The Ghost Posted February 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 I would ask Fenboy if he wanted a day shooting some Hare Elby, if he was like minded I would respect him and go to the next person. The hare Population would be wiped out....Job Done If Fenboy asked me the same I would say "I would prefer you asked someone else" and hope he would show me the same respect. I know many shooters who will not shoot Teal & I respect that but they would not stop me doing it. If you posted you had shot 10 Hare I would say "Good Shooting" but I don't have a day planned on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 fair enough. I do love the video btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggs Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 When we talk about damage caused by Hares I get a bit confused.... Hares V Rabbits? anything taken responsibly is fine, but if you feel the need to hunt something until it's locally extinct, my challenge would be to start on the rabbit or wood pigeon... What I'm trying to say is, just because there's lots about now, doesn't mean that it will always be that way, a change in farming practices can make a dramatic change, locally there has been a huge increase in the growth of Myscanthus (Elephant Grass, Bio Fuel) which is great for Starlings to roost in and Muntjack to hide amongst.... Whatever you are doing try a be mindful & leave something for tomorrow. Bloody farmers eh ruin everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 never shot a hare and never eaten one, but there are not many about on my perms but if they where causing a problem and the farmer wanted them culling then i would oblige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Monkey Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 Bloody farmers eh ruin everything Stop it... I'm trying too be serious here... I don't own a farm.. No farmer/ farm no shooting, well thought out reply though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 I once believed that shooters were the best conservationists because they wanted to and had to ensure the survival of species that provided their sport. If we dont all make judgements like the OP and instead decide everything is fair game, all the time, then we arent doing what we should do. I also started shooting because I loved (and still do) the countryside, I'm happy to control any species to MY understanding but never to exterminate one . We dont shoot woodcock when their food is locked in by freezing weather, we dont shoot pigeons when they are so short of food they are starving. As long as we all make such informed judgements our sport is valid and worthwhile - IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jntree Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 I only shoot the hares once a year on our estate purley due to large numbers, but I always ensure I have a game dealer ready to take them if no one wants them then they dont get shot simple as that! I enjoy seeing them around and have many a time been lost in a trance watching them chase around the fields and then turn to box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 The very first Hare I killed was when I was about 14 years old (over 40 years ago) myself & Paddy Halpin armed with 410 saw it and decided to get closer. Knowing no better we decided to chase it, it was close to us and run into a very tight fence and could not get through it....it started screaming in panic to get out. Suddenly as I lifted the gun the screaming stopped & I had not even fired a shot? My mates Mother wanted the Hare so she showed us how to get it ready to eat, we were loving this by now....then she showed us it's heart had burst (in her words) she said it would have died of fright. I shot Hares for years after that & love the taste of them, I like the rest of you have many fond memories of shooting days & perhaps as the numbers have gone down I am thinking "I would miss them if they ever went". My mate up north will only ever shoot two geese at a time...."That's all I can eat" he says?....now he is mad No he is not you cannot sell them by law and he can always shoot two again when he has eaten those, I think most wildfowlers take such a stance- you would not be popular and will also be very sweaty walking off the average marsh with half a dozen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Posted February 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Hi Kent Fully aware you cannot sell them, I would shoot four and eat them all. We set ourselves a limit on our geese fields here in the Fens every year, we could shoot hundreds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwmmawr Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 I wouldnt shoot a hare myself but would not knock people who do we all have different opinions of different types of fieldsports. I was out with a beagle pack saturday in the days before the ban the hare would escape the hounds more often than not and you get a great view of hounds working up close. This is my favourite video of the hare she is an lovely creature for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody801 Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Each to there own. I don't shoot Doves but in sure there's plenty of people that do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 What about a screaming rabbit? Not the same. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 As part of her degree my wife did an in depth study over 2 years of our local Hare population, why they prefer some fields rather than others, areas for each buck, etc. This got down as far as ph in the soil levels etc. Hares do seem to be pretty territorial, the master buck holding an area of maybe 12 - 25 acres, usually there is one doe within that and a juvenile buck or two waiting for their chance if the old boy drops off. