for what reasons mountain hares are shot on and around sporting estates.

A report commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2006 on the control of mountain hares on Scottish estates, indicated that 73% of mountain hares that were controlled (24 529 in total that year) were killed by being shot. Among those that were shot, 32% of mountain hares were shot for the purposes of tick control to prevent the spread of disease. A further 41% were shot for sporting purposes through a combination of informal and commercial shooting. The remaining 27% were snared for the purposes of tick control, or for the protection of crops, or forests.