NEW FACTS ABOUT HABITS OF HARES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29871, 11 July 1962, Page 20

NEW FACTS ABOUT HABITS OF HARES

About 900 hares have been collected by rabbit boards for Mr J. E. C. Flux, of the Animal Ecology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, for a study on the distribution and habits of the animals, and particularly on their reproduction. Three of the boards—Ashley. Kowai. and Upper Rakaia—are in Canterbury; the others are at Hamilton, Wairarapa. and Gore.

The collection will continue until October.- to get representative samples from a full season. Already, however, Mr Flux has discovered two or three unsuspected points. One of these discoveries is that the Gore hares are. on average. three quarters of a pound to one pound heavier than those from other districts; another discovery is that young hares will breed in their first season—something which had been observed in 1 other countries, but nbt beI fore in New Zealand. When Mr Flux has completed his study, he hopes to have at least part of the answer to a question which has been worrying agriculturists and foresters for some time —whether hares arc likely to take the place of i the rabbit as a major pest of open country. Hares are , known to shy clear of pas- ' tures kept fairly closely | grazed by sheep; but repcli lents have to be used in fair quantities to keep them away from young orchard and forest trees, and in the back country no economic means

of controlling them has yet been found. Mr Flux thinks that, although poisoning by the normal means used against backcountry rabbits has failed to be effective against hares, this may only be because the wrong bait has been used. In the back-country, the usual bait has been carrots. On lowcountry farmlands where oats have been used, the kill has been much more satisfactory It could be. he says, that no damage is being done in the back country by hares, but effort* are necessary to find out about this and to discover means of effective action if that proves indicated.

The interaction of hares with rabbits is a matter of interest to the Anima! Ecology Division, and Mr Flux's study may help to shed light on this. The division has other projects planned. however, specifically designed to examine toe problem Rabbits and hares are known to avoid one another. but whether this is through antipathy or simply because rabbits like short grass while hares prefer rank growth is not known.