How to stop hares destroying your Garden

Brianboy

Would you have any suggestion on how to stop hares eating plants in your garden?

elperello

Netting fence round the perimeter of the garden.
You could also use plastic tree guards to protect individual trees.

They are lovely animals, you might miss them.

Bigdig69

Brianboy wrote: »

Would you have any suggestion on how to stop hares eating plants in your garden?

Eat them.

zerosugarbuzz

I’d prefer to see hares in my garden than flowers, fabulous animals, lucky you!

Rows Grower

Brianboy wrote: »

Would you have any suggestion on how to stop hares eating plants in your garden?

Shotgun.

magicbastarder

if you've to resort to shooting native animals to protect your garden, you shouldn't have a garden.

macraignil

Adopted a couple of dogs that were abandoned just over a year and a half ago and not seen any sign of the hares that were about the place previously since then. Don't think the dogs would be fast enough to catch them but the hares probably have the sense to steer clear of them.

Used some sections of drainage pipe as tree guards before that.

LaFuton

regular manpiss around the perimeter works a treat for this and other problems.
it can be attained a number of ways, i produce my own myself.

Shaunoc

I witnessed my dogs gobbling a few young hares last year. Not seen any since
I second the manpiss !

Zzippy

Shaunoc wrote: »

I witnessed my dogs gobbling a few young hares last year. Not seen any since
I second the manpiss !

If your dogs are killing native wildlife they should never be allowed off the lead. First time I'd give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you let it happen again tbh you shouldn't be allowed keep a dog. That's irresponsible and frankly idiotic. And I'm struggling to remain civil here.

Rows Grower

magicbastarder wrote: »

if you've to resort to shooting native animals to protect your garden, you shouldn't have a garden.

Careful on that high horse there, I'm sure you wouldn't want to trample on a leveret.

freewheeler

Rows Grower wrote: »

Careful on that high horse there, I'm sure you wouldn't want to trample on a leveret.

Seemed like a perfectly reasonable statement to me! You think we shouldn't respect nature?

Rows Grower

freewheeler wrote: »

Seemed like a perfectly reasonable statement to me! You think we shouldn't respect nature?

A garden is nature.

elperello

Rows Grower wrote: »

A garden is nature.

As is a hare taking a free bit of grub where it is going.

So how do we allow the hare to live and go about his business and still keep our gardens?

I think most people would prefer not to shoot, trample or set dogs on a hare.

freewheeler

Rows Grower wrote: »

A garden is nature.

Yes obviously..but thats not what i asked...you seem to have a problem with the poster objecting to someone who feels they should kill an animal just to protect their garden?

Rows Grower

freewheeler wrote: »

Yes obviously..but thats not what i asked...you seem to have a problem with the poster objecting to someone who feels they should kill an animal just to protect their garden?

Glad you understand now.

Rows Grower

elperello wrote: »

As is a hare taking a free bit of grub where it is going.

So how do we allow the hare to live and go about his business and still keep our gardens?

I think most people would prefer not to shoot, trample or set dogs on a hare.

You should run for election so because there are native laws that need changing if this is true.

freewheeler

Rows Grower wrote: »

Glad you understand now.

Ok don't answer that question..its obviously a touchy subject for you :rolleyes:

Speedsie

The Irish Hare is a protected species since the 30s, so I wouldn't be advocating shooting or trapping them.

Could you erect a Hare proof fence around your garden?

Lovely animal.

Rows Grower

Speedsie wrote: »

The Irish Hare is a protected species since the 30s, so I wouldn't be advocating shooting or trapping them.

Could you erect a Hare proof fence around your garden?

Lovely animal.

That's a very interesting and totally incorrect statement.

I agree that they are a lovely animal.

elperello

Rows Grower wrote: »

You should run for election so because there are native laws that need changing if this is true.

What has me running for election got to do with this discussion?

Besides you don't need to run for election to influence legislation.

BTW I am familiar with wildlife legislation.

Speedsie

Rows Grower wrote: »

That's a very interesting and totally incorrect statement.

I agree that they are a lovely animal.

Oh, I was misinformed so. Used to see them regularly when I worked in Intel many years ago

LaFuton

the piss thing works, anyway.


jesus, every where else on boards they're rippin each others face off over the slightest slight, real or (purposely) imagined.

i thought here of all places folk would be more chilled and treeish

pauliebdub

Some very unhelpful answers. How open is your garden, is there an opening where they are getting in?The only solution I can think of is putting up netting, it will be hard to deter them.

freewheeler

Speedsie wrote: »

Oh, I was misinformed so. Used to see them regularly when I worked in Intel many years ago

You were not misinformed..but some on here obviously are! Hares are a protected species in Ireland but somehow are allowed to be hunted/Coursed
during the 'season' what a horrible way to treat a beautiful and gentle creature...

macraignil

macraignil wrote: »

Adopted a couple of dogs that were abandoned just over a year and a half ago and not seen any sign of the hares that were about the place previously since then. Don't think the dogs would be fast enough to catch them but the hares probably have the sense to steer clear of them.

Used some sections of drainage pipe as tree guards before that.

elperello wrote: »

As is a hare taking a free bit of grub where it is going.

