Irish Hare Numbers?

Terrier

On reading the below letter in today Irish Independent I was wondering is the Irish Hare really in decline?

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=53&si=1695500&issue_id=14693

I have seen a massive increase in Hare numbers in my area. My club has never shot hares although I'm sure some farmers do. I understand that as a bye product of our club increased vermin control over the last two years would have helped this increase.

Sometimes I wonder who does these surveys and in what part of the country! :rolleyes:

Vegeta

Terrier wrote:

On reading the below letter in today Irish Independent I was wondering is the Irish Hare really in decline?

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=53&si=1695500&issue_id=14693

I have seen a massive increase in Hare numbers in my area. My club has never shot hares although I'm sure some farmers do. I understand that as a bye product of our club increased vermin control over the last two years would have helped this increase.

Sometimes I wonder who does these surveys and in what part of the country! :rolleyes:

i would be of your opinion terrier. I see quite a few hares around the areas i shoot, maybe they are in decline but on my own observations i wouldn't say so

Clare gunner

More CACS John Fitzgerald nonsense:( .For the first time in years I have seen the number of hares increase here in Clare.AND in an area where we have a relative high pouplation density.Just saw our two resident hares this morning before I checked my emails.
Swear to God some of these people must do their surveys by looking out their office windows.When they DO actually go into the wild they find there is actually more there than they predicted,and wonder of wonders ,it actually reproduces quite regulary.:rolleyes:
It is just another anti tactic to try and ban coursing,by using the NI hare capture ban arguement.

WallysWorld

Yeah, no shortage of hares where Im from either saw three at the weekend.

Keelan

Their on the increase in my area, thats for sure.
Cods wallop, is all i can say about paper article.:rolleyes:

I think, more attention should be put on the number of Fallow stags, which are on the dicline, in certain areas i know of.:(
Too many trophy hunters out their i think and talking to a ranger recently, he mentioned that their is cowboys out their, fully licenced, that are going around shooting prime Fallow stags and taking the heads off and leaving the body behind.:mad:
Thank fully, they are being watched from now on and any stupidness, will be sevearly punished. So, if any of you out thier, thinking of doing this, watch out, as you are being observed.
Stick to proper and sensible culling please, we really do not want to see our fallow stag population instinct.

Thanks,

Keelan.

Vegeta

Keelan wrote:

I think, more attention should be put on the number of Fallow stags, which are on the dicline, in certain areas i know of.:(
Too many trophy hunters out their i think and talking to a ranger recently, he mentioned that their is cowboys out their, fully licenced, that are going around shooting prime Fallow stags and taking the heads off and leaving the body behind.:mad:
Thank fully, they are being watched from now on and any stupidness, will be sevearly punished. So, if any of you out thier, thinking of doing this, watch out, as you are being observed.
Stick to proper and sensible culling please, we really do not want to see our fallow stag population instinct.

Thanks,

Keelan.

I was saying this to Clare Gunner only the other day, My brother was out one morning about 2 weeks ago hunting deer and he saw 3 red males locking/fighting or what ever the correct term is and all 3 were very young animals.

We haven't seen any big mature stags in ages and we fear they are being wiped out.

Terrier

Caught this fellow on camera on Sunday Morning!

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m234/Terrier223/Web4.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m234/Terrier223/Web2.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m234/Terrier223/Web1.jpg

Vegeta

Terrier wrote:

Caught this fellow on camera on Sunday Morning!

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m234/Terrier223/Web4.jpg

Great looking animal

Clare gunner

A good beast.Now for the deer hunters out there.How old do you think he is and how many trophy points?And would you shoot or let him alone for another couple of years?

Keelan

If you look closely, he has barbed wire, tangled round his antlers, which could get caught on a fence and in turn, the stag would starve.

In order to avoid this, he should be culled under licence and right caliber.

Frank.

Clare gunner

Thought that was shadow or dirt of some type.But if it is wire.Yup an immediate cull.

17REM

loads of hares about on the farm numbers have more than doubled in the last few years just not enough foxes!!

thelurcher

I do a bit of beagling and some of the lads were on about this national hare survey that was only being planned at the time.
I can't remember the details but we had a right laugh off how they were actually carrying out the survey - each person had to go to a random area and stand on a ditch with their binos and count the hares they saw!!!!!!!:eek: :rolleyes:
Areas they went to were also limited.
The whole thing seemed destined to be fecked up so now it obviously has!
The only way to get an accurate idea of hare numbers in an area is to talk to the huntsman of the local beagles or harriers - or even the coursing club but they'll tell you there's none regardless

This is my first season stalking and I've yet to see a stag on my permission - the amount of Does is unbelievable so the bucks must be around
I must go out with the lamp some night and see exactly where they are because they're certainly not around by day yet.
I also heard from one of the lads on here that there's a guarda on my permission offering 'guided hunts' charging between 5 - 7 hundred euro a go!

demonloop

I read the title too fast, thought it said 'Irish O'Hare numbers.'

Must be quite a few of those running around still!

Rovi

Interesting document linked from the Farming Forum-

Forest Mammals - Management and Control
(CAUTION: 13MB PDF.)

Covers all the stuff that eats trees, many of which coincide with hunter's quarry.

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