Hare today, gone tomorrow? – findings from the first year
In recent decades, the Brown Hare has suffered significant decline in Europe. To find out more about the current status and distribution of Brown Hares in Essex, in 2004, the Essex Biodiversity Project sent out a questionnaire and survey to local farm owners. Forty-nine farms responded, with the following results:
Of the 49 farms:
- 47 farmers reported the presence of hares on their land in 2004, compared to all 49 farms having hares present previously.
- 33 farmers reported having illegal hare coursers on their land, with the majority of these occurring at regular intervals throughout the year. Twenty of these farms contacted the police.
- Seven farms controlled hare numbers for reasons including crop damage and/or to deter coursers.
- Seven farms had organised shoots.
- 39 farms were prepared to count the hares as part of an organised survey.
Numbers of hares were found to be increasing on 25 farms. The reasons given by farmers for these increases included: provision of suitable habitat, the use of environmental farming policy such as planting woodlands and CSS boundary strips, ceasing of shooting the hares, increased control of foxes and less use of OP-type pesticides.
The numbers of hares were found to be decreasing on nine farms. The reasons given for these declines were given as predation of leverets by foxes, disease, road kill, illegal coursing and loss of habitat. Hare numbers were found to be stable on 12 farms, with the population dynamics being unknown on three farms.
Information from 49 farms
Mixed arable = 24
Cereal = 13
Livestock/cereal = 9
Grass = 3
Grazing + Haylage = 1
Dairy/arable = 1
Other = 2
Total = 53 (as some farms counted as more than one type).
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