Mountain hares are culled on grouse moors to reduce tick burdens. The welfare implications of culling and the conservation status of the species are both important considerations.
Mountain hare culling welfare involves direct welfare harm to culled individuals and population-level welfare implications of declining numbers. Well-executed culling by competent shooters results in rapid death, but wounding rates with insufficient shooting skill cause slow deaths. The conservation dimension is also welfare-relevant: declining hare populations mean fewer individuals living natural lives in mountain environments. The introduction of licensing requirements in Scotland represents a welfare-positive step toward ensuring culling is necessary, proportionate, and conducted humanely.