Hares

R. Macleod & Son - The Best Hunting Companion
Nickb said:
Not difficult, bird trapped, write in diary . 2 second job 😀
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Yes that all i do

3 magpies in trap
Total .........

1 fox in decs up - vixen
total .......

Helps educate people - had a good discussion with wildlife trust visitor today

I told him about our efforts on nearby dairy and the corvids we have had this last few years totalling over 2000 and the notable increase in other species - also evidenced by independent surveys
 
willie_gunn said:
I'd be interested to know what it is you find creepy about them?

I find them to be a fascinating animal - invasive, yes, but they have adapted incredibly well to the UK environment. They are busy little deer, always on the go, and can quite happily survive in rural, peri-urban and urban environments alike. They provide year-round stalking, can be carried out single-handed, and result in some of the most delicious venison possible.

What's not to like??

If anything I would put them near the top of the list of my favourite deer species!


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Agreed, they are survivors alright, but..Dunno, just dont like the way they creep about, nearly had a fine dog killed by one. Earlham cemetery in Norwich is full of them, Creepy! at dusk.:evil:
 
tackb said:
whats not to like ? skinning them!
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I really think the "muntjac are tough to skin" thing is a classic First world problem. It is as though people are having to grapple with them for an hour before they can start butchering proper!

Muntjac may be tougher to skin than roe, where the skin comes off like a glove, but in reality it only takes 5 or - at most - 10 minutes longer.
 
Last year I watched a hare saunter across an active clay pigeon ground in the middle of the afternoon, no more than 50 yards away. Probably a safe place for it to be... the pet muscovey ducks don't seem bothered about walking in front of the stands when folk are shooting 😀
 
willie_gunn said:
I find them to be a fascinating animal - [...] They provide year-round stalking, can be carried out single-handed, and result in some of the most delicious venison possible. What's not to like? If anything I would put them near the top of the list of my favourite deer species!


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Is there a Muntjac Appreciation Society? If so, on the many merits of the case made above (and seconded by the large glass of Rioja I have just refilled) I hereby nominate Willie Gunn as Chair. All in favour...!
 
I haven't shot a hare in a while now ( i used to shoot a lot) . They don't really damage grazing upland land just one Ewe might be equal to 70 hares , unlike Rabbits who eat everything in front of them leaving bald patches and of course hares do not dig holes. Hare cooked well can be great eating though i go real easy on them nowadays. I have had hares come right up to me for a nosey and a sniff of my boots .
I personally think its best to cull the old Hares as they have a lower fecundity ( don't we all after the years lol) . You will get more and healthier Hares that way
 
willie_gunn said:
I'd be interested to know what it is you find creepy about them?

I find them to be a fascinating animal - invasive, yes, but they have adapted incredibly well to the UK environment. They are busy little deer, always on the go, and can quite happily survive in rural, peri-urban and urban environments alike. They provide year-round stalking, can be carried out single-handed, and result in some of the most delicious venison possible.

What's not to like??

If anything I would put them near the top of the list of my favourite deer species!


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If only they were easy peelers!!
 
Back to the topic of this thread, Hares... I just popped out for an hour looking for a fox, the marvel of thermals is what we all get to see, tonight for me the wonder was a hare with her 5 leverets, all within a 20 yard radius on a freshly drilled field, she was going from one to the other, tiny little things, probably 1-2 weeks old, she was giving them a feed. Great stuff 🙂
 
BenBhoy said:
Yeah I've experienced similar, if you keep still they just don't pick you up.
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Hares have eyes on the side of their head, they nearly have 360 degree vision, but straight ahead or behind not too good. Someone once described them as a selenophile, someone who stares at the moon. They seem to spend an awful long time looking at it.
 
Mr Tree said:
Hares have eyes on the side of their head, they nearly have 360 degree vision, but straight ahead or behind not too good. Someone once described them as a selenophile, someone who stares at the moon. They seem to spend an awful long time looking at it.
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They do seem clueless to, with a face veil on and sitting under a tree, scampering right by you... but then other times they bolt straightaway. I'm sure having a litter of leverets may have something to do with it... ;)
 
It’s surprisingly easy (Or it used to be when we had hares) to whistle to get hares to come in really close to you.
Not heard of people doing that for a long time.
Give it a try.
Ken.
 
kenbro said:
It’s surprisingly easy (Or it used to be when we had hares) to whistle to get hares to come in really close to you.
Not heard of people doing that for a long time.
Give it a try.
Ken.
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Whistle?

Never heard of this.

What sort of noise do you need to make? When is it best to do?

I have an area of recently fenced and planted forestry with a hare problem, and any tricks will be extremely useful!
 
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