BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-09)

BBC Wildlife 57

GROUSE MOORS

September 2020

The different

types of sport

shooting

condemned wildlife crime, the claims that

incidents are increasing are disputed by

them. Even satellite tagging data, which

show a number of birds ‘disappearing’ on

locations on, or adjacent to, grouse moors,

is challenged. Some claim the tags fail due

to technical reasons, or that birds are more

likely to die of natural causes on estates.

Is burning moorland beneficial?

The effects of muirburn is another hot

topic. Strips of heather are burnt in

rotation to create a mosaic of habitat – a

constant supply of young, more nutritious

shoots alongside taller, leggier patches

for shelter. When well-managed, this can

support a variety of species – including

the mountain hare and the hen harrier, as

well as smaller creatures such as skylark,

lapwing, golden plover, adder and the

Scotch argus butterfly. But a key issue is

whether the fire is allowed to burn into

the deeper peat layer, where carbon

is stored. According to Werritty, the

data is again too varied to draw certain

conclusions. But, as climate change

accelerates and carbon sequestration

“Scottish Parliament’s

decision to protect

mountain hares is deeply

troubling – not least

because the amendment

was controversially

introduced at stage three

by the Scottish Greens to

avoid proper scrutiny.

Had scrutiny been

aorded, MSPs would

have known that

Scotland’s mountain

hare population thrive on

grouse moors, and that

their supposed decline is

based on a widely

criticised study with an

unsophisticated

counting methodology.

New methodologies have

since been developed

and are employed by

estates to inform hare

management. Like other

managed species, hares

are an important but

often undervalued

food resource.”

RossEwing

POINTS OF VIEW

Political&pressofficerforthe

BritishAssociationforShooting

and Conservation (BASC)

Dogs, such as cocker

spaniels, are used to

retrieve pheasants

during shoots.

Muirburn has been

criticised due to its

potential impact on

the environment.

Walked-up grouse shooting

takes place on moorland. A party of up

to eight ‘guns’, typically accompanied

by a gamekeeper and a few beaters with

working dogs. The team walk in a line

across the moor, targeting birds as they

‘flush’ from the heather.

Rough shooting

Similar to walked-up shooting, but with

mixed quarry species, such as snipe,

woodcock, hare and gamebirds. Guns are

usually without keepers or beaters and

instead work the land with their own dog.

Driven grouse shooting

Unlike walked-up, guns are stationary

and remain in small stone or wooden

structures, called butts, often at the top

of a hill. A line of beaters walk abreast

across the moor, waving flags and blowing

whistles to flush out grouse and drive

them towards the guns. This form of

shooting typically has larger parties,

and high volumes of birds are shot.

Deer stalking

Deer are hunted on foot, through woodland and on

upland areas. Aside from sport, deer are also hunted for

food and as a culling measure for land management.

Pheasant shooting

Pheasants were introduced to the UK and, since

the 1800s, have been reared in captivity for sport.

Pheasant shooting can be driven and walked-up,

the dierence being habitat – pheasants are

typically flushed from woodland.