Hares ‘more abundant in coursing areas’

IRISH hares are 18 times more abundant in areas managed by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), a study has found.

There are about 76 local coursing clubs throughout Ireland and each is associated with a number of locations, known locally as “hare preserves”.

The study, carried out by Queens University in Belfast, tested the efficacy of management practices in these areas by comparing hare numbers within preserves with that in the wider countryside. The preserves are managed for hares and include practices such as predator control, prohibition of other forms of hunting such as shooting and poaching and the maintenance and enhancement of suitable hare habitat.