Mountain hares face culling in Scotland for grouse moor management and have experienced significant population declines, with welfare and conservation concerns both prominent.
Mountain hares are killed in organised drives using beaters and guns, causing acute trauma and distress. Injured hares that escape the drive may die slowly from wounds. The welfare cost of population-scale culling on an already declining species is significant. Humane alternatives to culling for tick management - including targeted acaricide treatment of sheep - would reduce both welfare harms and conservation pressure.