Mountain hares are a native Scottish species facing welfare threats from driven grouse shooting management, including large-scale culling on grouse moors.
Mountain hare culling on driven grouse moors involves large-scale killing operations that can cause significant welfare harm if animals are not killed outright. Wounded hares that escape die slowly from injuries. The scale of culling required to significantly impact disease transmission is contested scientifically, raising questions about whether the welfare cost is justified. Scotland introduced licensing requirements for mountain hare control in 2021, representing progress in welfare protection. Monitoring and enforcement of humane culling methods remains challenging.