THE MOOUS.] 



BY FIELD, WOOD, AND WATKJi. 



[THE MOOUS. 



fouiul iu the months of November, December, 

 and January, great disappointment would be 

 the result in the month of August. AVe are 

 aware that there are lowland moors which are 

 ahnost without grouse in tlie months of 

 August and September, but are abundantly 

 supplied from distant high ground as soon as 

 the severe weather sets in in NovenibLM-, and 

 sometimes as early as the end of October ; 

 but, should the winter be mild and free from 

 storms, the migration is very limited. "We 

 mention this fact by way of caution to those 

 who, in any subsequent years, may be about 

 to rent a lowland inoor, not to go over the 

 same till the severe and winterly weather be 

 passed, as grouse which have migrated from 

 the high ground rarely return till the end of 

 February. In some excepted seasons, when 

 the severity of winter is protracted, they have 

 been known to remain till JMarch, simul- 

 taneously moving oif on the first change of 

 weather. 



In March or April, no grouse will be found on 

 either high or low ground, but such as belong 

 to each respectively, and these may be relied on 

 as the stock of the ground ; and, as they will 

 be in pairs, an additional reason for delay, till 

 this season, is suggested in the facility which 

 is aftbrded by this circumstance, of arriving at 

 a tolerably fair estimate of the amount of 

 birds on the ground, and of the prospects of 

 sport for the ensuing season, through the 

 medium of an intelligent keeper and a good 

 brace of dogs. 



The best moors are unquestionably those of 

 Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, and Inverness-shire ; 

 and if the sportsman will take a lease of five or 

 seven years, which he will find most conducive 

 to bis interests, be will adopt the surest means 

 of having six years of first-rate sport; even 

 admitting, for argument's sake, that the stock 

 of grouse has been so reduced by previous 

 bard shooting or other adverse circumstances, 

 as to make the entire or partial sacrifice of the 

 first year expedient as a foundation for future 

 eport. This necessity may sometimes arise, 

 and should not be disregarded, as a neglect 

 of it might be attended with subsequent 

 disappointment. The sportsman will, there- 

 fore, do well, if he will permit us to off"er 

 a suggestion, to be influenced by the report 

 of a competent keeper as to the state of 



the ground, and be guided by his advice 



thereon. 



In the counties just named, the moors are 

 so good and so favourable to grouse, that one 

 year's forbearance, with judicious management, 

 admitting the stock to have been reduced bv 

 too hard shooting or disease, suQlces to restore 

 them to first-rate condition ; for, in addition 

 to the increase of the stock on the ground, 

 many packs driven from adjoining moors, find- 

 ing that they are not molested, will remain, and 

 reinforce the native stock : in fact, the efiect 

 of one year's jubilee on a really good moor, 

 surrounded by equally good ground, is wonder- 

 ful; the efiect, to be believed, must be wit- 

 nessed. But these favourable results depend 

 upon one important condition; which is, that 

 the head-keeper is a first-rate man in his par- 

 ticular department, and is allowed a competent 

 stafi" of subordinates, and all other requisite 

 accessories. If there are a number of old 

 cock grouse, these should be killed ofi", as they 

 do infinite mischief in the breeding season ; 

 but an experienced keeper will be alive to this 

 necessity, and will act accordingly. 



As a proof of the excellency of some of the 

 moors in the shires alluded to, we may 

 instance the sport obtained by three gen- 

 tlemen in one season, on the Carr-bridge 

 shootings, which comprise thirty thousand 

 acres. They are in Inverness-shire, and were 

 vieited a few years ago by Sir H. "Wilmott, 

 Mr. Bass, and Mr. S. AV. Hurtell. They 

 killed, during the season, 6,700 grouse, 211 

 black game, 400 hares, 136 partridges, 5 roe, 

 52 snipe, 26 teal, 12 woodcocks, and 12 

 plover : total, 7,554 head. 



On another estate, in the valley of Find- 

 horn, in the same shire, two guns, with a brace 

 of dogs each, killed, from the 13th of August 

 to the 10th of September, shooting on alter- 

 nate days, or sixteen days in all, 1,035 

 grouse, 144 hares, 2 black game, 10 par- 

 tridges, 1 wild duck, 1 woodcock, and 1 rabbit; 

 total, 1,194. This estate comprises only 4,000 

 acres. 



There may bo moors as good in other coun- 

 ties as those which are found in Perthshire, 

 Aberdeenshire, and Inverness-shire ; but, as a 

 rule, the sportsman will not incur any liability 

 of disappointment if he hires a moor in any 

 one of the three named counties, provided he 



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