Species - Mountain Hare (Lepus Timidus)
Location - Black Hill, Peak District
Grid Ref - SE 08633 04735
The Mountain Hare can be found mainly in the Cairngorms in Scotland, but they are also right here on my doorstep in the Peak District. This species has been the subject of many a photography trip for me, I have spent many hours trying to photograph these iconic creatures, and they have to be one of the most intelligent creatures I have come across.
One of my first encounters with a Mountain Hare was quite a few years ago near to Chew reservoir in the Peak District, where I was taking my son Jake and his mate Matt for an early morning walk. In the distance we could see 2 large Huskies chasing a Mountain Hare in it’s full winter coat, and it looked like a scene straight out of an Alaskan wildlife documentary. The hare had been running from our left to right ahead of us, but on seeing us the hare suddenly changed direction and ran directly towards us followed closely by the 2 large Huskies. Jake asked, “What’s that Dad?”, I replied “Wolves, son, Wolves”, and as they got closer I suddenly had 2 young lads grabbing hold of my arms. I was also conscious that I had my pet dog with me, so I let my dog off its lead, but kept the chain lead in my hand just in case the Huskies had a taste for young lads or old men. As the hunt got closer, all three of us stopped dead in our tracks and watched as the hare ran directly at us and unbelievably ran straight between Jake’s legs. A few seconds later the Huskies arrived but as they approached they slowed to investigate us. After a bit of a sniff around, the Huskies then turned around and ran back up the hill towards their owner who had now just appeared on the horizon.
I am convinced that the hare had used us a decoy to shake the dogs, and anyone that knows anything about Mountain Hares will know that they also use a technique called a ‘Hook’. This is a tactic they use to avoid leaving a scent if being tracked, and just prior to settling down, they will jump sideways anything up to 6 feet, where they will then hunker down. This tactic is pure genius in my books.
I have come face to face with a few Mountain Hares over the years and I have developed a good technique for getting close to them. If you try and flank them you have no chance, the best technique is to approach them directly from the front. They’re happier if they can see you, and as most of their natural predators are silent stealth hunters, I tend to talk to the hare so it knows I’m not a predator and I mean it no harm. I have managed to get fairly close to Hares using this technique and it seems to work with the majority of hares I come across, but you do get some that are a bit more skittish than others. You can generally tell when they’re not happy as their ears will go back, and as soon as they start looking around, they are basically looking for an escape route, so it’s time to stop and let it settle down a bit. After grabbing a few shots with my camera, I will then retreat back the same way that I approached, I will keep talking to it so it knows where I am at all times, and I will let it see me walking away from it so it can then relax. You don’t need a Ghillie suit as you DO want them to see you, neither do you need any other specialist equipment, and the camera is hand held with no tripod needed.
On my last birthday I was given a fantastic book, called ‘The Secret Life of the Mountain Hare’, by Andy Howard who is a brilliant wildlife photographer and has spent years photographing this species. It’s well worth a read if you’re planning a trip to see the Mountain Hares and will give you some photography top tips.
In recent years my regular spots in the Peak District, where I was once guaranteed dozens of hares are no more, I now have only one such spot where I am lucky to see one or two.
The Mountain Hares favourite habitat is moorlands which they share with Red Grouse, which are a species bred for shooting, and apparently the hares pass on a parasitic disease to the Grouse, so the hares are persecuted by game keepers. See my blog from September 2019 “Where have all the Mountain Hares gone?”
If you fancy a bespoke photography workshop to see this highly intelligent species then please get in touch.
