Mountain Hares are culled in uncontrolled and sometimes very large numbers on grouse moors, primarily in Scotland, because the hares carry a tick, which carries a virus, which can harm Red Grouse, that people will pay large sums to shoot.
One Kind, a Scottish-based wildlife NGO is one of the organisations campaigning to end this slaughter – for a start in the Cairngorms National Park (sign here).
Mountain Hares can be killed during the months August-February inclusive in Scotland.
Photographing large numbers of shot Mountain Hares in the last few days of February has become a field sport among naturalists.
Here is 2016’s star photograph taken within the Cairngorms National Park:
And here is the 2017 winning entry taken last week on the Farr Estate a little way north of the National Park:
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I think this terrible and quite barbaric. They are such beautiful creatures and tourists love to see them. All this is done for greed and money. Disgusting and should be banned.
So managed grouse moors are breeding grounds for ticks. I wonder if anyone will admit that?
Ironically see this video from Pace Productions and the keepers that stress how good grouse moors are for mountain hares and how good that is as a food source for golden eagle….maybe revealing a more valid reason they are killing hares. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCKl99bgIIg
They should rename the National Parks as the ‘Killing Fields’.
They should rename the National parks as the parks of baroness, where you don’t see anything but….. grouse. How nice, I’d travel miles to see nothing but grouse. Oh how I love to see the grouse on the moors. Mmmm I’d rather stay at home thank you very much. So much for tourism hey
Having come back from the gorms this evening and several visits to sit with and photograph the hares I’m so upset and disgusted to see that these natural wild animals are being killed just so idiots can shoot grouse for fun …
This brutality has to stop. These gorgeous animals must not be slaughtered so that a bunch of bloodthirsty toffs can slaughter thousands of birds, who live a hellish life before being released to be shot. These Highland estates are gruesome, inhumane places, and the truth should be fully exposed. No more hideous cruelty to satisfy the landed gentry
Unfortunately this winter has had very little snow. The charismatic white hares can be seen too easily on the moors. Standing out very white against the heather
Another whitewash for the big money god which devastates anything and everything.
Let nature play it’s part, they are part of a food chain for Golden Eagles…not to be pushed aside so that the rich can shoot Grouse…which can hardly be a called sport as a blind man could hit one the way they fly. Stop the cull, let the Golden Eagles and the mountain hare be, let nature take it’s course!
Viking Dave – welcome and thank you for your comment.