Wild Mountain Hare Welfare and Driven Grouse

Mountain hares are shot in large numbers on Scottish grouse moors to reduce tick burdens; this management practice raises serious welfare and conservation concerns.

Key Facts

Mountain hares are native to Scotland and designated as a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
They are shot on grouse moors because they carry ticks that harbour louping ill virus affecting red grouse.
Legal protection was extended to mountain hares in Scotland in 2021, requiring a licence to cull.
Population declines have been documented in areas with intensive grouse management.
Mountain hares are also vulnerable to climate change, as their white winter coat becomes maladaptive in less snowy conditions.

Welfare Considerations

Mountain hares shot during culling experience acute trauma. Drive culls, where large numbers are shot in a short period, can result in wounded animals escaping to die slowly. The welfare case for lethal control of mountain hares is contested — vaccination against louping ill is increasingly being explored as an alternative that removes the primary rationale for hare culling. Climate change poses a longer-term but serious welfare threat through phenotypic mismatch: hares retaining white coats against snowless brown landscapes face enhanced predation vulnerability. Scotland's new licensing regime for mountain hare culling marks an important welfare and conservation advance.

What You Can Do

Support the licensing regime for mountain hare management in Scotland through advocacy.
Advocate for investment in louping ill vaccination research as a non-lethal alternative to hare culling.
Support Scottish Hare Network and Hare Preservation Trust conservation and monitoring work.
Raise awareness of mountain hare welfare as part of the broader grouse moor management debate.