Wanted: driven hare shoot
- Thread starter steve w
- Start date
Littlejimmy
Well-Known Member
Contact the estates directly to arrange a day. You won’t find it advertised. Unfortunately hares on the hill are in the opinion of some detrimental to the grouse so are culled.
I'm thinking that his mates wants lowland brown hares Jimmy.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
... hence the reluctance to offer hare shooting to Guns of unknown provenance, hence the OP's Q...
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
LITTLE JIMMY...I shot a mountain hare once. When walking up grouse in Scotland.
Only did THAT the one time! Convention was he who shot it carried it.
Heck! It was heavy! Learned my lesson on that day.
Only did THAT the one time! Convention was he who shot it carried it.
Heck! It was heavy! Learned my lesson on that day.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Agreed - "in the opinion of some" - though apparently not on some estates where grouse, deer and hares all seem to thrive, and on others where grouse and hares are to be found in large numbers. The thinking behind it is to do with louping ill (which impacts on grouse) and also tick burdens (ditto), but these afflictions are variable in effect from site to site and area, and the scorched earth-approach practised on some estates in respect of hare intolerance does not directly correlate to prospects of improved grouse numbers everywhere.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Ha ha, beginners mistake, but I've seen guys struggle up the hill with a bagful, when they've been better left to the marksmen manning the butts!
Littlejimmy
Well-Known Member
Done the same and lesson learned! One hare is enough for my supper.
Littlejimmy
Well-Known Member
I like a little of everything.
Jagare
Well-Known Member
A hare drive at the foot of the north downs in Kent at least 45 years ago. The standing guns were a long, long way off in the distance. I was one of the walking guns and the going was very sticky underfoot. The rule was to shoot hares going forward until the horn was blown and then only shoot the hares going back. So of we set and after less than a hundred yards up gets a hare in front of the walking gun on my right. He ups his gun and kills it. I said to him that its not a great idea to shoot them now. He just gave me a dirty look. Less than another hundred yard and he shoots another hare. Now this walking gun is only a short arsed bloke and he's carrying two hares a shotgun and 5 kgs of mud on each boot. When we got to the end of the drive i told him, with a smug smile, that its not a good idea to shoot hares so early in the drive. Strange that he was too short of breath to reply.
Anything in excess is detrimental to other things. That's why we have to manage wildlife.
Rake Aboot
Well-Known Member
Best done with a decent lurcher. In Feb during the day.
If number are a concern, involve a lamp and a 4x4.
If number are a concern, involve a lamp and a 4x4.
Best done with a decent lurcher. In Feb during the day.
If number are a concern, involve a lamp and a 4x4.
Except that is now unfortunately illegal
used to enjoy flying the white hares with the goshawk, she was dynamite on them. The most tender of meat on them too.
I attended my first and last hare shoot in the early 90's - interestingly Wally Sykes seemed to be the organiser on the day - It was pretty efficient but to see hare after hare be slowly brought to a stop, via multiple shots of varying degrees of accuracy, by the standing Guns was pitiful.
I spent much of the same decade out with the East Anglian Whippet Coursing Club and many days watching the Greyhounds at driven coursing events in Norfolk, plus a few days with the Anglia Lurcher Owners Club. These coursing events were 100 times more sporting and humane than the hare shoot.
A good running dog or a rifle would be my choice.
I spent much of the same decade out with the East Anglian Whippet Coursing Club and many days watching the Greyhounds at driven coursing events in Norfolk, plus a few days with the Anglia Lurcher Owners Club. These coursing events were 100 times more sporting and humane than the hare shoot.
A good running dog or a rifle would be my choice.
That is a fair and interesting point but the big difference for me is that on a pheasant shoot the aim is to present the birds flying their best - the faster and taller the better - a testing shot.
Hares are not 'at their best' on a hare shoot. Usually they are lolloping at half speed in front of the Guns. Put a running dog behind a hare and you will see it at its most testing.
Jagare
Well-Known Member
Driven hare is not about sporting shooting or hares running full speed. It about hare control. The hare drives I've been on averaged about 90-100 a day.
I've worked Spaniel for nearly 50 years and have worked the dogs and shot on some great pheasant shoot with fast, high bird. I've also done the same on shoots that can only be described as chicken shoots and there are plenty of those about.
I've never seen a running dog in action in real life but I'm sure its great to watch.
To each his own but most who have enjoyed hare coursing - stop shooting (at) hares with a shotgun. The hare deserves either a quick instantaneous death (shot by rifle) or a sporting chance where she is either caught or escapes. Any hares left to breed on a coursing estate at the end of the season were proven by natural selection. Losing hare coursing in 2004/2005 was the worst possible outcome for the hare.
Re 90-100 hares. The one I participated in filled a trailer - literally hundreds of hares just chucked in like household waste.
Apologies for drifting off topic
