Dead hares

[Mungo]

Over the last 2-3 weeks, I’ve started seeing a lot of dead hares lying out in fields.

No evidence of illegal activity. Well off the beaten path on various hill farms in the Lothians and Borders.

No marks on the bodies. Just lying dead in the field. Sometimes 3-4 in a field.

Could this be VHD making the jump from rabbits?

Or something else?

 

[Nickb]

Over the last 2-3 weeks, I’ve started seeing a lot of dead hares lying out in fields.

No evidence of illegal activity. Well off the beaten path on various hill farms in the Lothians and Borders.

No marks on the bodies. Just lying dead in the field. Sometimes 3-4 in a field.

Could this be VHD making the jump from rabbits?

Or something else?

Possibly RHVD strain 2 , apparently hares can contract this too ??

 

[Malxwal]

Had same last year, hares just lying dead, numbers I'd been seeing vanished. Thankfully not this year, and also seeing more rabbits.

 

[Mungo]

Had same last year, hares just lying dead, numbers I'd been seeing vanished. Thankfully not this year, and also seeing more rabbits.

Did it wipe out the hares, or just reduce them?

 

[Malxwal]

Did it wipe out the hares, or just reduce them?

I'd say just reduced. Quite localised.

 

[sako751sg]

Funnily enough last year i found 3 and the old fella 1 in December.

Whatever it is is it more prevalent at this time of year?Weather conditions were not that adverse to say that would have been a factor.

 

[Mungo]

Funnily enough last year i found 3 and the old fella 1 in December.

Whatever it is is it more prevalent at this time of year?Weather conditions were not that adverse to say that would have been a factor.

Definitely more prevalent this year - can’t remember seeing anything like this before.

 

[Smelly Yeti]

Not found any hares lying on any of the farms I tend around here but will keep an eye out.

 

[Malxwal]

I've not had any this year, but it does just kind of happen "overnight". Was same years ago on a bit I used to walk dogs, so many rabbits even the most driven arsehole cocker stopped chasing them. Then overnight, next day finding them lying dead or dying everywhere.

 

[Moray Outfitting]

Were there any oil seed rape fields or game crops nearby? J

 

[308rws]

I’d be inclined to phone the APHA - if they’ve not shut for Christmas.

 

[@theroedeerguy]

Over the last 2-3 weeks, I’ve started seeing a lot of dead hares lying out in fields.

No evidence of illegal activity. Well off the beaten path on various hill farms in the Lothians and Borders.

No marks on the bodies. Just lying dead in the field. Sometimes 3-4 in a field.

Could this be VHD making the jump from rabbits?

Or something else?

Well worth linking in with your local wildlife crime liaison officer (WCLO) just in case it is hare coursing related and there might be linked incidents that you are not aware of.
If any of the hares are available they would be able to be uplifted by the WCLO and taken for necropsy which would identify the cause.
On a side note, I’ve submitted a number of hares for necropsy in the last few years and never had any be dead due to VHD or disease.

Email contactus@scotland.police.uk to report your concerns.

 

[Mungo]

Well worth linking in with your local wildlife crime liaison officer (WCLO) just in case it is hare coursing related and there might be linked incidents that you are not aware of.
If any of the hares are available they would be able to be uplifted by the WCLO and taken for necropsy which would identify the cause.
On a side note, I’ve submitted a number of hares for necropsy in the last few years and never had any be dead due to VHD or disease.

Email contactus@scotland.police.uk to report your concerns.

It’s definitely not coursing. Dead end valley with one road in, CCTV at the farm gate.

 

[Drum123]

Liver fluke. Our hare population is been decimated again after 5 bumper years for them , nature is culling the heard.

 

[kieran222]

The one thing about hares is that because they don't live in burrows disease is probably not likely to spread as quickly and easily as it does with rabbits. You can have a healthy population of rabbits one minute and a week later nothing. This shows the importance of keeping numbers down.

 

[BenBhoy]

@kieran222 took the words out of my mouth. It's the living in burrows that facilitates the spread amongst rabbits, and obviously hares don't.

@Buchan any known hare disease?

 

[Drum123]

The local sheep boys round here or the ones with large hare populations on their farms anyway , always link a rise in Liver fluke in their flocks to the rise in hare numbers. Hares are an important vector for fluke. Open up a few bodies and check for fluke in the liver.

 

[Mac78]

I've started seeing the odd random dead hare locally(Perthshire) and it got me wondering if there was a disease doing the rounds.

 

[BenBhoy]

Hares are an important vector for fluke.

You reckon?? I don't believe thst sorry. The amount of eggs a hare could shed must be minimal. Deer could spread far more, and you'd still need the snail host. I'm not saying the odd hare could have fluke, but certainly not to the extent to class it as an important part of the cycle.

 

[Drum123]

No , I'm not convinced but the farmers are. But there is no doubt that in wet times the fluke decimates our hares , this last two or three years has seen out hare population increase massively, this year they've reached 2/3 grown and died off. Even full grown , seemingly fit hares are run down easily in open fields by my cockers , usually caught within 20 yards , that ain't right.
The carcass are all put to use , baiting traps , crow pens etc.Upon gutting they all have liver fluke.