Carraghs Gem 1,699 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Dont know about cork but the only crop we grow around here is forestry and cattle/sheep.... And lots of bog! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nothernlite 18,260 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 not many not alot of rabbits about seen them do it on the TELLY but seen a few take young pheasant over in the east coast because there easier and yes they will be dead when the claws get in to them what a statement do you think we are all as thick as you Thats the only thing your better than me at.....................being thick!!.. thats no what your missus says :boogy: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jigsaw 11,902 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 very informative people,you do always get 1 though in every post Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 very informative people,you do always get 1 though in every post I'll apologise for Northernlite mate...........sorry... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,585 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 There seems to be good numbers on one farm and none on the farm next door here Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Theres very little beside me but drive 5 mins down the hill and you see plenty. Mind you that might have something to do with Kettle Produce fields......... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,585 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 aye it wont help theres a field of veg one minute and its stripped the next but there big business to a lot of farmers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nothernlite 18,260 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 very informative people,you do always get 1 though in every post I'll apologise for Northernlite mate...........sorry... dont need to apoligise for me im so sorry jigsaw wasnt meant to spoil it what make you think the hares would decline the rain been plenty of rain in scotland to and buzzards still plenty hares round about us more than enough atb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jigsaw 11,902 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) NL its just that its been NON STOP rain since x mass,and I do mean non stop.only a handfull of days were dry.I was thinking the hares couldnt survive the onslaught,but I wasnt certain so I thought id ask.Its been weeks since Ive had a proper scout around,loads of forestry walks with the dogs and the odd walk on the beach but nothing much else.I was reading the bible during the week and it read,after 40 days and 40 nights of rain the land was flooded,I thought to myself,thats just a typical irish summer Edited July 31, 2012 by jigsaw 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jf1970 328 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 don't think the rain has bothered the hares at all, i'm starting to see hares where they havn't been before and plenty of them. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neil cooney 10,416 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) I don't know about hares in Ireland, because I don't know what sort of crops you grow, but over here, despite a silly amount of rain fall from April through till July, we've got plenty of hares doing very well in East Anglia. I think that a lot is to do with what sort of cover and protection they can get from the rain. Hares do very well in rape fields where the leaves protect young leverets from the wet, and I've seen lots coming out to graze on grass tracks between the fields: half grown leverets. I would think that hares born during that first hot month we had in March would be of an age to survive prolonged wet weather so long as they can keep reasonably dry in leafy crops, hedges or woods. A big difference between the Irish and Brown hares Skycat is that you'll very rarely see the Irish on tillage or arable land. The odd time you might see an Irish hare on plough you'll notice how quickly her feet get balled up and slow her down. I've seen coursing meets cancelled because the hares might have to be beaten across a ploughed field or so and the slipper will refuse to slip. You don't even see Irish hares on stubble to often yet in Britain whole meets were often ran on stubble or arable. What the Irish hare does love however is pasture, especially old pasture, the kind that hasn't been ploughed in a hundred years. Old counrtymen always believed that the chemical fertilizer put on grass for silage killed the hare. Personally I believe she just doesn't care for new grass, that's if she has a choice. As regards rape ?? I've never seen hares using rapeseed much and IMO that's because the fox loves it too. In recent years the fox has grown to love anything that shelters him from the midnight cowboys and it can be amazing how many foxes can lbe ieing in a field of rapeseed or maize. They also love these crops for the amount of rats they hold so I'd imagine any leverates lieing around would be mopped up too. The maize has especially been very kind to the fox as it mighn't be harvested 'till November. Edited August 1, 2012 by neil cooney Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PoshPikey 560 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) I have seen more hares dead on the road in the last week than ever before - as soon as the combines moved onto the land. Let's hope that means that means there are lots more this year and not that the whole lot have been squashed, In the fields opposite my house 3 leverets are surviving well and look in good health and the two adults are good strong hares. i reckon there are a number of factors that affect populations around where i live where you don't see a hare on every field. I think they are slightly territorial and if a breeding female gets taken out then it can affect a whole farm the following year. There is a big difference in numbers between the organic fields and the sprayed fields too. Another thing I have noticed more and more is the number of hares living in woods rather than out in the open - what do you put that down to apart from them getting hassle out on the fields from twunts or buzzards? I am in england not ireland but its rained here all the same Edited August 1, 2012 by PoshPikey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neil cooney 10,416 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 There's a bit of proof in the difference between the two. When the combining starts over here it would have no impact on the hares. Silage does however and I hate to see a field rolled a few weeks before silage harvesting. You could have something there about the hares starting to use woods more PoshPikey. I do know a few woods full of hares that are in typical buzzard country. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PoshPikey 560 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 theres more hares in the woods than on the fields round my way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hitcher 297 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 no hares at all around me an hasnt been for years ,,,im thinking about relocating a few Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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