Bad news for Chris Packham – mountain hares thrive on grousemoors, says new research.
Mountain hares are regularly shot on Scottish moorland managed for grouse-shooting. However, concerns that large-scale culls of mountain hares on grouse moors are contributing to population declines are unfounded. The researchers from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust found that hare numbers are ‘higher and relatively stable on moors where driven grouse shooting’ is practised compared to unkeepered moorland.
Anti-shooting activist and BBC presenter Packham is trying to show that grousemoors are wildlife deserts, in order to get grouseshooting banned. Science says otherwise.
Here are two films about hunting hares on keepered moorland with a golden eagle:
