The sun., 1919-10-05
ENGLAND REVIVES
GROUSE HUNTING
Sportsmen Joyfully Go Afield
After Missing Season for
Five Years.
BIRDS NOT PLENTIFUL
Long Continued Drought Dur
ing the Spring Trimmed
Out the Conveys.
BIRDS NOT PLENTIFUL
Special Correspondence to Tnn sus.

NOfTCSDONucWCo
LONDON, Sept. 22.-Favored by glori-
our weather. the grouse hunting sea-
son which opened last month. has been
resumed throughout England. Scotland
and Wales after five years. with I'M
bounded Joy. those who have missed
their season Of shooting during the war
years, opened the great gun cases OF
country homes and took to the moors in
thousands relieved OF any prick Of con-
science which of late years has pre-
vented sportsmen from INDUCING in what
seemed to be trivial enjoyment while
conflicts ragged In the theaters of war
There were more sportsmen on the
Scottish moors during the past few
weeks than at any time since 1919, but
the birds were not as plentiful as OF
yore. In Eksdale and Liddesdale. coun-
Try where record Scottish bags have been
obtained in the past, many parties Jared
orth but returned with poor results
rhe coveys were only average in num-
Der at the height of the breeding season
May and June thinned them out every
where. However, the birds were strong
IN the wing.
Bags Are Small.
Sportsmen were out early on the Duke
u Devonshire's moors and on the best
lays bagged only from thirty to forty
birds. Throughout North Wales, the
hooting was all that could be desired
rhe Duke of Westminster entertained
large party including Captain w. Best
ord Kenyon, Lord Howard de Warden
md Sir Watkin Williams at his place
Denbighshire, while Sir Henry Rob
rtson opened his place In Merioneth-
'hire. In Carnarvonshire there were few
uns out at first, but later Lord Penrhyn
ook out a party to shoot over his moors
,ear Bettws-y-Coed.
In Northeast Yorkshire, the Earl of
Marlborough with Sir Paul Makins and
captain the Hon. George Saville shot
,ver the Arden and Hardy moors and the
;arl of Feversham with Colonel Dun.
ombe were on Hemsey moors. Mr.. J
Gill opened the Crofton Hartoft moors.
Hon. Gervase Beckett took a party to
Nawton moors.
Some of the country around Teesdale.
wensleydale and Swalesdale is reported
well stocked, but the moorland fires
which broke out late in May spoiled a
good portion OF the Wensieydale coun-
try These lands are not likely to- re-
cover for several years.
The famous moors of the Duke of
Devonshire in Wharfdale have been
| leased this year by Colonel E. W. Stany
forth. On several OF the Cumberland
In nd
have improved as the season continued.
Lord Lonsdale and his party were on
Shap Fells and had satisfactory results
considering the shortage of birds. Per-
taps the most successful party of the
season was that Of Canon Hasell on
Carrock. Shropshire's season Is reported
as a complete failure. the birds being
old and slow on the wing and exteremly
few in number.
Ia Britain's own Bird.
No bird attracts the English sports
man as does the grouse. 1t is Britain's
own bird, a native OF Scotland and all
her Islands, of Wales and OF the peat
boys Of Ireland and the moors Of Eng
and. When the season for shooting
opened this year. the trains for the North
out of London were jammed with parties
while the luggage vans bristled with
gunf and gun cases. It was the Peace
season more welcome than ever before
in all the history OF hunting seasons.
In several instances officers who have
been flying during the war. took their
planes to Scottish moors and after a day
in the coverts flew back to London to
have their birds prepared for the evening
meal
One British aeroplane firm inausu-
rated an air express service to get the
grouse to London to be placed upon
restaurant tables the same day they
were killed. Lord Derby, England's am
bassador to France. pining In Paris for
the taste of grouse from his moors. had
them brought to him by air post and
dining that evening he could almost
picture himself back in Highland coun-
try happy after day afield RECALLED with
the succulent birds.