The hare in the United Kingdom: four nations, several regimes

The brown hare (Lepus europaeus), described in our Brown hare profile, is probably not native to Great Britain: according to the Mammal Society, it was introduced in Roman times or earlier, then spread across the lowlands^[3].

The mountain hare (Lepus timidus), on the other hand, is native. It is found mainly on the Scottish mainland; it has also been introduced to several islands such as Shetland, Hoy, Lewis and Skye, and a small population survives in the English Peak District; it also occurs throughout the island of Ireland, as the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus)^[2]. The GWCT cites an older spring estimate (Harris et al.) of about 432,500 mountain hares in the UK, 350,000 of them in Scotland^[2].

The GWCT's National Gamebag Census, which compiles bag records returned by estates, shows a 46% decline in brown hares between 1961 and 2009 across the UK, but a recovery of more than 50% since 1987. The regional contrast is stark: a clear recovery in England, a 76% decline in Scotland and near disappearance from bags in Wales, while data for Northern Ireland are too sparse to analyse^[1].

The decline is attributed to agricultural intensification and fox predation; the recovery coincides with set-aside and agri-environment schemes^[1]. The Mammal Society nevertheless reports a notable decline since the start of the century^[3]. For the mountain hare, bags follow cycles with no significant trend over the period 1961-2009^[2].

In England, the brown hare has the status of "ground game" and of game: any occupier of land has the right to shoot or control it. There is no close season on enclosed land; on moorland and unenclosed non-arable land, it may only be shot from 11 December to 31 March^[1]. An 1892 Act does, however, prohibit its sale from March to July^[4]. A code of practice drawn up by farming, shooting and conservation organisations recommends, on a voluntary basis, concentrating control in winter^[4].

Since the Hunting Act 2004, hunting hares with dogs has in principle been banned in England and Wales, and taking part in hare coursing events is an offence^[3][7].

Scotland has taken a different path. The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 created a statutory close season for the brown hare; check the current text for the dates^[5].

The mountain hare has gone further: since 1 March 2021, it has been fully protected in Scotland. It is now an offence to kill, injure or take one at any time of year, except under a licence issued by NatureScot for defined purposes, such as preventing damage to forestry^[6].

Northern Ireland has its own game legislation, which covers in particular the Irish hare. For any restocking project or regulatory question, check with the competent authority of the nation concerned: Natural England, NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales or DAERA in Northern Ireland. Our guide to returning hares to the wild sets out the preparation steps from a French perspective.

GIBIS, a game breeder based in Chatte, in the Isère department of France, raises young hares there and also offers wild-caught hares from Central Europe: see our hares. The photos on this page show the species in their habitat and do not depict our animals.