One for the Irish Lads

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Thought I'd ask you lads, as ye most likely of all to know .....

 

I've just come in from a walk up the land and noticed Small Dog, my terrier, chasing a scent about in one of the small fields. I did wonder what she was onto this time, but rather expected a snipe.

 

Then, as I walked past the end of the hedge she was working close to and viewed down it's far side, I spotted something smallish, mammalian and a warm, soft brown colour. It was sitting beneath a gate at the other end of the hedge.

 

Now, my eyes aren't anything like they used to be. So all I'm looking at is a light brown lump. But then it got up and made its way off as Small Dog - presumably - spooked it.

 

That's when I saw what it was. And it was either a light coloured, smallish rabbit (3/4 grown?) or else it might equelly, I'm guessing, have been a leveret.

 

Now, we have 99% No rabbits on this land. I might have seen one, a couple of times. But I could never swear it wasn't one of these weird little Irish hares. (Forgive me for saying that of them, only being raised in england, I've only ever become accustomed to the huge and strikingly obvious Browns. These enchanting little natives throw me all over the place)

 

So my question is this: Would this be the time of year to expect an Irish leveret? And, if so, would one expect it to be about the size of a smallish rabbit? Or am I just so old and f*cked that I can't even tell a bloody rabbit at 75 yards now?!

[Guest Frank]

Could be a hare, sounds more like it. They seem to be breeding all year round now, which is a good thing, from my point of veiw.

[Guest FOXDOG]

Irish hares arnt that much smaller than the brown hares

[jack_russels. 6]

sorry mate cant help ///////proberly your age

[macker 5]

caught some young hares in oct november and december.

last year with my fox dog.

good chance it might of been a leveret

all the best

macker

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Aah. Cheers then, lads. That's what I wanted to know; That there's no reason it shouldn't be a hare. I suspect it was then.

 

Fact is, as it made off, it did so with that characteristic, 'Bum well off the ground' sort of rocking lope. And the colour, in retrospect, was more light ginger than brown. Adult Irish hares appear almost chocholate brown, to me. Had the rifle scope on one, in broad daylight, at around 35 yards before now. Plus I see them on the track outside my gate enough. Always appear a darker brown, to my eyes.

 

I guess now I can start to pin down the colour of the youngsters too then

 

I'm getting there!

[Nell 1]

You should have noticed if it had a white tail or not when it got up and run???

Edited October 26, 2007 by Nell

[Guest Frank]

Irish hares arnt that much smaller than the brown hares

 

Agree, id say what ditch seen, was a young one.

[johnskevena 0]

From my experience Ditch the hare seem to breed close to all year round.I am stuck in the running of a coursing meeting which runs this weekend and every year after the meeting is finished we release every hare from the paddocks but without fail every year around christmass you will find a few young hares the size of rabbits inside in the paddocks that we searched through with a fine tooth comb and were not seen by us when releasing the adult hares.

I also do a good bit of netting for hares and we start in september and it would surprise you how many hares we catch that are rearing or in young but i examine every hare i catch and release these ones straight away

[sionnach 44]

sounds like a levert to me. seem to breed all year round now its so mild.