GROUSE stocks are up by more than 25pc on most of England's uplands, the Moorland Association has reported.
As the August 12 start of the season approaches, managers of more than 750,000 acres of heather moorland report positive prospects.
The cold winter, which helped kill diseases, and a warm, dry spring, which helped ground-nesting chicks survive, were the main reasons.
Lack of disturbance of nests because of foot-and-mouth related moorland closures is also believed to have led to an increase in numbers, but this was partly offset by restricted keepering and predator control.
The association said the advent of the season signalled an injection of more than £12.5m into the English rural upland economy. Grouse shooting in England and Wales supports the equivalent of 279 full-time keepers as well as 32,500 extra casual labour days.
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