With the start of the grouse shooting season on the Glorious Twelfth earlier this month, the manager of the Bolton Abbey Estate is cautiously optimistic about a successful season.

Following two poor years due to wet springs, this year’s warmer weather in April and May has meant better breeding and nurturing conditions for the wild grouse.

And although no members of the Royal family are expected to drop in for some shooting on the Duke of Devonshire’s estate, plenty of other shooting parties will be arriving mainly from the UK, but also from abroad.

“We have suffered in the last few years and the costs are constant, but this year, although not a bumper year, should be a good solid, building year,” said manager Ben Heyes.

He compared management of the grouse to farming with the right conditions – warm, settled and occasionally damp from April through to June – needed as well as protection against predators while the birds were still young.

The eggs and young birds are at risk from magpies and crows, in addition to weasels and foxes, and need to be protected for long enough until their parents can take over.

“What we need to do is harvest the surplus birds without over shooting and leave enough stock for next year,” said Mr Heyes.

Shooting parties, who book from one year to the next, bring valuable income to the area and create jobs for all those who manage and look after the moorland estates.

Moorlands specialist, Adrian Thornton-Berry, of Farmoor Services in Leyburn, said the Moorland Association was predicting a very good grouse shooting season for the moors of the Yorkshire Dales.

“Luckily, conditions for all birds, including wild red grouse, have been much better this year in most areas,” he said.

“Weather blighted the two previous breeding seasons, and we are hopefully looking at a very good season for most, which will help to recoup costs.”

He said members of the association spent a “staggering” £52.5 million a year managing the moors, resulting in 700 full time jobs and 800 more directly linked to the industry.

Across the board, shooting created 42,500 days of work per year and with the prospect of a better season ahead, associated spin-offs could be more than £15 million.

“So many people benefit from the food industry to hoteliers, clothing manufacturers to dry stone wallers, the list is endless.”

Shooting takes place until the end of the season on December 10, with the exception of Sundays, but only the surplus population is shot, leaving a healthy wild breeding stock for the following year.

“Shooting usually stops well before the official end of the season, but every day is a bonus for the local economy,” said Mr Thornton-Berry.

“But despite the success of the breeding season, only a handful of those letting days on a commercial basis will break even due to the great costs managing the moor.”

In addition to the red grouse, careful management of the grouse moors was good news for some threatened species of birds.

“We have 75 per cent of the world’s remaining heather moorland here in the UK. Endangered lapwing, curlew, golden plover, ring ouzel, merlin, black grouse and grey partridge all fare better on moorland with gamekeepers,” he said.