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West highland midges ...


PPP
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We are planning some walked up Grouse and hopefully ptarmigan in the autumn but are keen to avoid midges.  Would we be safe from the ravenous hoardes at the end of September ...

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1 minute ago, panoma1 said:

Pray for some wind!........but there'll be no midges where the ptarmigan live!! 

I’m wondering whether it’s worth waiting until October, fortunately accommodation isn’t as ptarmigan level!

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I go every year in early September - and have been doing so for over 30 years; in all that time I have only had midge trouble on the hill once, and that was only for a brief period after we set off and were out of the wind.

They can be a problem on low ground, but usually at the height you are to do walked up, unless it is very still, there is enough wind to keep them away.

You may well find a problem when doing other things around the lodge (or wherever you are staying) such as a bit of fishing, or plucking your grouse!

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7 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

I go every year in early September - and have been doing so for over 30 years; in all that time I have only had midge trouble on the hill once, and that was only for a brief period after we set off and were out of the wind.

They can be a problem on low ground, but usually at the height you are to do walked up, unless it is very still, there is enough wind to keep them away.

You may well find a problem when doing other things around the lodge (or wherever you are staying) such as a bit of fishing, or plucking your grouse!

Thanks, we were planning some fishing and wildfowling.. maybe October is better..

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As JohnfromUK said...a bit of wind is your friend on the high moor, but the horizontal rain you sometimes get certainly ain't! Lol!

Shooting Ptarmigan on the high tops was a once only experience for me ! Done it once, enjoyed it immensely, but wouldn't really want to do it again!

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Just now, PPP said:

Thanks, we were planning some fishing and wildfowling.. maybe October is better..

The problem you may have later is that the grouse 'pack' ....... and then they are very wild and walking up you may see plenty of grouse, but getting up 100 yards or more in front, so you don't get a shot.  You just don't know when they will start packing, some years it happens early, some years much later.  I don't know myself what governs when they do it, maybe weather, maybe stock density, I don't know.  Its a great sport, and I have done it every year for over 30 years, though in two years (of which last years was one), we had the shooting part of the week cancelled due to poor stocks.  Still been up and had a great time though.  I have only done wildfowling there once, and that was in the Orkneys may years ago (circa 1990).

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14 minutes ago, panoma1 said:

As JohnfromUK said...a bit of wind is your friend on the high moor, but the horizontal rain you sometimes get certainly ain't! Lol!

Shooting Ptarmigan on the high tops was a once only experience for me ! Done it once, enjoyed it immensely, but wouldn't really want to do it again!

Thanks, a one off for us too!

14 minutes ago, moor man said:

Just get yourself some Avon 'skinsosoft' and a face veil...should be fine in October.

Thanks, I have some of the spray

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I would get what Dave says and deet or Jungle formula plus lightweight gloves you can shoot in, try to have no bare skin, you aren't there long and don't want your trip spoiled by the black hoardes, the few times I've experienced them its unpleasant, seen guns forced out of the shooting butts because of them.

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1 hour ago, dabbers said:

skin so soft is rubbish,,

 

Opinions may vary BUT it works for me and my mates in Lancashire

i have a severe reaction to horse fly bites ( for that read hospitalisation and intravenous drips )

not had one bite since I started using it

just saying

 

 

 

 

edit....whoops, just realised this thread is about west highland midges so probably irrelevant , sorry

Edited by Diver One
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