What cartridge for hares...maybe I don't maybe I do...

shannonpowerlab

some may not agree with harming those lovely hairy creatures...

But I heard they are quite nice to eat...?

What would be the most effective shotgun cartridges for hares? considering the size and how tough they are I suppose the range would be very limited but just wondering...I'd imagine Something big and heavy like BB or bigger?

Nico13

I always used number 6 or 5 not more but thats just me!!

shannonpowerlab

how far?

bunny shooter

I don't shoot hares, personal choice, not a crusade

shannonpowerlab

bunny shooter wrote: »

I don't shoot hares, personal choice, not a crusade

They are not so nice to eat?

bunny shooter

shannonpowerlab wrote: »

They are not so nice to eat?

Friend of mine reckons the meat is "very strong" and this from a lad that eats lots of venison :eek:

Haven't eaten hare myself. Fortunately loads of bunnies in my area

shannonpowerlab

bunny shooter wrote: »

Friend of mine reckons the meat is "very strong" and this from a lad that eats lots of venison :eek:

Haven't eaten hare myself. Fortunately loads of bunnies in my area

Ahhh, they are really tough meat...I get it...

Rabits are quite different from hares in appearance? say from 100m away?

Nico13

10-15m max and i would recommand the meat to anyone very good in stews or bbq let it marinade in red wine to get a stronger flavour

shannonpowerlab

So it must be up close personal.

I must devise a strategy as my gun makes a rather loud "ping" sound when I close the barrel.

Do you hang it a while?

bunny shooter

shannonpowerlab wrote: »

Ahhh, they are really tough meat...I get it...

I like the way you're thinking :cool: but I meant strong as in a lot of wild meat tastes different to farm reared meat ? Can't think of a better way to say it

shannonpowerlab wrote: »

Rabits are quite different from hares in appearance? say from 100m away?

Ya they are generally bigger, have longer legs and ears and a different style of running. To be honest I very rarely meet them when I'm hunting. They seem scarce in my area which is most of the reason I don't shoot them. Have met a few while hunting snipe in a few bogs but other than that as I said don't seem to be many around here

Their season is over at the end of the month so you'll have to hurry

My Irish Setter loves chasing them though...............he's never caught one yet and he's slowing down now so he ain't likely to get one either

shannonpowerlab

bunny shooter wrote: »

I like the way you're thinking :cool: but I meant strong as in a lot of wild meat tastes different to farm reared meat ? Can't think of a better way to say it

Ok. it is kinda like Mutton or pigeon strong then?

So it would be like when you go to a someone's house cooking hares in a pot and when you open the door to get in you get a whiff "ah, hares"...kinda thing?

bunny shooter

shannonpowerlab wrote: »

Ok. it is kinda like Mutton or pigeon strong then?

So it would be like when you go to a someone's house cooking hares in a pot and when you open the door to get in you get a whiff "ah, hares"...kinda thing?

Exactly

shannonpowerlab

Hmmmm...I must try it.

kay 9

Hare soup and rabbitt meat is always what i hear from the old man.

ferrete

hare is definately a aquired taste and is not one i would recommend lightly i personally hate it as its tough and real strong and i love vension

Nico13

hang it for 2-3 days will leaves recipes on the other thread

EPointer=Birdss

bunny shooter wrote: »

loads of bunnies in my area

Would never have guessed with the name!
Agree with you on the hares, never bother em so theres loads around here...

Nico13

by the way here's a hare

Gretchy

Jesus lads in all fairness, shooting hares is not something I expedted to see on a forum here. I hunt myself, all species of game and mammal but was always told by the older lads in the club that I would never have luck if I shot a hare. Maybe just a story form these parts, but I notice they have dwindled over the last number of years. My advice, stick to the bunnies, more abundant!!

sonofthegun

shannonpowerlab wrote: »

What would be the most effective shotgun cartridges for hares? considering the size and how tough they are I suppose the range would be very limited but just wondering...I'd imagine Something big and heavy like BB or bigger?

i use super game size 3 42g and plastic wad find it knocks them well usually would only take 4 or 5 a season more as a cull in an area i shoot as there seem to be quite a few and no one else hunts them in the area as its well out of the way have never eating them but i must try em if i can get a nice reciepe

Nico13

hi guys,
anyones with a nice bunny pic to show him the differences;)

gavlaw

Nico13 wrote: »

hi guys,
anyones with a nice bunny pic to show him the differences;)

bugs-bunny-forever.jpg
:D:D:p:p

shannonpowerlab

Maybe better not try it...

