited the Hare preservation trust to conduct a census over approximately 100,000 acres of farmland. The results are rather disappointing and show a continued decline in numbers (circa. 20% over a 10 yr period). Whilst much of this has to do with changing farming practices (and we amongst others are moving to change this), we have been disappointed to learn that a number of our immediate neighbours still allow Hares to be shot on their ground. It would appear that in some cases where shoot syndicates have taken the sporting rights Hares are often shot (with rifles) as vermin, year round. We are now all moving together (9 farms and estates to date) to prevent this practice from continuing. My reason for posting this is to appeal to the guys on here to think twice before pulling the trigger on Hares. I think it is absolutely vital that as shooters we engage with our responsibilities towards conservation in a responsible and proactive manner. I suspect that UKV members have shooting rights over far in excess of the 100k acres I mentioned earlier. If every one of us bears the continual decline of this indigenous mammal in mind when out shooting, we could genuinely make a difference to its plight. Great thread. Tonic to the soul. I love seeing hares and have never understood people shooting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxshooter Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 I used to drive/lamp for a couple of friends who had shooting rights on a lot of flat WWII aerodrome land in Suffolk. Hares were always plentiful but the land owners wanted their numbers cut as has been previously stated to keep the Caravan Using Nomadic TravellerS away. First there would be lamping with dogs then the farm buildings would be broken into and tools/equipment stolen. Cant think why anyone would dump them. We would shoot 30+ a week for several weeks. Usually this was timed to coincide with the export trade in hares and £3.50-£4.50 each certainly helped to cover the diesel and ammo for the season I have shot 21 from a single 6 acre field of grass a few years ago, didn't know where they all were coming from. There were still several to be seen on neighbouring fields so there were plenty in the area. I cannot understand Hares attraction to rape fields. An agronomist friend tells me they cant eat the stuff so all I can think of is concealment. Its certainly a good place to start looking for them in the autumn. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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