A COLD and wet spring has cut the number of shoots expected to take place on the Duke of Devonshire's estate at Bolton Abbey.

The grouse shooting season kicked off last Wednesday – the 'glorious twelfth' – with forecasts for a poor season, following some of the worst breeding conditions in living memory.

Ben Heyes, estate manager at Bolton Abbey, said he expected the number of days shooting to be down on last year.

But the estate was not as hard hit as some other areas in the north where the Moorland Association estimate 40 per cent of days will be lost.

He said: "We'll be down on last year – it's not going to be a good season.

"We initially had some healthy broods but they've been hit by the cold and wet spring. The weather has also had a similar impact on other ground-nesting birds."

There will be a few days of shooting as it was important to the local economy because of the employment spin-offs and the fact it brings people into the area.

Robert Benson, chairman of The Moorland Association, said: "We are looking at many cancelled days. Reports indicate there may be very little shooting in the Peak District, or on the western moors in Cumbria.

“However, parts of the Yorkshire Dales are faring much better, as are sections of the North York Moors and North and South Pennines. The situation elsewhere is not good at all.

“In general, the further east and the lower and drier the land, the more promising it looks. It’s impossible to predict at this stage, but it looks as though the worst hit may be down by as much as 70 per cent, with 30 per cent being a realistic figure for many.”

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