In New Zealand, there is no seasonal restriction to hunting rabbits or hares meaning generally they can be hunted throughout the year. There are however, instances where restrictions apply for specific reasons and periods when hunting is favoured.

Hares are often thought of as large rabbits, but they are actually quite different. They are up to 60cm long and can weight up to 4.8kg. Their coat colour varies with the season, from a red-brown...

Rabbits are particularly well adapted to the drier parts of New Zealand, where survival rates of the young are high. Rabbit or hare? Hares and rabbits are lagomorphs and belong to the Leporidae family. Hares are generally bigger than rabbits. They have longer, black-tipped ears and live solitary lives. Rabbits live in social groups.

The European hare (Lepus europaeus), also known as the brown hare, is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Asia. It is among the largest hare species and is adapted to temperate, open country. Hares are herbivorous and feed mainly on grasses and herbs, supplementing these with twigs, buds, bark and field crops, particularly in winter.

Hares live in grassland or open country, cropland, pasture, coastal sand dunes, swamps and open areas in forest or bush. Hares are sometimes mistaken for rabbits, though they have several distinguishing features. The European hare is mainly yellowish-brown in colour, with the top of the head being a mottled black and fawn.

Hares have spread throughout most grassland areas, competing with stock for food and damaging crops, orchards and plantations. Even low numbers of hares can cause severe damage to shelter belts, young trees, cuttings, vegetables or plant nurseries. A pair of hares can destroy up to 100 trees in a night. Hare damage to a pine seedling.

Some studies suggest that hares reduce the growth and inhibit regeneration of vegetation in some high altitude habitats but in other habitats have little measurable effect. In some situations hares may be beneficial to New Zealand grasslands, in particular when their grazing suppresses exotic grasses or introduced weeds. Photograph 1. Hare at night

Adult hares are remarkably free from predation in New Zealand and are also relatively free of parasites and disease, which further promotes their successful population expansion.

There are many gaps in our knowledge of hare impact in New Zealand, including population estimation, diet composition and selection, habitat use, and the long term impact on our indigenous vegetation communities.

The European brown hare was introduced into New Zealand in 1851 and has now spread through most of the country. They are present throughout the Bay of Plenty with the highest numbers found in the eastern and central areas.