There are measures land managers can take to help increase hare survival. Many of these are grant-aided through agri-environmental schemes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP HARES
- Break up blocks of cereal as much as possible.
- Provide more grass on arable farms for summer grazing. Run wide strips of grass across open fields or have patches of pasture.
- Hares need quiet, undisturbed cover to raise leverets. On livestock farms, leave areas uncut and ungrazed for leverets to hide in.
- When making silage, cut the field from the centre outwards rather than from the outside in, so hares can escape the machinery into neighbouring fields.
- Have ploughed or rough cultivated areas left for spring crops for hares to jug (sleep).
- Leave 6 metre uncultivated margins around arable fields.
- Leave cereal stubbles over winter.