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Farmer says shoot them I shoot them ,and I would leave them for the fox ,end of the day we all shoot to control vermin not as a sport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktattoo Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I have been asked by a farmer to shoot them all on his land, as he is fed up of chasing the travelling community and their dogs of his land. Other farmers I shoot for have told me to leave them alone along with the deer but anything vermin wise your welcome to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Not the same. A Yes you're right, a rabbit is 2 octaves higher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Yes you're right, a rabbit is 2 octaves higher Dont know about that but it is different, its the hare sounding like a small child thats the killer for me. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daks Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Each to there own, I would be willing to kill anything I eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pesky pigeon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 If I shot a hare my missus would shoot me I've had dozens in years gone by mind, mainly with lurchers. Was great sport with a good dog before it was banned. miss the days of the Waterloo Cup went every year for 12 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz2202 Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 If you eat them you should be prepared to shoot them. Sorry but that's double standards By all accounts I've been eating horse for the last few years. Not shot one yet and wasn't intending on it either ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Dont know about that but it is different, its the hare sounding like a small child thats the killer for me. A A rabbit sounds like a smaller one By all accounts I've been eating horse for the last few years. Not shot one yet and wasn't intending on it either ! Is that cos you might miss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 I once believed that shooters were the best conservationists because they wanted to and had to ensure the survival of species that provided their sport. If we dont all make judgements like the OP and instead decide everything is fair game, all the time, then we arent doing what we should do. I also started shooting because I loved (and still do) the countryside, I'm happy to control any species to MY understanding but never to exterminate one . We dont shoot woodcock when their food is locked in by freezing weather, we dont shoot pigeons when they are so short of food they are starving. As long as we all make such informed judgements our sport is valid and worthwhile - IMHO this touches on the important bits no one wants to see them extinct but in areas where conservation is going well there can be a surplus and at that point where they are doing damage you can take a sustainable harvest. we had 500 plus over 2 saturdays early in Feb thats a shed load of hares when you consider the damage they do. All had a market at the game dealer and off a large area of land had some cracking shooting and not too much carrying which is the crucial bit. Driving along the main valley the next day there were still hares out there ready to breed and supply the next years crop, but the land has had every gate way closed off ditches along every roadside to keep the travelling community off and 4 keepers on it to dissuade them some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) Interesting topic. I live in the NW where the hare population is comparatively low although we have them on the shoot. I like hares and would not shoot them, Havent eaten one for ages. Each to his own, I have no problem with them being shot or eaten but also dont feel that if you shoot animals you have to shoot everything, or more correctly all species that may be shot. Simply put - I understand the OP's perspective - better to eat a shot one than let it go to waste even if you choose not to kill it. I too am in the NW but there are some areas where hares are plentiful. One of my permissions for example, I'm only allowed to shoot pigeon, crow and rabbit.....the ground has pheasant shoots all round it so there's loads of them but when out lamping one night I counted 11 hares in the one field and I could only see half of it. Always watch at least one hop by when I' m sitting in the hide and I'm glad they are off the menu as I prefer to watch anyway ! GH Edited March 1, 2013 by Greenhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 I can see where you're coming from. If you don't want to shoot it then you don't have to. Sometimes when I sit and watch deer I just don't want to shoot them, so I don't. Same with fox cubs and sometimes adults if they do something to make me smile. I'll let them go unless they're really causing an issue. A lot of the enjoyment of the sport for me is watching things and I think I probably sit and watch two shootable deer to every one I take? As for the eating them thing, well that's ok I guess. It's not like you wont shoot any animal but eat meat - even that only bugs me when people start moaning about me killing stuff. You shouldn't have to be able to kill it to eat it, but you sure as hell shouldn't moan about people killing things if you do eat it! I've never had an issue shooting hares where there are plenty of them. I've never shot one on my own ground though as around here they're rare. When there are only a couple of pairs on a few hundred acres I tend to lean down hard on the foxes to try to help them. I'd hate to see them disappear completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 I have been asked by a farmer to shoot them all on his land, as he is fed up of chasing the travelling community and their dogs of his land. Same on my shoots. Sad time's when they are gone as I have had hares come to within a metre of me when I have been sat on the ground. So close you can almost touch them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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