Had a great days Grouse Beating in Cotterdale on West Ghyll Head and then over to Shunner Fell.
Yeaterday was the last days Grouse Beating on Stags for this season, fantacstic sunshine, can`t believe it was so hot in November. Usually have loads of layers on and frost underfoot. Felt like t-shirt weather whilst walking but definately colder while stood waiting for the drives to start. This last month has seen much better weather than August/early September when we had waterproofs on almost all the time.
Anyway here are a few photos.
Here are a few images of Grouse Beating at the start of this years season on Cottertop, above Cotterdale and Wensleydale. This day having been one of the few dry days that I have been beating this year, so I’d managed a few pictures. Even a couple looking across to the Garsdale Viaduct and the Dales trains on the Settle Carlisle line.
So far the local shoot on Stags Fell has had 2 and a half days cancelled. Its been like late September early October here in the Dales. Driving rain, mist, thick fog visibilty of less than 20 yards. I suppose some of it can be blamed on the tail end of the hurricane season in America, but I don`t remember it ever being this bad!! At least some Grouse have been shot but nothing like they wanted.
Just a few pictures of Grouse Beating on the moorland above Hawes, taken around and over the years.
As you can see the season goes from summer to winter, starting on the glourious 12th of August and finishing on the 10th of December, hence the snow.
Usually involves being taken up on to the moor in Land Rovers or other off-road vehicles often of an ex-military nature. Then being divided into teams of beaters, whilst the guns get in to their shooting Butts, the beaters walk around the moor and line out, then at a signal start walking to bring the drive in, walking in a line waving flags and making noise to scare the Grouse towards the shooters. Once within a few hundred yards a horn is blown to tell the guns (shooters) to only shoot behind their butts, so that no-one is shooting towards the beaters. Then when the beaters have finished, the shot Grouse are picked, using dogs to find the shot birds in the heather. Shot Grouse are counted in brace where a brace is a pair of birds.
