Today's the day that if you are a grouse you start to keep a low profile! Don't get me wrong here. I am a meat eater and I think hunting is probably a better way to get meat than farming it but the grouse shoot does seem to have become yet another 'industry'.

I am led to believe, and I accept that I may have been misled, that the grouse shoot only started to involve beaters driving the grouse towards stationary shooters when Edward the 7th became to unfit to walk across the moors. Prior to that I believe the line of shooters did walk a long way and disturbed their own grouse.

In addition, farming of grouse to shoot and 'management' of grouse moors seems to have added to the issues that are causing flooding lower down the valleys. See this article for details.

Is it not about time that this issue was addressed? Carry on shooting by all means but can we not make sure it is managed in a way that is better for all concerned? Including the grouse!

DtG