# General > Biodiversity >  Hare today - Gone Tomorrow?

## Taraxacum

Hares seem to be very scarce these days. Have we any left in Caithness? I have not seen one this year. They are most visible in the Spring early mornings, but I have not even seen any then. Has anyone any news of them?

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## Saveman

Last hares I saw in Caithness was two of them near north Watten about 3 years ago  :Frown:

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## kia

Hi seen a Hare tearing up a field at Forss  about a month ago first one i have seen for years but not seen it since

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## unicorn

I wouldn't be too specific in areas in case anyone is looking to course them, illegal I know but I am told it still goes on which could explain the lack of numbers.

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## teenybash

Yesterday around lunchtime, having a cuppa while looking out the glass door, I was delighted at watching a young hare meandering over the grass. Not fully grown but not a baby either.........He/she ate some flaked barley that was for the hens before turning and going back over the field. :Smile:

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## buggyracer

there are a few about, great to see, but yes they are scarce, modern farming and loss of habitat i fear has put paid to a lot of them  ::

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## unicorn

I was at a rabbit show in Dunbar last weekend and I was talking to a lot of English fanciers and we got into just this subject and they thought we would have loads and were amazed when I said no. They were saying farmers in their areas are being paid to encourage hares onto their land and keep them safe there. Maybe that needs promoting in our area.

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## shazzap

I don't know if they were hares or rabbits i saw in the hospital grounds.

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## unicorn

A hare is far larger and more muscular than a rabbit, big hind legs and larger ears.

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## shazzap

> A hare is far larger and more muscular than a rabbit, big hind legs and larger ears.


I know they have larger ears, but i would have to see them side by side to know which was which.

The hares/rabbits i saw in Wick hospital grounds last week looked like babies.

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## highlander

> I know they have larger ears, but i would have to see them side by side to know which was which.
> 
> The hares/rabbits i saw in Wick hospital grounds last week looked like babies.


It was rabbits you saw, many times when i was in hospital i would go through to the tv room turn off the lights and loved to watch them feeding on the grass outside.

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## gleeber

http://www.orcca.on.ca/~elena/useful/bunnies.html

Did you know there was no evolutionary connection between rabbits and hares? They are different species.

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## unicorn

They certainly are they don't even have the same gestation for their babies. A lot of people think a belgian or continental hare are hares as a few breeders have had calls from people wanting to breed them to release into the wild but they are rabbits not hares.

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## chaz

There are some up near us :Smile:

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## Kevin Milkins

There are more hares about in Caithness than you would imagine, but as Unicorn said it is not wise to be specific.

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## Dog-eared

I wouldn't post up the locations of hares.
The very people who coursed them to near extinction would be very interested in their whereabouts......

And yes, I know coursing is "supposed " to be illegal now !

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## lynne duncan

going o get in trouble here, but hare is my favourite meat, haven't had some in about 15 years but it has the most gorgeous flavour.

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## Kevin Milkins

> going o get in trouble here, but hare is my favourite meat, haven't had some in about 15 years but it has the most gorgeous flavour.


Hare adds a full flavour to a game pie, but I find them a big strong.

I remember a recipe in an old Mrs  Beeton Cook Book for juged hare and it started with, first catch the hare.  ::

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## Dog-eared

Hare soup......yum yum !

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## unicorn

Absolutely agree beautiful flavour. I have no problem with eating animals that have been killed for the pot but coursing then for "fun" and dumping them in a ditch is absolutely disgusting.

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