In German-speaking countries, Christmas is a special holiday for hunters, who use the occasion to celebrate a culinary tradition. Whether they hunt in the forest or in the lowlands, in the week before the longest night of the year, passionate hunters have a date with the “Christmas hare”.
Due to the changing climate, a beautiful blanket of snow is becoming increasingly rare in our latitudes. But in December 2023, with Christmas approaching, our mountains were suddenly clad in white! The perfect opportunity to revive an old tradition.
The hunt for the Christmas hare takes place a few days before Christmas, and also fulfills another criterion: Hunters use a small-caliber bolt-action rifle equipped with a telescopic sight. We set off for the area that we associate more with hunting red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. Over the course of the year, we have regularly encountered hares here and know that there is a sizeable population in our pesticide-free, high-altitude forests. Incidentally, we still have a small score to settle with the hares, who nibbled the bark off our apple saplings last fall.
The trees had been planted to provide tasty fruit for the hoofed game as well as the hundreds of thrushes who pass through on their migration routes. These saplings fell victim to the hares’ teeth and have since been replaced by other young trees, now protected by a wire mesh fence. Our excursion begins here – not far from the “botanical crime scene”. What a joy to see these familiar landscapes in white again.
Childhood memories come flooding back, reminding us how quickly time flies. But the icy north wind, which stings our cheeks and immobilizes our fingers, snaps us out of our reverie.
The magazine goes into place, the bolt closes and takes a small bullet, perhaps “THE” bullet for the Christmas hare. The safety is on. Now we just have to make our way through the powdery snow, almost 50 centimeters deep in places. Oryx stays at heel, keeps his nose to the wind and is ready to intervene if his handler’s shot is not as effective as expected.
It is still early in the afternoon and although the Christmas hare is normally hunted from a hide, we decide to take a short walk through the forest to at least find tracks. Snowflakes have already been falling for a few days, so the animals have had time to adapt to the new environment and have probably resumed their activities. In fact, it doesn’t take long before we notice the first signs of their presence.
The hares are here – and they are not alone. We discover a variety of tracks, including those of the fox, who must be having a hard time catching field mice protected by the snow cover. After a physically demanding hour, we finally approach a ladder at the edge of the forest. Our gaze falls on a beautiful, untouched clearing where cows usually graze in summer. Some old apple trees have shed their last fruits. Blackbirds are feasting on the energy-rich food before heading off to their roost.
The sky hangs low and announces another layer of snow on the way. Suddenly, Oryx freezes and picks up a scent coming from the forest. What animal could it be? Our binoculars scan the surroundings, but there is no sign of movement. We trust the dog’s instincts and position the gun on the shooting stick. And we don’t have to wait long. After a few minutes, two deer break out into the clearing, not far from the ladder. It’s impossible to go any further. We are now in an improvised “standing hide”, obscured by the edge of the forest. Fortunately, the snow provides good light and we can still make out the details in the undergrowth. Suddenly, something moves behind the roe deer and attracts their attention.
Under a spruce branch, a shadow appears – a hare!
The rifle is already on the shooting stick, now I just need to take aim through the riflescope. The crosshairs sit behind the hare’s shoulder. Snow and the silencer muffle the shot; the deer aren’t even startled. We pay our last respects to the hare and skin it to enjoy later, at our family Christmas dinner.