Remember that the Red Grouse of the British Isles, (and our Ruffed Grouse) cannot be pen raised. All are wild birds. All the Brits and Scots can do is improve and maintain habitat and serious predator control. As near as I can figure, today's driven grouse in the UK are about $200/bird, plus tips.

THANK YOU BIG D !!! And damn the fees - what else are we spending our money on?!

That video gets me motivated to bring the grouse guns to the front of the safe and get them out on the sporting clays course. Our grouse season starts in a month, it's always very thick and hard to see both the dog and a flushed bird but after all its the opening day and a walk in the woods with Daisy and a fine shotgun is not to be missed.

Dear Mr. Spencer: I'm a Mr. Softee, too. Your sentiments are mine.

Edgar, I share your feelings on this subject. The older I get, the more reflective and less focused on the killing aspects of the hunt but more on watching Sophie, my English setter work the birds, and just enjoying what nature has given us to celebrate.

Allen, King, It's not that I don't enjoy traditional activities, and while I've only shot in one 'real' driven grouse shoot (there were as many pen raised pheasants) it is quite like those portrayed on well written shows like Downton Abbey, Monarch of The Glen; as much a social event as a sporting event. Opening day; the Glorious Twelfth, much more so. Many of the guns are invited guests, who shoot once a year, borrow a gun, which may or may not fit, and blast away. I appreciate that no killed game, collected, goes to waste, but it's not the shooter who concerns himself with those details. It's the beaters, Pickers and dog handlers job. As many I've seen could get as much joy shooting clays as live birds; not because they are a better or worse target, but because so many have the same respect for a molded piece of pottery as they do the creature they are attempting to down.
The smaller, more casual shoots of a half dozen real sports, on private farms and holdings are much more my style (not like I'm about to get invited back).
Those of you who know Peter Horn will know his venues in Eastern Europe are seemingly similar to Scotland, but there seems to be a bit of reverence thats is lacking in the Highlands. JMO

Precisely!

And concisely.

Thank you, Mr. Newell.

Our grouse season opened here on the 10th. I had an offer to go out chasing them but at this time of year they're still together in family groups and are 'stupid'. You can walk right up on some ruffie groups and they just stand there looking at you. Hunting birds like that just doesn't seem fair. I was out sighting in a new globe front sight on my .45-90 high wall on the 12th and walked into a group of sharptails that exploded all around me. There was at least 15 and I think mostly juveniles. Sure would have made for some good shooting, but I can wait a bit longer.

The airstrip I was on is a good spot for birds. On July 16 I was followed by this family of Hawk Owls, which are pretty rare up here. I've only ever seen one other in all my years here. This family followed me for a while, hoping, I think, that I would kick up sharptails for them to chase. I imagined it as something like, "ok kids, look alive, this is how you do it"... They would fly ahead of me and land in a tree and wait; when I got past them they'd fly ahead of me again. Very cool. In the picture the YOY are the three in the middle, the adults above and behind. This was not an experience one ever forgets and one that falls into the category discussed here, that just getting out into the field and walking and just 'being there', with or without dogs and a gun is enough, is plenty really. This picture below will forever, and I mean forever, be imprinted in my mind. I may forget all of your names(!), but I will never forget this view right here... ever.

This is very much the same reason I feel the season is too long, in Maine. It runs to the end of December, when there is so much snow on the ground, they are all feeding in the tops of the yellow birch and alders. A guy only needs to stand below and pick them off as he goes up the tree.

Anyone who would shoot a grouse out of a tree is a killer NOT a hunter.....it's an ethics thing.