I'll look for some bunnies instead. Are rabbits shorter than hares?

yessam

I have not shot a Hare for years, not since I heard the cry of an injured Hare. That did it for me, if you ever heard it, you will know what I am on about. eerie!

jap gt

yessam wrote: »

I have not shot a Hare for years, not since I heard the cry of an injured Hare. That did it for me, if you ever heard it, you will know what I am on about. eerie!

heard of it before, its meant to turn a lot of people off of shooting them

Dusty87

jap gt wrote: »

heard of it before, its meant to turn a lot of people off of shooting them

Whats the difference between a rabbit and a hare??................











You can pull a hare outa your arse, ya cant pull a rabbit.
Sorry couldnt resist:D

shannonpowerlab

uh,

that put me off now.

Do you start crying in front of a dying hare...?

marlin vs

Dusty87 wrote: »

Whats the difference between a rabbit and a hare??................











You can pull a hare outa your arse, ya cant pull a rabbit.
Sorry couldnt resist:D

Shooting men should leave the hares to the doggie men, that's what I was alway's told as a boy.One hare you shouldn't shoot.

shannonpowerlab

uh.....that is a really filthy looking creature.

I can nearly smell it from the screen.

I guess in general people don't catch hares then...

I suppose it is all about curiosity. i read about jugged hare the other day and was wondering what it is like.

Nico13

jugged hare like :D:D

meathstevie

One of the reason why I'll take a few every season is to keep to wrong type of doggie fella away. Also hitting the foxes hard and often helps for the hare population, young levrets are an easy lunch for a fox.

As for what cartridge; depending on the tine of year 4,5,6, 32g 12g

iwsf

shoot one every year or at least i try !
use 36g 6

shannonpowerlab

meathstevie wrote: »

One of the reason why I'll take a few every season is to keep to wrong type of doggie fella away. Also hitting the foxes hard and often helps for the hare population, young levrets are an easy lunch for a fox.

As for what cartridge; depending on the tine of year 4,5,6, 32g 12g

Thanks. Something big enough for ducks but up close?


Hmmm,

I keep seeing this term doggie men / fella...

What are they? People who fight dogs?

Nico13

i guess it has more to do with racing dogs, hares were use to lure the dogs on the tracks and in certain countries are still used for it

shannonpowerlab

Ah. I see.

I guess te same cartridge size and distance for rabbits too?

I'd imagine you have to go for the head to preserve the meat?

stevoman

firstly i wouldnt recommend shooting a hare. they are a fanyastic creature and they are a lovely addition to the country side.

i have only ever shot 1 hare and that was this year, purely out of interest in what they tase like. (im still raging i shot that hare).

take it from me, they taste horrible. nothing like a rabbit. dark meat that is musty in flavour and very very strong. i tried to stew it and it turned the dish a dark colour and the kitchen stunk.

you hear ould lads saying they are nice, but that a different generation who ate what they could as there wasnt any good food around.

my advice, leave them alone and hunt rabbits instead.

shannonpowerlab

stevoman wrote: »

firstly i wouldnt recommend shooting a hare. they are a fanyastic creature and they are a lovely addition to the country side.

i have only ever shot 1 hare and that was this year, purely out of interest in what they tase like. (im still raging i shot that hare).

take it from me, they taste horrible. nothing like a rabbit. dark meat that is musty in flavour and very very strong. i tried to stew it and it turned the dish a dark colour and the kitchen stunk.

you hear ould lads saying they are nice, but that a different generation who ate what they could as there wasnt any good food around.

my advice, leave them alone and hunt rabbits instead.

Yeah,

Probably they are better off left alone. I just found out but apparently there are not may of them left...

I'll look for rabbits instead.

