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Despite its currently declining numbers, the European brown hare is still common and one of the most important game species throughout the country. The dynamics of European brown hares seem resilient to even heavy hunting pressure, though local population dynamic data may be needed to ensure sustainable harvest. In Denmark hunting of European brown hares is generally assumed to be without regulating effect. The European brown hare is a typical grass steppe herbivore, and inhabits primarily open landscapes, including cultivated farmland, which is the predominant landform in Denmark. The species is rather sedentary, and has generally small home ranges. This site fidelity makes European brown hares highly susceptible to changes in their surrounding habitats, and the general decline in the European brown hare populations in Europe is mainly being attributed to changes in agriculture practice and land-use .
European brown hares are important prey primarily for mammalian predators. In Northern Europe, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the main predator on European brown hares, and foxes have been reported to influence the dynamics of several European brown hare populations substantially. Also, infectious diseases such as the European brown hare syndrome virus, pseudotuberculosis, pasteurellosis and coccidiosis are present in many European brown hare populations. Haerer et al, however, concluded that diseases were not responsible for the decline of brown hare populations in Switzerland. Similarly, Frölich et al. found that compared to red foxes, infectious diseases seemed to play a minor role in the dynamics of European brown hare populations in Germany.
