How fast can a hare run?

baaba maal

I'm lucky enough to regularly see hares in my garden (apart from an odd bit of munching on my plants) but was lucky enough to see a male (presumably) chasing a female round and round the garden. I wouldn't be for coursing so don't want to ask on hunting/coursing forums, but does anyone know just how fast they can run? These two were unbelievable to watch both in straight line speed and ability to change direction, a bit like O'Driscoll in his prime:D

foxy farmer

baaba maal wrote: »

I'm lucky enough to regularly see hares in my garden (apart from an odd bit of munching on my plants) but was lucky enough to see a male (presumably) chasing a female round and round the garden. I wouldn't be for coursing so don't want to ask on hunting/coursing forums, but does anyone know just how fast they can run? These two were unbelievable to watch both in straight line speed and ability to change direction, a bit like O'Driscoll in his prime:D

European hares can reach up 35mph and american variety up 40mph. Can leap up to 10ft. Could be male and female having tiff over a bit of "nookie" Have a few here too. The local hunt know this and if the dogs are out of luck they come back here. Wish they'd keep out but can't say much as both next door neighbours keep harriers. Nearly fell over a sleeping hare sometime back. When he jumped up I moved almost as fast as he did. Just took off and disappeared in the grass again. I think there's a place in Wexford that is rampant with them. Coursing clubs would go there to trap them.

baaba maal

Wow- my old Fiesta would be hardpressed to get to that! Yeah, I guessed love was in the air alright. We had a mother and leveret grazing in the garden every day for a couple of months. Lovely to see.

By harriers do you mean hunting dogs? Surely you can ask the hunt to go round your property anyway?

As an aside I was lucky enough to nearly step on a pergrine falcon once-it was on an island with no trees so it used to watch for prey while perched on two foot tall tubledown stone walls. The thing took off as if it was part of NASA spacelaunch- unbelievable sight.

Birdnuts

foxy farmer wrote: »

European hares can reach up 35mph and american variety up 40mph. Can leap up to 10ft. Could be male and female having tiff over a bit of "nookie" Have a few here too. The local hunt know this and if the dogs are out of luck they come back here. Wish they'd keep out but can't say much as both next door neighbours keep harriers. Nearly fell over a sleeping hare sometime back. When he jumped up I moved almost as fast as he did. Just took off and disappeared in the grass again. I think there's a place in Wexford that is rampant with them. Coursing clubs would go there to trap them.

Interesting - I encountered African Hares on my trips to Kenya, I wonder what speed they hit given that they occasionally come to the attention of Cheetahs

petertgtt

Not sure but Im sure they can out run a fox. I was on the train to Dublin from Kerry and was amazed to see, sitting in a field, a fox and a hare staring at eachother in close proximity. That hare must have been confident.

axe2grind

Not as fast as Tortoise

baaba maal

axe2grind wrote: »

Not as fast as Tortoise

I see what did there:rolleyes: