New conservation project for hares in Scotland

About our feeds

Home
News

| Next

Tuesday, 08 April 2008

Scottish Power offers a bounty for live hares as the company aims to reintroduce them to a site near its wind farm at Beinn an Tuirc

A power company’s new scheme is offering estates a bounty of £30 for every live hare they can supply as part of a conservation project at a wind farm. The idea has been branded as “hare-brained” by the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association (SGA).

ScottishPower Renewables hopes to reintroduce a population of mountain hares 4km to 5km from its Beinn an Tuirc windfarm site in Argyll and Bute. It
is hoped that the animals will draw a pair of golden eagles away from the wind turbines by acting as prey.

“What is being suggested is both cruel and impractical. Hares are extremely nervous creatures and if you catch one it’s likely to die from fright before you are able to transfer it to a new patch of ground. Releasing it in an area that is not keepered and where foxes and crows live in abundance is utterly pointless,” SGA’s chairman Alex Hogg told Shooting Times.

He added: “Golden eagles will fly wherever they want to believe they can be directed to a safe feeding ground is laughable. It certainly won’t stop them flying into the wind turbines.”

The rest of this article appears in 10th April issue of Shooting Times.

What is YOUR opinion on reintroducing hares? Join other ST readers in our forums to discuss your views.

Like this article? Mark this page on a social bookmarking website...

de.licio.us

reddit

digg

What are social bookmarking sites?

National Shooting Week starts May 3rd

Around 200 public open days are being organised na...

Shooting licences in Scotland cause confusion

As a result of pressure from the National Gamekeep...

Gundogs Training

Will kennels cause bad habits in my gun dog?

I have a 14 month-old lab dog who will have to put him in kennels for ... Read more

Gundogs Events

United Retriever Club final working gun dog tests

The Bucks Area of the URC held their final working gun dog tests for t... Read more

Gundogs Health

Should I breed puppies from litter sisters simultaneously?

Is it better to take one gun dog litter at a time?... Read more

Comments

Shooting Gazette July 2009

NEW AND IMPROVED - Driven shooting's finest journal

AUGUST ISSUE Sporting Gun 2009

ON SALE NOW!

The Field July 2009 issue

GAME FAIR SPECIAL including our guide to the juiciest bargains

Shooting Times & Country Magazine

In this week's issue (on sale 2nd July) shadow DEFRA secretary Nick Herbert MP answers questions on his views on various shooting issues - news on the newly launched Scottish Natural Heritage project to track rare red kites in Scotland and how BASC Scotland uncovered misleading information in the DCS stalking consultation - plus don't miss your chance to win a a team entry to the CLA Celebrity Clay Shoot at the Game Fair worth over £800. Buy yours today!