ohouston
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Hare's (not Hairs)Last week a nearby farmer asked me to sort out a problem with Hares. His cabbage crop was sprouting and a gang of aboth 15-20 yobbish Hare's were nibbling them up at a horrifying rate.
Well, I've got a soft spot for Hares - so I was a bit dismayed to hear they had become yobbish. But he sold me a tear jerk story, livlihood being nibbled to death, kids crying and in rags and hungry. "When will the yobbie Hares stop Daddy" sniff sniff.
Well, he bought them an early Christmas present - a gas gun, and after making an example of a couple with the .22 it looks like the rest have decided to stay in the woods, so I can heave a big sigh of relief as I've not had to resort to my own version of a scorched earth policy.
I'm up in the Grampians and have been pretty heartened to see the numbers of Hares going up recently (minus two because of cabbage violations, despite repeated warnings in clear English).
My interest is this, have the rest of the UK seen more Hares around (great to hear if thats the case). And secondly, any other 'Harey' stories (boom boom) you'd like to share?
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tahir
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Are you a professional then?
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Andy B
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Gas gun! do you shoot em or suffocate them.
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cab
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I've noticed more around this year, but I never see enough of them to be able to say that there's a big increase. Seem to be more of them about in the fields South of Cambridge.
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Alchemist
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I've seen a few too. Whereabouts in the Grampians are you Ohouston? We're in Durris by Aberdeen, but occasionally stay out towards Lumsden and i've seen quite a few up there.
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Guest
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No the "Gas Gun" is a thing powered by a propane bottle and it just makes a boom sound a couple of times every half hour or so. It is just for scaring things away and is harmless, unless your listening at the tube when it goes off of course.
I'm not a professional, but was brought up on a Farm and love the countryside, hence my interest in this site!
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ohouston
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oops, forgot to log in, that was me as 'Guest' above.
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sean
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Thought so. There's damn few round here, but it's not really the right sort of country for them.
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Jonnyboy
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Doing quite well over here, studies showed on average six hares per square kilometre, a six fold increase from 2002.
Or just a surveyor who couldn't count.
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nettie
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We have quite a healthy population of them here in our corner of Essex. The farmer next door has about 500 acres and I regularly see hares while out riding on her land. In a couple of places they almost seem to outnumber the rabbits.
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Treacodactyl
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Not seen any down here. Actually I don't remember seeing one since I holidayed on the Fens when I was a nipper.
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ohouston
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Sounds like a mixed bag for our friends the Hare, some areas up, some conspicuosly absent - possibly due to local factors [there are three, in order, 1. Food, 2, Predators (inc. man) 3. Disease]
How about rabbits? There are thousands in the North of Scotland right now. Does anyone know if 'they' are going to introduce another strain of Mixie? Whats peoples views on Mixie? I don't like it.
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nettie
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We had a huge population of rabbits here last year, followed by a mysterious outbreak of Myxie....
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Treacodactyl
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Rabbits are everywhere down here. I've not seen any with mixie while walking this year but I have done in past years.
I think more should be done to encourage people to eat rabbit before thinking about developing a better form of mixie.
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Guest
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Quite right, my sentiments too.
Rabbit is very tasty, much better than supermarket anemic tasteless factory chicken or pork, poor buggers. (come on, its white for God sake!).
But how do we make the most of this wonderful (free!) rabbit bounty before it is killed off (again) by a very cruel man-made disease? (is it DEFRA that introduces it?)
Ok, my view is to (responsibly) shoot, trap, snare and ferret them and enjoy a fantastic meat that is leagues above the "supermarket" Deli.
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Jonnyboy
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I don't know if mixy is being deliberately re-introduced, although I wouldn't discount anything, but I guess it waxes and wanes in tune with the resident population. Foot and mouth if anything seemed to have done wonders for the wild population, rabbits, hares, foxes and buzzards to name a few.
Anyway, all rabbits should know that the pinnacle of their evolution is to become confit.
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ohouston
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Mixie is 'managed' by man, and I can fully understand why, but as new strains are repeatedly introduced to the UK, surely people with a stake in countryside matters should be counsulted?
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Jonnyboy
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| ohouston wrote: | | Mixie is 'managed' by man, and I can fully understand why, but as new strains are repeatedly introduced to the UK, surely people with a stake in countryside matters should be counsulted? |
Are you sure that it's being deliberately re-introduced?
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