Upland keeper: cheap grouse, burned moorland and a boy’s first fish on a fly

Grouse will be far from the minds of many in the shooting fraternity by now as open seasons come thick and fast. However, there have been plenty of these birds shot and delivered by gamedealers into the markets for all to enjoy.

The sad thing is that they are making no more per brace – and I mean what the dealer pays for the bird, not what a day costs to shoot – than they did 50 years ago; in fact, not as much.

Given the rise in the cost of most other products over that period, grouse, and indeed all other gamebirds, should be considerably more expensive, but are actually very cheap in comparison.

For anyone who sells game into the open market, that will come as no surprise. I can recall the days when we could be paid for a day’s pheasant beating with two brace of birds as opposed to cash. I sense you smiling. What would be the reaction of the current crop of beaters if you offered them that these days?

Grouse are cheaper than steak, so fill the freezer

For my part, grouse are cheaper than steak and they are my preference: simply breasted and pan-fried, they are quite superb, and as healthy and as friendly to the general environment as you can get. Once duck, partridge and pheasant hit the market, competition for a place on the menu intensifies and grouse fades away.

The season is now well underway and, from the bags shot, there are moors that will shoot well into the season in order to reduce numbers to a healthy density. Prices will decrease, so if you are within reasonable reach of a moor, get in touch if you can, buy some and put them in the freezer.

Heat, wildfires and the rural–urban gulf

I did note with some satisfaction that some shoots had called a halt at midday during the worst of the heatwave out of respect for all involved, including the birds. Although it was no more than what should have happened, at least it did. Rain has been in very short supply in recent months and all moorland will be pleased that proper downpours are now arriving.

The efforts of the keepers involved in fighting the numerous wildfires of the summer may have gone some way to restoring a little respect for the gamekeeping community. People who continued to light fires of any description on open moorland – and there were plenty – during the dry period, seem to have no respect for anything or anyone, given what they were doing and where.

That continued gulf between the rural and urban populations seems to be widening rather than narrowing. It is a worrying trend not helped by many who have no idea what it is like to live where there are no buses, no mains gas, no decent broadband, no mobile signal and so on – and who would restrict the solid fuel we need to keep warm. As the old saying goes, they should walk in our shoes for a while before they ban or criticise.

A grandson’s first fish on a fly

The intense heat also affected the fisheries, with most fish simply heading into the deepest water they could find to keep cool out of the blazing sun. My stock of rainbows for smoking is rather low, but recent cooler weather encouraged me to give them a try so I ventured forth with one of my grandsons, who had expressed a wish in his list of holiday activities to go fishing with Grandad.

I am delighted to report that we got one and lost one, but my grandson’s smile when we eased that fish into the net was worth a small ransom. Even better was the fact that he took it home and the whole family had some trout for dinner. Well done, Jack, on your first ever fish – and on a fly, at that. The next generation needs encouragement; we should all try to do our bit.

Lindsay Waddell is a former chairman of the NGO and a retired gamekeeper.