Pledge to make grouse shooting more accessible
THE GROUSE shooting season opened yesterday with a vow to make it more accessible and move away from the perception that it is “just a sport for the very rich”.
The season traditionally starts in mid-August on the day known as the Glorious Twelfth, and a shooting party of about a dozen men and women set off into the hills of Glencova in Angus to mark the occasion.
Amid Scottish Government plans for land reform, calls for licensing of grouse moors and general opposition to the activity, industry bodies have launched a campaign to highlight the contribution it makes to the economy.
The Scottish Moorland Group claims tourism, employment and conservation all directly benefit from grouse shooting – an industry that supports more than 2,500 jobs in rural areas.
The group also hopes to change perceptions surrounding the sport which is often viewed as a hobby only for the wealthy.
Tim Baynes, director of the Scottish Moorland Group, said: “We want to make it more accessible, this is not just a sport for the very rich, it can be enjoyed at all levels from being driven to a walk up shoot – and it is available to a whole range of people.”
Robert Rattray, a partner at CDK Galbraith sporting lets, said: “You could have a day for £400 depending on how many grouse you shoot, each brace costing about £100. It can be a family day and the expense isn’t far off a round of golf in some places.
“Some of the bags can be small but it doesn’t detract from the day – and you’re going for a walk in wonderful countryside with dogs and a good group.”
But the League Against Cruel Sports is urging restaurants not to serve grouse because of the “by-catch” of other wild animals it causes, caught in snares used to protect birds from predators, the shooting and snaring of mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands over disease concerns, and birds of prey illegally persecuted.
Tom Quinn, director of campaigns for the organisation, said: “The collateral damage caused by getting a grouse to the table leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.’’
He said people are giving the impression shooting game for the table is healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly, but “it is none of those things”.
“The environment is being devastated by burning grouse moors, and millions of tonnes of lead shot left to poison the countryside.’’