Mountain hares thrive on managed land

Sir, - While mountain hares are much-loved mammals (Charity’s plea to stop hare culls July 31), it should be recognised that Scottish managed moorland creates fantastic reserves for the species and so they are found there in far higher densities than in other parts of their range in northern Europe.

Controlled culls of certain species are carried out by different organisations, including conservation bodies, and culling of hares in this way is no different to managing deer or rabbit populations.

Mountain hare populations move in cycles and are only culled when numbers are high in order to prevent grazing damage to fragile habitats, tree planting schemes and for limiting the spread of tick-borne diseases such as Louping ill and Lyme disease.

Culling is normally undertaken by estate staff but on occasion, guests take part under the supervision of gamekeepers, similar to the control of deer.

This is not new and can provide a small source of income to an estate.

Moorland keepers have extensive experience and use a variety of methods to assess population numbers and the appropriate level of control.

A number of estates are working with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the James Hutton Institute (funded by SNH) to develop new methods of counting hares and this research should be completed later this year.

Scotland’s Moorland Forum will also be publishing a best practice guide to management of mountain hares in the next few months. Tim Baynes. Scottish Moorland Group, Stuart House, Eskmills Business Park, Musselburgh.

A mountain hare photographed on moorland in Scotland.