Harey Situation

Snowshoe Hare“Hare” is a big surprise:
PENN STATE RESEARCHER CONCLUDES PENNSYLVANIA SNOWSHOE HARE POPULATION IS IN JEOPARDY

Snowshoe hares never were very common in Pennsylvania, according to Duane Diefenbach. After completing research recently on their distribution and habitat preferences, the adjunct associate professor of wildlife in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is convinced the state is in danger of losing them altogether.

* * *

“Our research has shown that these critters are really, really isolated,” Diefenbach says. “The snowshoe hare is clearly at risk in Pennsylvania – but not from hunting. Because hares are so rare and at risk in Pennsylvania, some people might ask why we still hunt them. But I think hunting is largely irrelevant to whether the species persists in the state.”

* * *

“Our research may have raised as many questions about snowshoe hares in Pennsylvania as it answered,” he adds. “I am hoping to do more studies on snowshoe hares to get a better handle on the species’ situation [‘hare’].”

Fishing is looking better and better every day.

1 Comment on “Harey Situation

  1. I have many fond memories of hunting snowshoes, as a youngster, with my father and his friends in Monroe County. They were not plentiful back then. Common method of hunting was jumping them in the deep swamps where they could be found. If the ground was bare, hounds were used. With snow covering, the dogs had problems scenting these large hares. As an aside, I spent my honeymoon in the Poconos. On the second day, our hotel phone rang. Mom and dad were visiting old friends in Mt.Pocono, and I was invited to hunt snowshoes the next day. Since I did not wish to share a hot pot of water with Mr. Rabbit, I quickly declined!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*