SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



licence, and to keep strictly to their own ground. 

 But a great deal of netting is done illegally on other 

 people's ground, both by night and day pure poach- 

 ing, in fact and has become a very common and 

 lucrative business. This is due almost entirely to the 

 supineness or ignorance of the owners of moors, who 

 for the most part are not in the locality at the time 

 when it is done, and who seem to me much too ready 

 to accept the invariable excuse of ' disease ' or ' cold 

 breeding season ' for the low stock of birds on the 

 ground. 



As with partridges and other game, I have always 

 observed that where there are really first-rate and 

 honest keepers, there is always a pretty good stock of 

 grouse. Of course seasons will vary, and anyone 

 used to the moors will know pretty well when to make 

 the allowance for bad weather, &c.; but it is astonish- 

 ing how lightly moors suffer from this cause or from 

 disease when the keeper > and his subordinates are 

 thoroughly trustworthy. The only remedy you have as 

 an owner is to pay strictly by results. The details 

 must be left to your administrator, the keeper. So 

 long as you have a good show of birds, allowing for 

 variation of seasons, your ground is well burnt, and 

 all the other details well looked after, keep and reward 

 him as much as you can. But if the totals begin to fall 



