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Grouse Shooting & Management
Latest news, advice and opinion on grouse shooting and grouse moor management in the UK.


Moorland Association Submits Defra Response: Grouse Moor Management Must Be Judged on the Evidence
Read the Moorland Association's response to Defra's gamebird Call for Evidence, urging an evidence-based assessment of grouse shooting and moorland management.

Rob Beeson
Nov 24 min read


Gamekeepers Name Beaky Junior, the Golden Eagle Raised on Their Grouse Moor
Gamekeepers name Beaky Junior, the first golden eagle chick raised on a managed grouse moor in southern Scotland, as eagle numbers hit a 300-year high.

Rob Beeson
Oct 303 min read


Moorland Managers Invited to Participate in Innovative Grouse Grit Trial
Moorland managers are invited to trial a new garlic-based grouse grit from Ecospray and Denis Brinicombe, after an encouraging pilot on Scottish grouse moors.

Rob Beeson
Oct 292 min read


BBC Wildlife Removes Misleading Grouse Entry After MA Challenge
BBC Wildlife removed red grouse from its "ecosystem killers" list after a Moorland Association complaint challenged misleading claims about heather moorland.

Andrew Gilruth
Oct 262 min read


Not All Blanket Bog Is the Same, Says New Environment Agency Report
Environment Agency guidelines split upland blanket bog into six types by how water moves. What the evidence shows and where its gaps lie for moorland managers.

Rob Beeson
Oct 223 min read


Standing Up for Rural Workers: MA Submits Complaint about Friends of the Dales to the Charity Commission
The Moorland Association has complained to the Charity Commission about Friends of the Dales' campaign, citing evidence concerns and risks to gamekeepers.

Andrew Gilruth
Oct 195 min read


Shooting Participants Report Less Loneliness and Higher Wellbeing Than the National Average
Survey of 2,424 Guns, beaters and pickers-up found higher wellbeing and less loneliness than national figures, most of all among the over-75s.

Rob Beeson
Oct 193 min read


Defra Cites Reduced Predator Control as Moorland Bird Numbers Fall
Defra figures show UK upland birds fell 19% since 1994. Site studies suggest legal predator control helps curlew, golden plover and other moorland birds recover.

Rob Beeson
Oct 143 min read


Natural England Wants Access to Your Land: What Members Should Know
Had a Natural England request for access to your land? Moorland Association advice on the England Ecosystem Survey, compliance assurances and safeguards to agree.

Andrew Gilruth
Oct 145 min read


What the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project Revealed About Grouse, Raptors and Moorland Economics
Langholm restored heather and several bird populations, but red grouse never recovered enough to make driven shooting financially viable.

Rob Beeson
Oct 136 min read


When Applications Are Never Made: What SPA Gamebird Releasing Licences Tell Us About Upland Regulation
Natural England's 2026 SPA gamebird licence figures show why application and refusal statistics miss the real impact of upland regulation on moorland management.

Andrew Gilruth
Oct 66 min read


Before Changing Grouse Moors, Show the Evidence for the Alternatives
The RSPB says its reserve bird data can't show trends. Before grouse moor management changes, the Moorland Association asks: where's the evidence for the alternatives?

Andrew Gilruth
Oct 54 min read
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