2J2 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



they should have done, depend upon it, in nine cases 

 out of ten, this was caused by a slight touch of grouse 

 disease a scourge that may break out in virulent 

 form in the present season, the first year of your 

 tenancy, that is ! 



Disease is primarily the result of allowing the birds 

 to become too crowded on the ground. In England 

 this over population is caused by ' driving ' a system 

 of shooting that leaves a large proportion of young 

 birds for breeding (the old ones, coming first to the 

 shooters when driven, are killed in large proportion). 

 In Scotland the grouse are greatly encouraged to 

 increase by the merciless destruction of vermin, a 

 careful attendance to heather burning, the protection 

 accorded to game eggs, and from a universal preserva- 

 tion with a view to the letting or selling value of the 

 moors being increased. 



There are, however, both English and Scotch 

 moors, on which a limit to the yearly bag is enforced, 

 which would be saved from disease, and would thus 

 average a better bag over a term of years, were such 

 limit much exceeded, as in some cases it could be. 



Except in very few districts, grouse disease will 

 have its way ; it is sure to come sooner or later, and 

 usually visits a moor in a bad form about once in every 

 seven to eight years. 



If, for example, you hire a moor for several 

 years with the idea that because it has not suffered 

 from disease for the past five or six years it is not 



