Protect hares and their young from shooting during the breeding season

We call on the Government to stop the shooting of hares during their peak breeding season, by establishing a legally enforceable close season for hares in England and Wales, from 1st February to 30th September.

Hares are the only game species in England and Wales that can be shot all year round. It has been reported that the UK brown hare population could have fallen by more than 80% in the past 100 years. Shooting hares in the breeding season leaves dependent young to starve to death. Scotland introduced a close season over a decade ago. Many European countries already protect hares this way. We believe the Government must act now: for animal welfare and for biodiversity.

The Government considers the need for a close season for hares is justified more by animal welfare concerns than biodiversity and species conservation. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, which runs from February to October, meaning that fewer leverets (infant hares) are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation. A close season is also consistent with Natural England's advice on wildlife management that controlling species in their peak breeding season should be avoided unless genuinely essential and unavoidable. The Government’s understanding is that most hare shooting occurs in February when the gamebird season ends, despite many adult female hares being pregnant or even already nursing their young.

While viewing species conservation as a secondary concern in this instance, the Government is aware of evidence (e.g. Butterworth et al, 2017) that suggests a close season for hares would provide capacity for their population growth and result in markedly reduced numbers of dependent young being orphaned. The Government also recognises that other factors, such as habitat protection, levels of predation, and poor weather can have significant impacts on hare numbers. The brown hare is one of the indicator species for our legally binding targets in England to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and then reverse declines by 2042. An estimated 80 percent reduction in the brown hare’s population in England and Wales over the last 100 years is clearly a cause for concern.

DEFRA Ministers therefore support the ambition to introduce a close season for hares in England. The hare is a much-loved species and we fail to give it the protection we should. England and Wales stand out as being among the few European countries not to have a close season for their hares. However, the Government requires a suitable primary legislative vehicle to deliver this close season. There is not one currently in place, but DEFRA will continue to look for suitable opportunities to take this measure forward.

Wildlife management is a devolved matter, and the response provided therefore relates to England only with the potential for relevant policy to extend and apply to Wales.

* Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs