News

2002 GROUSE SHOOTING PROSPECTS FROM THE MOORLAND ASSOCIATION

12th July 2002

News Release
Friday 12th July, 2002

RECENT RAIN WILL MEAN ‘NO’ TO A BUMPER SEASON
2002 Grouse Shooting Prospects from the Moorland Association

Moorland owners’ hopes for a bumper grouse shooting season this year have been dashed by the recent cold weather and heavy rain, the Moorland Association reported today (12th July). However the season, which starts in a month’s time, is still expected to be a good one in many parts of the country.

Said Simon Bostock, Chairman of the Moorland Association: “High hopes following a cold dry spell before Christmas were dampened by a wet, mild late winter but fortunes reversed following a fine spring which put birds in ‘good order’ and encouraged early chick survival. As grouse are a completely wild bird, moor owners carry out careful counts in the spring and in the summer over the same piece of ground. This helps to calculate the number of breeding pairs and their success in raising young, and from this determine the shootable surplus of grouse each year. Leaving enough healthy young stock to breed the following year is of paramount importance, so this counting process is a very necessary activity.”

Numbers on the North York Moors are expected to be up on last year and owners are anticipating probably the best year’s shooting since 1997. Temperatures in the area have been warmer than over the last 3 or 4 years during late May and June and this will have mitigated against losses due to wet and stormy weather. It has been noticed that birds have hatched over a longer period than normal – perhaps due to the dry March and April leading to early laying.

In the southern Yorkshire Dales, the cold wet weather over the last five weeks seem to have turned what looked like being an above average year into a moderate one. Nidderdale was particularly badly affected by a storm on the 14th June. The signs are that brood sizes have diminished considerably, especially the later hatches.
Contd/2
Grouse Prospects/2

There is more optimism on the more northerly moors in the Yorkshire Dales where the storms were not so severe, and spring pair counts were good, with birds in good condition.

Cumbria, South West Northumberland and Durham have also been affected by the wet weather, were some early broods did well, but bad weather and disease knocked numbers down from last year’s exceptionally high counts.

However, there is more optimism in north Northumberland where the hope is for the best year since 1995. It is also reported that heather is now returning to areas where sheep have been removed, particularly in Cumbria, in the aftermath of the effects of the FMD epidemic. Even areas that have not had heather for years - known as ‘white ground’ - are now showing signs of heather recovery.

The moors in Lancashire are still recovering slowly and most owners will conduct light shooting ensuring a strong population to build on again next year. Broods numbers were high at spring counts and the hen birds were fit, but again the recent weather has taken its toll.

Moving South, West Yorkshire and North Derbyshire are hoping for a reasonable year, but not up to the standards of 1997. Early hopes for an excellent season were dashed by a storm on June 12th in the area. Coming after two sunny days, many eggs hatched and then the tiny birds were pelted with hail.

In the Peak District, the prospects for the eastern moors are quite good following on from a generally good year in 2001. Hopefully grouse bags will be slightly up on last year following a good nesting season and so far no reports of serious disease. The western moors are less certain, having taken the brunt of the weather.





Contd/3



Prospects/3

To end on a positive note from over the border, the Heather Trust reports that 2002 is going to be a ‘useful’ grouse year in Scotland, with well-grown broods and good numbers of young. Despite the almost complete absence of rain-free days in May and June over much of central and south Scotland, chick survival has been good with reports being received of broods averaging 7 young from as far afield as Dumfries-shire, the Lammermuirs and Grampians.

The depths of winter were cold and frosty, and February and March – although wet- showed a consistent weather pattern with steadily increasing temperatures in the crucial period up to egg-laying. This helps to produce healthy hen birds, which then lay quality eggs leading to chicks of high viability.

- Ends –


Note to Editors:
More information about the work of the Moorland Association can be found at: www.moorlandassociation.org