Hares

PointBlank

Well-Known Member
I know its controversial but I have been asked to reduce the number of hares on a piece of land and I am needing some advice. So far I have had one buck in 3 outings and I am getting a little frustrated. The land is open very flat farmland - no hedges, its only cleared for .22rf and you can't get a vehicle on it other than a sprayer on the tramlines so I am limited to walking around the headland ( about 12" wide max!) and every hare seems to understand that they need to stay at least 200yds away - Gah. I see groups of 8+ watching me from the neighbouring farmland slap bang in the middle of a 100acre field waiting for me to go so they can go back to eating the sugar beet tops.

Has anyone else had experience of shooting this type of conditions, I will welcome any advice.
 
are you lamping them or trying in daylight? I've never found them shy in a lamp? Controversial, not if you live in east anglia! The place is crawling with them! They might be a BAP species, but they aint rare round here. Have you got a good outlet if you do manage to overcome the problems, Bambridges in Watton were paying £5 per hare last time I took some in, guts in, whole animal.
 
are you lamping them or trying in daylight? I've never found them shy in a lamp? Controversial, not if you live in east anglia! The place is crawling with them! They might be a BAP species, but they aint rare round here. Have you got a good outlet if you do manage to overcome the problems, Bambridges in Watton were paying £5 per hare last time I took some in, guts in, whole animal.

I was trying to stay away from lamping them, also I have the vehicle access issue so it would all have to be on foot.

£5 each sounds good. Don't particularly like the taste myself but I managed to get the family eating it minced with rabbit and beef and in a chilli! still got a 1kg bag of hare mince I need to find a use for before I resort to giving it away as cat food.
 
Nice post, brought back some memories of when I lived in Watton some years back (even had to get a Game License) and went out on a shoot. Nice flat open farm land, we shot about 100 in one day but then again there were shed loads of us in the line and an equal amount walking the fields with dogs. Used to shoot them elsewhere up there with just a couple of us but only ever had very limited success.

Sounds like you need to get more people on the ground to get the better of them, or clearance for a .17hmr with lamp :)

Mel
 
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I was trying to stay away from lamping them, also I have the vehicle access issue so it would all have to be on foot.

£5 each sounds good. Don't particularly like the taste myself but I managed to get the family eating it minced with rabbit and beef and in a chilli! still got a 1kg bag of hare mince I need to find a use for before I resort to giving it away as cat food.
I know their a problem in your area , i saw 250 shot on one drive down there this year . You cant sell hares between 1st April and 1st Sept , if you must shoot them do it during the winter as theyre worth more than mere cat food
 
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I know it probably needs a hare drive to sort it out but honestly I like to see them about and I am only shooting them due to being asked expressly.

It is frustrating trying to stalk them but in some ways its a nice challenge (plus I have seen some nice Roe on this same land;))
 
are you lamping them or trying in daylight? I've never found them shy in a lamp? Controversial, not if you live in east anglia! The place is crawling with them! They might be a BAP species, but they aint rare round here. Have you got a good outlet if you do manage to overcome the problems, Bambridges in Watton were paying £5 per hare last time I took some in, guts in, whole animal.

.although there is no closed season for Hares they cannot be offered for sale between 1 March and 31 July inclusive.
 
Just wait until after harvest when this years young are big enough to sell

I would do but I also have to try and be accommodating to the landowner who's sugar beet tops are getting eaten. I only want to reduce numbers a small amount to keep the farmer happy so I don't think a drive is appropriate and yes I saw your other post and I fully realise the time of year and the implications but after harvest may be too late.
 
Get along to your local travelling community site and ask for a spot of help, sure they'll sort the problem out for you. Otherwise, walk the beet with a shotgun and shoot them as you knock them up (ooer vicar)
 
If you have to rid the land of them then so be it though i personally think it`s a shame to shoot them with Leverets on the ground.
Thanks to the undesirables an animal that was once held in high esteem has now become a farmers worst nightmare.
When i was 16 i picked up a couple of fields for rabbits and pigeons. I can still hear Mr Leaman saying "Shoot a hare and you`re gone and don`t forget i knows yer father"
 
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