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Hares


tonker
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We have a lot of hares on our perms & when I drove around last Thursday I counted 16,however none will be shot unless farmer reqests it & it will only be to thin them out.Quite a few of them where youngsters which could not be confused as rabbits.Swiss t always called them big rabbits but everyone new what he ment.

We unfortunatly had a farm in the area(not a perm) that had a problem with poachers with dogs after hares.The farmer took drastic action by going out and shooting all,or the majority of hares on the land just because of the poaching problem.

This is the same over my way. The farmer is fed up with the dog laids so told us to get rid and it has worked.

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if the picture teal put up is the right one, it is a hare without doubt.

 

put it in the same box as crows/rooks everyone shoots loads of crows a majority of the black stuff I shoot is rooks with a occasional crow

An old saying worth remembering; ' if you see a Rook flying on its own it is usually a Crow. If you see more than two crows flying together they are usually Rooks'

 

I like that one

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Well now that it has died down a bit, i'd like to point out that my actual post was in reply to a post written by Nathan M.

not to the write up or pictures by Ben W.

Why Ben took it as an afront, I don't know, but as the saying goes 'if the cap fits wear it'

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It does not really matter who it was aimed at .

 

I have seen several posts that referred to "a big rabbit" where I thought the poster knew full well he had shot a hare.

 

In BenW's case he did not mention anything other than the rabbits he had shot , so he clearly had no idea he had shot a hare.

 

He is not alone in not being able to identify his intended quarry , in particular I have lost count of the amount of pictures of stock doves members have posted on here saying they are pigeon and it truly astounds me they cannot tell the difference.

 

I know that mistakes can happen and stock doves often fly with woodies but even if you did shoot one by mistake surely once you have retrieved it you would instantly know and refrain from posting a pic of it on here !

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In fairness everyone has to learn. I obviously support that before pulling the trigger every gun must have clearly identified the quarry they are shooting at. However the reality is we have probably all made mistakes in the past. The more experienced guns should be a little more tolerant and assist where we can instead of criticising. I agree with the other posts that have stated that as long as the person learns from his mistake that's a positive. When a person though is in denial through whatever reason, then that's a worry.

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Firstly, I shoot hares as and when its required. I think they are good eating and perfectly sporting with rifle or shotgun. I never shot a hare before the hunting act, it so much better to hunt them during the day with a running dog and very selective if adequate law is given to puss very few of the fittest ones will be taken. To say they are not that fast is crackers its just they are more efficient a mover (running one leg in ground contact not hopping in two legged bounds using two rear legs for propulsion like the rabbit does)

I find it remarkable some can discern a rabbit size adolescent Hare in the lamp beam, when they clap down in a squat with flattened ears on a drizzly night I know I have made an odd mistake, it full of hares here I see them daily. Non the less the mistake is obvious when you pick them up, running rather than hopping its obvious, size of both adults likewise, ears etc.

One shouldn't be too critical of shooting hares being far more selective a feeder than a rabbit they can do a lot of damage to new planted trees and hedges by seeking out the growing bud and nipping it off. Also selectively culling the biggest can remove the older individuals that are often the less successful breeders yet tend to hold the younger adults off the prime breeding ground, not an exact means of aging but it seems to work for me

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Kent, totally agree with that post. It seems to me that not many here are saying don't shoot Hares at all.

And i've also made the same mistake with the lamp, in dodgy conditions.

I think that the consensus is that when you go and pick up your quarry that you can then identify it properly and realise your mistake.

That actually sounds as if I'm saying shoot your quarry first and then identify it, that's not what I mean, but you get my drift I'm sure.

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Rightly or wrongly I still think of Hares as game and would no more shoot one whilst carrying out crop protection than I would a pheasant. Before anyone asks, No we have never been asked to shoot them by any farmer although on some farms in a particular area the farmers do have problems with people driving onto the land for the Hares and they have to put obstacles in the field entrances to prevent them.

Again I'm not saying they shouldn't be shot other than as game. I just don't shoot them when carrying out CP and hopefully neither would any of our members.

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Rightly or wrongly I still think of Hares as game and would no more shoot one whilst carrying out crop protection than I would a pheasant. Before anyone asks, No we have never been asked to shoot them by any farmer although on some farms in a particular area the farmers do have problems with people driving onto the land for the Hares and they have to put obstacles in the field entrances to prevent them.

Again I'm not saying they shouldn't be shot other than as game. I just don't shoot them when carrying out CP and hopefully neither would any of our members.

 

Well if your crop was trees you might be daft not to, you want to see them plod along a line of newly planted snipping them off. A pest is a pest because of were it is not what it is. Woodpigeon don't create the slightest issue here yet they are said to be the biggest agricultural pest in the UK, Rabbits are now known to help some rare plants in specific areas. Foxes can certainly aid in control of rabbits and rodents if there is no game, lambs etc around on arable land.

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Well if your crop was trees you might be daft not to, you want to see them plod along a line of newly planted snipping them off. A pest is a pest because of were it is not what it is. Woodpigeon don't create the slightest issue here yet they are said to be the biggest agricultural pest in the UK, Rabbits are now known to help some rare plants in specific areas. Foxes can certainly aid in control of rabbits and rodents if there is no game, lambs etc around on arable land.

+1

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Well if your crop was trees you might be daft not to, you want to see them plod along a line of newly planted snipping them off. A pest is a pest because of were it is not what it is. Woodpigeon don't create the slightest issue here yet they are said to be the biggest agricultural pest in the UK, Rabbits are now known to help some rare plants in specific areas. Foxes can certainly aid in control of rabbits and rodents if there is no game, lambs etc around on arable land.

I agree Kent, I may feel differently if I was affected in the way you explained. I see it as being two possible lines of thought on this one as far as when they should be shot. Legally they are classed as game. Equally, legally they are classed as a pest species. I guess it bores down to which one we as individual shooters perceive them to be. Game or Pest

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