This dataset contains information on cortisol levels in Norwegian mountain hares (Lepus timidus) after hunting. The dataset includes cortisol level measurements from 20 hares that were hunted using dogs and 32 hares that were hunted without the use of dogs. For addittional information on georeferencing, age, concentration of other blood hormones etc contact senior author. Abstract (of article): Direct effect of hunting on hunted individuals and populations have been well-known for a long time. However, there has recently been an increased focus also on the indirect, non-lethal effects of hunting. When approached by a possible threat such as a predator, prey releases various stress hormones into the bloodstream. Cortisol is one of these hormones and the blood concentration is an indicator of stress levels in mammals. Here we report on a study on effects of using hunting dogs versus walk-up shooting on mountain hare blood cortisol levels. We sampled 20 hares hunted using dogs and 32 control hares hunted without using dogs. On average cortisol levels in hares hunted using dogs was 44.6 ng/ml, while hares harvested without being chased by dogs was 6.8 ng/ml. Based on the blood hormone levels of this study we cannot conclude if the elevated cortisol levels we see in the hares hunted using dogs was harmful to the hares had they not been shot. However, given what is known about effects of chronic stress, we would caution against repeated chases of individual hares. The cumulative effect of stressors including hunting is likely crucial for any effects on reproduction and survival. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the long-term effects of hunting chases and other human activities on mountain hare stress hormone levels, and to investigate the long-term effect on hare behavior, space use, survival, reproduction and recruitment.