THE silly season is here again, as signalled by animal rights campaigner Norman Wall (HAS, July 26). He burbles about grouse as “intensive-bred gun fodder”

due to be massacred on the Glorious Twelfth, and claims most shot birds are just dumped.

Just in case anybody believes this nonsense, let me state that grouse are completely wild, not reared, and huge efforts are made to retrieve shot birds – not least because they are highly valued as the ultimate in free-range food.

Britain hosts about 75 per cent of the world’s extensive heather moorland. This unique habitat – cherished by millions of people for its landscape and wildlife – is managed by gamekeepers and largely funded by sustainable grouse shooting.

Alasdair Mitchell, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, Darlington.