Mountain hares are killed in large numbers on Scottish grouse moors to reduce tick burden on red grouse — a practice with significant welfare implications that was partially restricted by legislation in 2021.
Poorly shot hares experience non-lethal wounding before death or escape, causing prolonged suffering. Mass culls remove social groups and may leave dependent leverets orphaned. The justification for mountain hare culling — tick control — remains scientifically contested, with evidence that large-scale culls do not reliably reduce grouse disease burden. Licensing reforms in Scotland require demonstration of necessity but enforcement capacity is limited. Mountain hares are already under pressure from climate change affecting snow cover and camouflage effectiveness.