Lagopus Edit 1 Everyone

[tectak]

Lagopus

Lagopus lagopus scotica,
chuckles at shortening days.    ....the 'at' issue's already been mentioned. I'd prefer 'through', though you have 'through'on L4. But I like the irony of its chuckling. It really should be a collective noun - 'a chuckling of grice' would be perfect.
Winter is coming but so are the guns… ...why 'but'? I don't see a contradiction in the first place to justify this particular conjunction. Perhaps 'and'?
Blat blat blat, through  heather-hushed heath, ...like the 3xblats, indifferent to the alliteration. But I like 'heather hushed' as yes, the heather should hush your boot shod footsteps.
echoing down in the valley beneath, ...the 'beneath' is implied from the 'down', so it looks like you've just gone for the rhyme. Perhaps no rhyme + 'valley floor'?
filling the wind with knots in air. ...I can see, but not clearly enough, the exploding feathers, if that's what's intended. I think 'filling' is too passive a word. Also, the 'air' would be implied from the 'wind'? Perhaps you're not talking about the feathers at all, though, in which case...what are you talking about?
Sky-line beaters  black on grey,
bent to the rain, halooing away, ...nice. I can see 'em.
Lagopus lagopus scotica,
this will be your last day. ...cliched, and not a particularly striking summary anyway. How about 'it's the 10th of September today'? Or whenever the season opens.

tectak
2016

Why do they call it a 'hunt' anyway? It's not a hunt unless there's an element of danger. I'd like to see the Amur tiger introduced in the Isles.

Thanks for this.It is a short piece but I intend polishing it so all crit is eaten. It is not called a hunt...probaby and sensibly using your argument...it is called a "shoot" using the same logic
Best,
tectak