The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Shots signal start of grouse season
● First shots ring out to mark the ‘Glorious Twelfth’
The UK’s grouse shooting season has officially begun, with mixed prospects as the industry recovers from a poor season last year.
Monday marked the Glorious Twelfth, as it is known by game hunting enthusiasts.
The season runs for 16 weeks to December, drawing visitors from Europe and North America.
But in Scotland, many grouse moor owners will not be shooting at all this year, according to rural property consultants Galbraith.
Late, heavy snow followed by very dry and hot conditions last year reduced the number of the game birds successfully breeding.
Partner Robert Rattray said: “Those lucky enough to have a surplus of grouse will likely only be shooting a small number of days, mostly with family members and a core of regular clients.
“Grouse counts have shown better conditions prevailing in the east of Scotland than the west and in some areas there is a surplus which may enable some shoot days.
“The good news is that we are beginning the process of gradual restoration following last year.”
Environmental and animal welfare campaigners say driven grouse shooting, where the birds are driven towards the hunters by beaters, is cruel and want to see it banned.
They say predators such as foxes and stoats are killed to keep grouse numbers up, and have expressed concern over the disappearance of a number of birds of prey over grouse moors in recent months.
Moorland groups meanwhile cite a positive social and economic impact of shooting tours, and say managed grouse moors support many other wild species, including mountain hares.
A statement issued by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, Scottish Land & Estates and the Scottish Association for Country Sports said: “As part of a mosaic of sustainable land uses supporting fragile rural economies, we believe there is a bright future for grouse moor management in Scotland.”
But the Scottish Greens countered, saying research shows that almost any other use of the land would be more economically active and provide more jobs.