As the “Glorious Twelfth” marks the start of the annual grouse shooting season, Wild Moors is calling for substantial reform of Britain’s upland shooting estates. The nature conservation organisation is pushing for action against destructive management activities that harm wildlife and the environment.

This year, a significant number of shoot days have been cancelled due to low numbers of red grouse and many estates are struggling. This is despite controversial methods such as extensive heather burning on peatlands and the trapping and killing of large numbers of wild animals perceived as threats to grouse shooting operations having been employed in an attempt to increase grouse numbers.

Red grouse are wild birds that cannot be bred in captivity, making them highly susceptible to changes in their environment. Experts have increasingly recognised the impact of climate change on their breeding patterns, leading to the birds’ displacement from traditional strongholds. Since 2018, some grouse moors have experienced a “grouse drought,” now entering its seventh consecutive year.

One widespread unsustainable practice involves setting large numbers of fires on carbon-rich peat moorlands to cultivate younger, fresher heather shoots for the grouse to eat. This has been criticised by the Climate Change Committee, which has called for a ban on burning to protect peatlands. Burning peat moorlands not only degrades these fragile habitats, but also turns them into significant carbon emitters.

Shooting estates also employ lethal measures against wildlife perceived as threats to grouse populations. Predators such as foxes, stoats, weasels, corvids and even legally protected birds of prey are targeted. With inhumane and indiscriminate methods, such as snaring, also posing a risk of harm to non-target species, such as badgers and hares, the impact on biodiversity shouldn’t be underestimated.

Efforts to increase grouse numbers through intensive management have led to the rapid spread of diseases and parasites within their remaining populations. To combat this man-made problem, medicated grit is routinely distributed across moorlands. However, this practice can release contaminants into the land, polluting soil and water, and poses a risk to other wildlife.

Wild Moors is advocating for landowners to embrace nature restoration, transforming moorlands to support wildlife and combat climate change. We are also urging the government to intervene and halt grouse moor management activities that are detrimental to the upland environment.