STOCK 465 



that the birds do not see the guns, and in consequence do not alter the pace 

 and direction of their flight. The expediency of short sky - lines, the dis- 

 advantage of having settling ground immediately in front of the butts, the 

 proper use of "hill heads" for cornering the birds, and the general precepts for 

 drivers, flankers, markers, pickers-up, ,etc., are all important, but do not fall 

 within the immediate scope of this Eeport. 



Though moors should be disturbed as little as possible, it is a question 

 whether the number of driving days on some of the fashionable moors are 

 not being unduly reduced. The rage for big shoots, and the fact that it is 

 difficult to get good shots unless big bags can be offered, probably prevents 

 the full development of the minor driving days, whose main object is the 

 improvement of the moor. On most moors great advantages would be gained 

 by increasing the number of these minor driving days, and this might be done 

 without disturbing the centre of the ground, for the off days might be devoted 

 to the driving of outlying beats and high ground which at other times are 

 never touched. 



If then it be admitted that, by means of driving, Grouse may be killed 

 down to the required limit, the question arises as to the exact stock which 

 should be left on each moor. 



There are certain general axioms which may be laid down with absolute 

 confidence. The first and most important is that on a badly burned moor, 

 where the supply of good winter feeding is small, the stock to be stock must 

 left on the ground for the winter must be a light one. By good ^^er n 

 winter feeding is, of course, meant the close grown six-to-ten-years feedin g- 

 old heather which has already been described in an earlier chapter. 1 Con- 

 versely on a moor where the heather has, by dint of severe burning, been 

 brought into such a rotation as gives the largest possible proportion of winter 

 feeding a much heavier breeding stock may be safely left. 



On Broomhead Moor, which may be taken as a typical example of a moor 

 where the heather has been systematically burned for many years past, the 

 ground is now capable of carrying a large winter stock without risk. 

 On this moor of 4,000 acres from one thousand to one thousand five of winter 



stock to 



hundred brace is regarded as a fair breeding stock from which to summer 

 obtain a bag of three thousand brace in the following season. 



In estimating the number of Grouse that should be shot the bags of 



1 Vide chap. iv. pp. 71-72. 

 VOL. I. 2 G 



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