Brown Hares
2nd August 2025
Hares are mammals belonging to the genus Lepus. They are herbivores and live either in pairs or alone. They nest in slight depressions, which are known as ‘forms’, and their young, known as leverets, are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth.
Hares are very different from rabbits. For one, they are generally much bigger than rabbits, and they have longer ears and more powerful, longer legs. They can reach speeds of up to 40mph when evading predators. Their habitats also vary considerably, with hares preferring open areas such as fields and grasslands, while rabbits are often found in shrubby areas where they create burrows called warrens.
Under British Forest Law, hunted prey were divided into two classes: Beasts of the Chase (red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, boar, fox, marten) and Beasts of the Warren (rabbits, partridge, pheasant, grouse, quail). Beasts of the Chase were reserved to the King, but Beasts of the Warren were reserved to the landlord.