The sport of grouse shooting is a prominent feature of Scotland’s history. Having begun as a past-time for the wealthy landowners and royalty of the country, it continues into present day as a source of revenue, with a large... [ view full abstract ]
The sport of grouse shooting is a prominent feature of Scotland’s history. Having begun as a past-time for the wealthy landowners and royalty of the country, it continues into present day as a source of revenue, with a large proportion of Scotland’s privately-owned land still managed to support red grouse Lagopus lagopus scotius. Gamekeepers are employed by shooting estates to carry out this form of land management, and traditionally live in tied-in accommodation supplied by their employer. It was also common for keepers to remain close to the area in which they were born, following in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers. Gamekeeping was therefore seen as a traditional and respectable profession for those living in such communities, holding both cultural and economic value for rural areas.
However, grouse moor management – and the way in which it is viewed – has changed, especially in recent decades. Land management mainly to support driven shoots – which require higher numbers of grouse - has intensified. Improved accessibility and advances in technique have led to more efficient muirburn, the introduction of medicated grit to combat parasites, and increased predator control. Furthermore, factoring agencies, with the purpose of increasing profitability, are increasingly being brought in to “save” failing estates - viewed by some as a movement away from the more ‘traditional’ practices. Alongside this, outside parties – particularly the conservation sector – have expressed feelings of concern and even anger towards some management practices, making claims of environmental damage and illegality. Specifically, concerns regarding the illegal killing of protected raptor species – which evidence suggests is linked to driven grouse moors – has strengthened negative perceptions of the industry, and has been the driving force behind public protests and campaigns calling for regulation of shooting practices, or even a complete blanket ban of the sport. Driven grouse shooting has become, for many, an “unacceptable” form of land use, and one that has no place in modern society. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with ten gamekeepers from across Scotland, and examined how they responded to the challenges made against their industry. We identified five key narratives that denote the ways in which keepers react to this pressure: 1) the ‘despondent’ narrative, conveying a loss of hope; 2) ‘defence’ of their way of life and the integrity of the profession; 3) ‘resistance’ to the perceived dominance of conservation organisations and the pressure to change; 4) ‘compliance’ - e.g. “The industry needs to change”; and 5) ‘blame’, accusing others of causing the negative perception of the industry. This latter narrative is also tied in with internal conflicts – the need to distinguish themselves from “bad” keepers, and feelings of frustration at being labelled as one entity. We provide a unique and before unexplored insight into the responses of gamekeepers towards the challenges made to their industry, and argue that it is only through examining these responses that we may begin to understand important behaviours – such as unwillingness to collaborate and illegal activity.
Topics: Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: “Other” Species in Europe
