Photographing Hares

My wife really like hares and would like a few photos to adorn the

living room wall. As the keen snapper in the family I have been given

the task. This is somewhat different to my usual photography projects

(portraits, landscapes and a few garden birds)so I would appreciate

any advice going on how to capture these rather elusive beasts on

film. I live in the SW of England (near Stonehenge) and have an

EOS1n and telephotos up to max 400mm at my disposal.

Cliff, I'm thinking you should be looking for a nice place with lots of nice hare habitat, where people are often present, but where dogs are not allowed. This usually means a golf course, as in my experiance (Alaskan as it is) most public parks are actually public dog walks. The persistent presents of dogs (even well behaved ones on leashes) tend to make hares either absent entirely or at least make them rather elusive. It's likely after a tour of the golf courses within your easy travel radius you'll find an isolated population that aren't shy around people, and will just assume your tripod and lens is some sort of strange golf-related gear, paying you little mind as you snap a roll or two. Good hunting! Hans

A few years ago when I was working as a volunteer bird warden in the Lake Distrct we were driving past a field and stopped to look for birds (something we did every five mins of any drive!). The field we pulled up next to also had a very large hare in it, we stayed in the car and the hare ran up to within 6 feet of us and seemed completely oblivious to us. I was surprised at this. So if you can find a road side field you may have success photographing from the car. Hares are a popular nature subject especially with their mating time antics so I would also imagine you will be able to find some books with some advice.

Another spot you may have luck is along bike trails that run along fields and wooded areas. Provided the area is not jammed with houses, I've seen many hares and other small mammals along trails passing through even rather developed suburban areas.

I found a lot of hares on the bike tracks(North East US). Choose the one that is rather isolated. I have watched a number of hares in the evening. Usually look for a clearing near a bush and crouch low against the bush when you spot one and move closer when it starts grazing. I was able to get pretty close to a couple of them and was able to take pictures. Another observation, if I had scared a hare into the bush, waiting in that area for it come out is of no use. It doesn't come back so soon. I walk awy and come back later. Good luck.

I've seen lots of hares in the fields bordering the uplands on

Dartmoor, Exmoor and Salisbury Plain. At lower levels I mostly saw

rabbits. The hares were active throughout the day, but the largest

numbers were visible out in the fields at dawn and dusk. If I sat

still, kept off the skyline and was wearing dull clothing, they would

approach close enough that a 400 mm would have given frame-filling

shots. A portable hide would probably make life easier than trying to

blend into the edge of a wood or a cleft in a Tor.

You may want to try a public zoo. I used to get so close to them by walking very very slowly.

Hi Cliff

 

The most important thing to remember is that Hares are relatively small animals, so make your attempts after harvest time and before Late May in England. Use your car as a hide if possible. Maybe a friendly farmer will allow you onto one of his fields. Early & late in the day is the time to look.

 

I was once taken by vehicle onto some land surrounding my village in Hertfordshire, to find Hares - we found about 30. No one would have known of that number in such a small area.

 

Good hunting

 

Les Borg