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Mountain hare

Scientific name: Lepus timidus

Field notes

Appearance

Mountain hares are stocky with relatively short ears and hind legs compared to brown hares. They moult seasonally—brown or grey in summer, white in winter in northern populations—with a distinctive black ear-tip year-round; males are noticeably smaller than females.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 2.5–3.5 kg (males smaller; females up to 4 kg); body length 45–60 cm.

Habitat

Mountain hares inhabit upland terrain including moorland, tundra, heathland, and sparse alpine vegetation above 300 m elevation. They favour open or lightly vegetated areas with good visibility and escape cover provided by rocks, shallow scrub, and rough ground.

Distribution

Found across northern and upland Britain (Scottish Highlands, Pennines, Lake District), Scandinavia, Russia, and alpine regions of central Europe, preferring exposed high ground with minimal tree cover.

Diet

Mountain hares browse low-growing moorland plants including heather, bilberry, grasses, and sedges; in winter they strip bark and eat woody shoots and lichens.

Behaviour

Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, lying tight in shallow forms during the day; they are solitary or in loose aggregations, moving in short bounds when disturbed and covering considerable ground at night.

Hunting tips

Search for droppings (small, round pellets) and prints (hind foot ~8 cm) in soft ground or snow near forms in vegetation. Approach into wind across open terrain using undulations and rock outcrops for cover, moving during low-light periods when hares feed. Stalking requires patience; glass distant slopes and stalk sitting animals carefully, as they bolt with little warning.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 13 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

Current language: en

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.