Grouse Prospects for 2009

 2009 GROUSE PROSPECTS...Adrian Blackmore

The red grouse is unique to the United Kingdom. Fabulous to eat, natural and free range, it is also truly wild, for unlike pheasant and partridge, its population is not maintained or increased by the release of birds which have been hatched or reared in captivity. It is only found in those areas that are dominated by heather moorland, and lives on the moor all year round, but its susceptibility to predation, disease, weather and loss of suitable habitat has a significant impact on its survivability, and careful management therefore has to take place throughout the year to try and ensure a healthy breeding stock. But with all the factors against them, no moor owner can tell from one year to the next whether there will be a sufficient surplus of grouse to shoot in a season or not; and it is the income from shooting which pays for that management.  Whilst 2008 was a record breaking season for many moors, the prospects for some of those in 2009 are more varied, with a number having insufficient grouse to allow any shooting to take place at all.

Near to Rule’s country estate at Lartington in Teesdale is the village of Blanchland, which is surrounded by some of the Country’s finest grouse moors. Rob Mitchell, whose family live just across the River Tees at Lartington, is the head keeper on one of those; the Hunstanworth and Newbiggin estate. This year was the 60^th anniversary of the Yorkshire Gundog Club’s Field Trials on the Estate, and during this a number of healthy broods of young grouse were seen, but it was not until the middle of July that Rob and his under-keeper carried out the annual grouse count which determined how many days shooting, if any, may be possible. And their hard work throughout the year had been rewarded. Whilst the numbers might be slightly down from 2008, there were sufficient grouse seen to allow what will hopefully be a good season. But that could change at any stage, and the situation will be re-assessed after each day’s shooting to ensure that there are sufficient grouse to shoot without damaging the breeding stock. There is therefore always a possibility that days arranged for later in the season could be cancelled; or conversely additional days could be added if it looks as though too many grouse would remain at the end of the season, as this can actually result in there being fewer birds the following year.

Paradoxically, it is due to shooting that the red grouse is not on the endangered species list, and remains in high demand throughout the country as one of the healthiest meats available today.