So how do we allow the hare to live and go about his business and still keep our gardens?

I think most people would prefer not to shoot, trample or set dogs on a hare.

Just to clarify my post mentioning having dogs was not a suggestion to the opening poster that it was a good idea to "set dogs on a hare". No idea where the suggestion of trampling on a hare is coming from. I agree most people probably would not like to do these things to a wild animal and as mentioned already simple tree guards seemed to work well for me. The hare is an intelligent animal and since there have been dogs in our garden it's probably the smell of a potential predator keeps them away.

elperello

Just for clarification this link gives some information about the Irish Hare.

https://www.vincentwildlife.ie/species/irish-hare

Rows Grower

elperello wrote: »

Just for clarification this link gives some information about the Irish Hare.

https://www.vincentwildlife.ie/species/irish-hare

And here is an unbiased link from an Irish government organisation

https://www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order

elperello

Rows Grower wrote: »

And here is an unbiased link from an Irish government organisation

https://www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order

If you are looking for bias I am strongly biased against anyone who would kill a hare to protect a garden.

The Irish Hare is a magnificent creature and does not deserve the fate meted out to it by successive Governments.

magicbastarder

but it doesn't contain any info about the hare, except the open season info on it, which was pretty much already mentioned in the previous link? not sure where bias comes in.

Rows Grower

elperello wrote: »

If you are looking for bias I am strongly biased against anyone who would kill a hare to protect a garden.

The Irish Hare is a magnificent creature and does not deserve the fate meted out to it by successive Governments.

I'm not looking for or interested in bias.

elperello

Rows Grower wrote: »

I'm not looking for or interested in bias.

Says the guy who waded into a gardening forum with a shotgun


Whether it was unwitting or not you have found it.

Rows Grower

elperello wrote: »

Says the guy who waded into a gardening forum with a shotgun


Whether it was unwitting or not you have found it.

The OP asked a question, I answered it.

Don't shoot the messenger.

elperello

Rows Grower wrote: »

The OP asked a question, I answered it.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Answers like yours only lead to more questions.

You are ok my guns are locked in the safe .

Rows Grower

elperello wrote: »

Answers like yours only lead to more questions.

You are ok my guns are locked in the safe .

Only if you don't understand the answer.

But that's cool, this is a discussion forum.

Shaunoc

Zzippy wrote:

If your dogs are killing native wildlife they should never be allowed off the lead. First time I'd give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you let it happen again tbh you shouldn't be allowed keep a dog. That's irresponsible and frankly idiotic. And I'm struggling to remain civil here.

Cool yourself zip. Dogs have run of garden. Hares enter, then nature takes its course. It was not pleasant to see and was over in seconds, no stopping them. Struggle on zzzzz

Graces7

In similar vein. hares stay away here as my cats are around. Hares are intelligent as you rightly say.

macraignil wrote: »

Just to clarify my post mentioning having dogs was not a suggestion to the opening poster that it was a good idea to "set dogs on a hare". No idea where the suggestion of trampling on a hare is coming from. I agree most people probably would not like to do these things to a wild animal and as mentioned already simple tree guards seemed to work well for me. The hare is an intelligent animal and since there have been dogs in our garden it's probably the smell of a potential predator keeps them away.

VirginiaB

I'm in the US so this may not be available in Ireland but worth checking. I use a product called Liquid Fence. It is made of natural products, does not harm animals and works brilliantly. We have a terrible deer problem in the eastern US. The population has exploded in the last 30 years or so. They can destroy a garden in a night. But they can't stand the smell of Liquid Fence. It works against rabbits too so worth a try if you can get it there. Humans can't smell it except during and a few hours after application.

It's a spray and does have to be renewed regularly, depending on the amount of rainfall. If not Liquid Fence, maybe you can get a similar product.

Shaunoc

VirginiaB wrote:

the amount of rainfall.

We're usually good for a drop

elperello

VirginiaB wrote: »

I'm in the US so this may not be available in Ireland but worth checking. I use a product called Liquid Fence. It is made of natural products, does not harm animals and works brilliantly. We have a terrible deer problem in the eastern US. The population has exploded in the last 30 years or so. They can destroy a garden in a night. But they can't stand the smell of Liquid Fence. It works against rabbits too so worth a try if you can get it there. Humans can't smell it except during and a few hours after application.

It's a spray and does have to be renewed regularly, depending on the amount of rainfall. If not Liquid Fence, maybe you can get a similar product.

Thanks for that.
I found the website but they don't have a supplier in Europe.
https://www.liquidfence.com/Products/Deer-and-Rabbit-Control/Deer-And-Rabbit-Concentrate.aspx

VirginiaB

I wonder if you could look at the ingredients and find something similar. Or email Liquid Fence and tell them they're missing the boat on a marketing opportunity in Ireland and beyond.

And yes I know about the occasional drop of rain in Ireland as I've had the pleasure more than once!

FishOnABike

Speedsie wrote: »

Oh, I was misinformed so. Used to see them regularly when I worked in Intel many years ago

I remember regularly seeing them boxing on the grass verges in the carpark in the dusk on spring evenings. Fantastic creatures.