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Grouse Report
Grouse Report 2011 Season – a vintage year! At the start of the season we were anxious that August’s first few days might be bedevilled by immature birds failing to make it through to the butts; however we need not have worried as the horrendous weather and winds in the first week served to propel the birds forward providing some very challenging sport. After all these years of being involved with grouse, I never cease to wonder how resilient these amazing birds are to all that nature can throw at them. Last Spring ended in mid April when the weather turned decidedly wintry; and this gave the North a miserable summer whilst the South was basking in the heat and turning off hose pipes. The 2011 grouse season started strongly and continued in the same vein throughout, with some remarkable days right through to the tail-end. Many moors have enjoyed record days indeed some have also broken annual records which had stood for decades. The main reasons for these prodigious numbers of grouse are undoubtedly better management techniques allied with great keepering skills. Medicated grit too has proved to be an invaluable tool in the keeper’s armoury, and very low worm counts have been reported on most moors. There is some concern that grouse may start to become immune to medication and there is a body of opinion which says that now that worm levels are so low, perhaps this is the time to withdraw medicated grit for a year. However it is a brave owner who decides to go down this route. Over the course of the season there has been rather a worrying increase in reports of grouse with ‘bulgy eyes’ (Mycoplasma gallisepticum), a disease which has affected pheasants for a few years. Contamination from infected pheasants, or birds such as corvids, (rooks & crows), which have come into contact with infection is of great concern although Mycoplasma can be controlled with medication. All that having been said, in general good stocks of healthy grouse have been left on the moors and winter weather has now arrived with snow and hard frosts. As ever we must wait until Spring to see how the grouse have fared, and later in July for a truer indication of their breeding success, but interest in good days is running high – so get in touch now! Thank you to all our loyal clients for your support over the last year. We hope that you have a fantastic Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to discussing your plans in due course
Nick, Christopher, Susan and Patsy.
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