Nico13

old man?? talk for urself i agree about the fantastic animal and all that but i think it has more to do with different people, different taste. I am a chef and will recommand hare to anyone over rabbit.chiky!:D

sfakiaman

There are a good few hares in my area and I shoot one or two most years. I would use 4's by choice as the hare is quite a decent size animal. In my opinion they are lovely eating, I usually stew mine with plenty of carrots and onions and a glass of red wine (or two). A good hare will feed four people which beats the hell out of shooting snipe:D

shannonpowerlab

Nico13 wrote: »

old man?? talk for urself i agree about the fantastic animal and all that but i think it has more to do with different people, different taste. I am a chef and will recommand hare to anyone over rabbit.chiky!:D

You are a chef?!?!

That makes me think...

Maybe it is not that bad after all???

Or am I too easily influenced?

I'd wonder what was wrong with the hare stevoman prepared...?

Actually I'd love to see your hare recipe!!

Nico13

will post one soon with pics, got one waiting for me and my wife in the freezer, will let u know;)

iwsf

I actually prefer to eat hares than rabbits but that's only me.
And no i am not from the older generation
I agree that the smell is strong, the kitchen will stink for a while.
They are best cooked in red wine and taste way better the next day when re-heated.

shannonpowerlab

iwsf wrote: »

I actually prefer to eat hares than rabbits but that's only me.
And no i am not from the older generation
I agree that the smell is strong, the kitchen will stink for a while.
They are best cooked in red wine and taste way better the next day when re-heated.

If you don't mind telling me

What kind of smell is it? Is it worse than cleaning cod?

Can you kill it with garlic and spices?

Grizzly 45

EHH??Hares smell?? unless you hung it,which you shouldnt do at all,or more than likely from what you describe,you didnt drain it's bladder when you shot it.If you dont do that,the meat will be totally rank,and worse if you hung it with urine in the bladder.Hare done right is a great delicacy and you will pay a Kings ransom to eat it in a high class resturant.
also you dont prepare it like rabbit in using the whole carcass.You use only the spine and loins[?]

Nico13

Sorry shannonpowerlab dont take this the wrong way but i dont see any point in trying to kill the taste of any meat, fish etc etc as u will never know what it really taste like, u can flavour it as much as u want but dont try to kill it, otherwise u'll be eating rubber in every restaurant:D

shannonpowerlab

Nico13 wrote: »

Sorry shannonpowerlab dont take this the wrong way but i dont see any point in trying to kill the taste of any meat, fish etc etc as u will never know what it really taste like, u can flavour it as much as u want but dont try to kill it, otherwise u'll be eating rubber in every restaurant:D

Ha ha,

Yeah I was thinking about the time when I bought some fish in a market but was not fresh enough for what I wanted to do so I fried it with a lot of spices and garlic. otherwize I would have grilled it with a pinch of salt.

I thought there was something wrong with the smelly meat. Of course if the animal was not cleaned it would stink a lot!

Nico13

Im sure you wouldnt change anything with this HARE .ha ha:D:D:D:D

shannonpowerlab

I'm sure you'd eat that one alive!!!:D Probably with nothing on.

shannonpowerlab

Now that was rude. I sincerely apologise to any readers on this thread for any offence that may have caused.

Steyr243Hunter

I was planting couple of thousand trees last summer and the hares were causing damage, they where biting the trees in half and just leaving it there, is there something similar to section 42 and lamping? For the weeks planting only seen 2 couple of hundred yards away so wouldn't have been shotgun range.
On land were i have permission for deer theres plenty of them around, never bothered with em and have been 20 yards from one, no rabbits at all which i thought was strange.

Odysseus

shannonpowerlab wrote: »

some may not agree with harming those lovely hairy creatures...

But I heard they are quite nice to eat...?

What would be the most effective shotgun cartridges for hares? considering the size and how tough they are I suppose the range would be very limited but just wondering...I'd imagine Something big and heavy like BB or bigger?

I use a 5 or 6 for them,I perfer the 5, and tbh honest the closer the better. I love hare, I leave it soaking overnight in some salted water to soften up the meat. The after rinising that off, I bring to the boil and simmer for three hours. The meat just falls of the bone, I collect in a bowl and cover it in olive oil. I'm told that its the good for up to 2 weeks once its kept in the fridge. I make mostly stews out of it, but I also make a quite nice pasta bake out of it, which I generally bring into work for my lunch. Hope that helps.

Also to the best of my knowledge the season for hare ends the last day of this month, so get out the quick;)