We must establish a close season on hare shooting in England and Wales to halt the species’ decline
Brown hares, Warwickshire | Image by: Jerome Murray - CC / Alamy Stock Photo
4 min read
Brown hares are the only ‘game’ species in England and Wales that can be shot year-round
When I introduced my first Private Members’ Bill in Parliament last November – aiming to establish a close season for hare shooting in England and Wales – it marked the sixth attempt to introduce such a bill in a decade. Colleagues like Lord Randall, Richard Fuller MP, and former environment secretary George Eustice have previously championed similar efforts to protect pregnant and nursing hares and their dependent leverets during the breeding season.
Some may question the timing of this initiative amid pressing domestic and international issues. However, as someone who deeply values wildlife and biodiversity, I believe that addressing this glaring omission in our wildlife protection laws is crucial. Establishing a close season would incur no costs, while making a significant difference to the welfare of hare populations.
Currently, the shooting season for most game birds – such as pheasants and partridges – closes at the end of January, or 1 February, allowing these species a respite to breed and recover. In contrast, brown hares are the only game species in England and Wales that can be shot year-round with few legal restrictions. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and most European countries enforce close seasons to protect hares during their breeding periods.
This lack of protection is particularly concerning given the sharp decline in hare populations over the past century. In 1880, there were an estimated four million brown hares in England and Wales; today, fewer than 600,000 remain – an 85 per cent reduction driven by changes in farming practices and unsustainable exploitation through shooting, poaching, and coursing.
Large organised hare shoots can account for up to 60 per cent of the national hare population in some regions
Large, organised hare shoots can account for up to 60 per cent of the national hare population in some regions, particularly during February and March after the game bird seasons end. This unregulated shooting poses a risk of localised extinction and severely disrupts hare population recovery.
Some argue that the shooting industry is self-regulating; however, their code of practice only advises against shooting hares after the end of February, by which time many hares will be pregnant or already nursing young. And this guidance is voluntary – sadly often ignored in practice. A mandated close season from 1 February to 31 October would provide essential protections during hares’ critical breeding period.
While some label hares as agricultural pests, this concern is often exaggerated to justify destructive shooting practices. A close season would not hinder farmers from managing genuine crop damage; they could still apply for licences to control hares when necessary.
Moreover, the government introduced new laws in 2022 to combat hare coursing – a criminal activity distinct from commercial hare shooting. While these measures and their robust enforcement are essential, they should not serve as an excuse to overlook welfare and conservation concerns surrounding hare shooting.
Hares are more than just charming creatures in our countryside; they are emblematic of the UK’s natural heritage. Protecting them is not about sentiment – it is vital for biodiversity and animal welfare. By affording hares the same level of protection we provide other game species, we can strike a balance between conservation efforts and agricultural needs.
Statutory protection through a close season would help prevent the killing of pregnant and nursing hares, and the subsequent starvation of dependent leverets, while supporting the UK’s biodiversity targets. In terms of the necessity of a close season from a wildlife conservation perspective, the brown hare is one of the indicator species for our legally binding targets in England to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, and then reverse declines by 2042.
Successive governments have promised to introduce a close season – but then allowed the promise to fall by the wayside in the face of competing pressures. It is time to make good on those promises. This small step for us could mean a significant leap for these wonderful creatures we all cherish.
Baroness Helic is a Conservative peer
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