According to his information, tolai hares can reach a length of 50 cm and weigh up to 2 kg. Despite this, they successfully inhabit the harshest places, including desert and high-altitude areas, where it is extremely difficult for other animals to survive. The tolai hare is widespread throughout Kyrgyzstan, and finding a place without its presence is nearly impossible.
The saying that Kyrgyz people compare individuals based on their resemblance to hares confirms the proverb "koendoy okshosh" — "similar as hares." This expression may have originated in a community that frequently encountered hares on their path. Their appearances were so common that it was sometimes hard to tell whether it was the same hare seen before or another one. The tolai hare is capable of enduring many hardships, but poaching poses a real threat to it, depriving hunters of the opportunity to enjoy a successful hunt,” he noted.
Hunting tips for hares were provided by sportsman-hunter Denis Grebenev.
“Even if a hare is very frightened, it does not run far away. Usually, it makes a circle and returns to its previous spot. This habit is the basis for hunting with taigans. The hunter stays in the place where the hare was startled and sends the dog after its trail. The dog chases the hare, which, fleeing in a circle, eventually runs right to the hunter. However, often the tolai hare does not even make small circles and prefers to simply run away and hide. The tracks of a hare in the snow or wet ground are unmistakable: the long prints of the hind legs and the fat dots of the front legs are clearly visible,” he explained.
According to the hunting regulations in Kyrgyzstan, hunting hares is allowed from October 5, 2019, to January 26, 2020. The maximum daily limit is 3 hares, and the total for the season is 20.
The stereotype of hares being cowardly does not correspond to reality. One of the gamekeepers of the Kalinin MOOiR witnessed an astonishing encounter.
“While in the mountains, on the edge of a sunny glade in the Min-Tokum gorge, I observed a hare jumping around the glade. Suddenly, a kite swooped down on it from above. But instead of running away, the hare decided to fight the predator. It curled up, jumped, and began to fend off the kite's attacks with its front paws. No matter how hard the kite tried, it could not catch the hare. At the moment of the last attack, the hare struck with such force that the predator was thrown off course and quickly flew away. The hare stayed in place for a while before disappearing into the bushes,” shared the gamekeeper.
