Grouse Prospects 2019

The overall picture

William Powell: We are back at that time of the year again, when we make predications as to how good or bad this coming grouse season is going to be. Never an easy task and it is even harder this year! This is in part because of an almost universal disparity in the ages of the broods and particularly the number of late broods which Keepers are still seeing both in England and in Scotland. However, we have already got a pretty clear picture of what we think the grouse are going to be for the coming season.

Royal Berkshire Sporting Agency: It was only a few months ago that there was a cautious note of controlled optimism emanating from the UK’s Grouse Moors. However, and very sadly, with the Glorious 12^th only days away – whilst the excitement is still high the optimism has dipped somewhat. Our hearts go out to all those who work in the world of Grouse shooting. It is a true labour of love and to suffer back to back years of heartache must be crushing.

Roxtons: With the start of the 2019 season less than a week away and with the majority of the Grouse counts now in, it is clear to see this is not going to be a record-breaking year across the board.

News from the moors

Peak District

William Powell: There is very low stock levels and awful chick survival over most of the Peak District Moors.

The Pennines

William Powell: The Pennines is a very mixed picture, but overall, it looks pretty gloomy.  The worst Moors seem too be those at high elevation and exposed (where the affects of the adverse June weather was the worst), however, we know at least one Moor (managed by our sister Company, JM Osborne & Co), which is both high and in the west, which is completely bucking that overall trend. Indeed, they have just reported their record count on their highest lying land! This proves the difficulty with making generalisations.

Whilst there are a few Pennine Moors, mostly lower lying and more sheltered which have reported a strong showing of Grouse, again overall we think that the Pennines are going in the main to be poor and in some areas really bad.  We have already heard of a very significant number of days being cancelled and we believe that once the counts are completed, there will be many more cancellations. 

North York Moors

William Powell: The North Yorks Moors look pretty positive. Not as good as last year and with brood sizes being hit even on these sheltered Moors by the poor weather in early June, but we are confident that there will be some good shooting on the North Yorks Moors this season.

Royal Berkshire: Some Moors are hoping to run a full program, perhaps with slightly reduced bag sizes.

Roxtons: North Yorkshire is looking good overall.

Yorkshire Dales

Roxtons: The Yorkshire Dales have recently had a significant amount of rain, therefore it is likely that some of these moors may struggle.

Country Durham

William Powell: Some positive soundings coming from Durham and east Northumberland, up into the Cheviots, but again the higher Moors or those with relatively bare ground with limited heather cover, don’t seem to have done well.

The Borders

William Powell: There are signs of fair numbers of grouse in parts of the Lammermuirs but they also appear to be suffering from high numbers of tapeworms being found in their grouse.

South Scotland

Roxtons: It is common knowledge how badly the Scottish moors were affected in 2018, and in truth most of Scotland is likely to have the same outcome this year. Not only has bad weather had an impact, however disease has also been a problem.

William Powell: Slightly surprisingly, we seem to be finding a few pockets of grouse in the south and south west of Scotland (but not to any great extent!)

Central / North Scotland

William Powell: the picture for north and central Scotland is again very mixed.  Overall, reports are of similar numbers to last year or not significantly better (with average brood sizes of 3 to 5 chicks).

The Highlands

William Powell: the picture here again, is very mixed particularly on the less exposed and lower lying Moors.  However, on the higher elevated Moors, the combination of a very poor stock left from last season and the periods of bad weather this spring, means that on many Highland Moors there is no shootable surplus and indeed very little improvement in Grouse numbers from last year’s disastrous low. We suspect that Moors in the Angus Glens and adjacent areas will again by being on the east, fare in general rather better than their more western counterparts. 

Last thoughts

Royal Berkshire: It appears the tragic combination of almost plague like densities of heather beetle and freak weeks of heavy rain have devastated the stocks across vast swathes of the UK. The timing of these natural events was most unfortunate too – the combination of low night temperatures and heavy rain caught the chicks at the crucial stage when they were too big to brood but too small to weather the storm on their own.

Small and big moors alike have been hit with many reports of poor counts. But…it is not all doom and gloom – some Moors are hoping to run a full program, perhaps with slightly reduced bag sizes. So, whilst it certainly won’t be a vintage year we will, hopefully, still see some excellent sport in parts.

William Powell: For those who thought that “boom and bust” was over, we would merely suggest that nature is still the overriding force in determining whether or not we have any grouse to shoot and this year like last, nature has not been at all kind. 

Many thanks to Luice Janniche, owner of Tuffies Dog Begs, for allowing us use of her images.