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The Hare
There is something special about a hare.
Many who have fallen under the spell of this elusive, beautiful and contradictory creature have longed to know more about its secretive life.
But few researchers have had the patience and skill to untangle fact from fiction, to reveal the surprising evidence about this truly wild animal. And few photographers have managed to capture so many rare images of the hare on camera.
Jill Mason presents a lively account of the natural history of the hare, covering its behaviour throughout the seasons, its courtship and breeding, its favoured habitats and worldwide distribution, its remarkable survival techniques, its predators and its hunters.
The superstitions and folklore surrounding the hare are explored; and the latest scientific findings and conservation initiatives are clearly reported for the general reader.
Over 150 stunning colour photographs, by talented wildlife photographer David Mason, include pictures of hare behaviour never caught on camera before.
Many who have fallen under the spell of this elusive, beautiful and contradictory creature have longed to know more about its secretive life.
But few researchers have had the patience and skill to untangle fact from fiction, to reveal the surprising evidence about this truly wild animal. And few photographers have managed to capture so many rare images of the hare on camera.
Jill Mason presents a lively account of the natural history of the hare, covering its behaviour throughout the seasons, its courtship and breeding, its favoured habitats and worldwide distribution, its remarkable survival techniques, its predators and its hunters.
The superstitions and folklore surrounding the hare are explored; and the latest scientific findings and conservation initiatives are clearly reported for the general reader.
Over 150 stunning colour photographs, by talented wildlife photographer David Mason, include pictures of hare behaviour never caught on camera before.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 23, 2021
The strength of this book is in the photographs, which are good to excellent, showing a variety of hare behaviour and habitat, rather than in the text, which is rambling, repetitive and generally in need of a good copy editor. Too often, parts of the running text are repeated verbatim in captions or in highlighted boxes, which simply serve as padding. This is a shame, because the poor writing and presentation detract from what seems to be an informative and interesting book.
The author is a countrywoman who worked for many years as a gamekeeper, and the book is written from this perspective. The subject is treated less as a charismatic element of British wildlife and ecology, and more as a potential pest, a 'sporting' quarry or a source of meat or fur. For example, a grouse moor is considered to be 'well-managed' even if 'control' (i.e. killing) of predators (to protect the grouse) allows hare populations to reach 'pest proportions' (and so also in need of 'control'). There is also a section on how hares may be cooked, including detailed directions for skinning, gutting and jointing the animal, which might be considered unusual in a natural history book. Conversely, there is little reference to modern scientific publications (and even that is presented in the context of the supposed conservation benefits of hare coursing) or to systematic accounts of the natural history of the hare.
Nevertheless, there is much of interest, including detailed accounts of the various ways in which
hares have been hunted (although this is now rather dated, since coursing and other forms of hunting with dogs have been banned), with much of the information coming from hunting estates and the people who work on them. Incidentally, this book makes it clear that shooting has always been a principle means of killing hares in Britain, both Brown Hare and Mountain Hare, with numbers killed far in excess of what would have been possible with dogs. Clearly, hunting live hares with dogs (and much of the shooting) was only ever about 'sport'.
There is a little about the place of the hare in myth, legend and superstition, but other books do this much better.
The author is a countrywoman who worked for many years as a gamekeeper, and the book is written from this perspective. The subject is treated less as a charismatic element of British wildlife and ecology, and more as a potential pest, a 'sporting' quarry or a source of meat or fur. For example, a grouse moor is considered to be 'well-managed' even if 'control' (i.e. killing) of predators (to protect the grouse) allows hare populations to reach 'pest proportions' (and so also in need of 'control'). There is also a section on how hares may be cooked, including detailed directions for skinning, gutting and jointing the animal, which might be considered unusual in a natural history book. Conversely, there is little reference to modern scientific publications (and even that is presented in the context of the supposed conservation benefits of hare coursing) or to systematic accounts of the natural history of the hare.
Nevertheless, there is much of interest, including detailed accounts of the various ways in which
hares have been hunted (although this is now rather dated, since coursing and other forms of hunting with dogs have been banned), with much of the information coming from hunting estates and the people who work on them. Incidentally, this book makes it clear that shooting has always been a principle means of killing hares in Britain, both Brown Hare and Mountain Hare, with numbers killed far in excess of what would have been possible with dogs. Clearly, hunting live hares with dogs (and much of the shooting) was only ever about 'sport'.
There is a little about the place of the hare in myth, legend and superstition, but other books do this much better.
March 28, 2016
A very informative factual read. A comprehensive view of the Hare with history and mythology. Impassionate descriptions of hare coursing and hunting where the author has attempted neutrality still felt a little like it was trying to extol the virtues of this rather cruel sport. A good read with some beautiful photography.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews