Defra Gamebird Call for Evidence: How to Submit Your Estate's Evidence

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Defra wants evidence on gamebird release, shooting and welfare during rearing in England.

The deadline is midnight on 1 November 2026. The MA is preparing its own response, but estates often hold records the MA can't access centrally, and those records show what has actually happened on individual moors.

Quick summary

Defra welcomes well-documented estate records, not only academic research.
Answer only where you hold real evidence. Two or three good answers can still be useful.
Most relevant to grouse moors: Q8–15, Q25, Q28 and Q29, plus Q16 and Q20–21 with direct evidence.
Questions 1 to 6 are required. Submit by midnight on 1 November.

Why your estate records count

Defra says no decisions have been taken on future policy. The evidence it receives now will help inform any policy that follows, and any changes would be subject to consultation.

Defra has said it welcomes monitoring data and well-documented operational or experiential evidence. You don't need to write a research paper.

Defra gives more weight to evidence when:

the trail is transparent and can be checked
the context is explained
the method and limitations are clear

Records that could help include:

species counts or breeding records
habitat and vegetation-management records
peatland restoration work
wildfire prevention, preparedness or response records
licences, consents and management agreements
grouse counts and bag records
records of what happened to shot grouse
staffing, contractor and training records
evidence of community, social or recreational activity

A well-documented example from one estate is still useful. It needs to explain what happened, where and when, how it was recorded and what it can reasonably show.

You don't have to answer every question

Apart from the six "about you" questions at the start, every question is optional. Answer only the ones where you hold useful records. For the rest, leave the question blank or write "No evidence to add".

A short submission covering two or three questions can still be valuable if the evidence is clear and properly explained.

The questions most relevant to grouse moors

Q8–15: estates with biodiversity, species or SSSI records
Q16: estates with evidence on disease
Q20–21: only those with direct evidence on bird of prey crime they are comfortable submitting
Q25: most estates with bag records
Q28: estates with records on medicated grit or wildfire
Q29: estates with social or recreational evidence

This Call for Evidence isn't the place for economic evidence. Defra is commissioning a separate independent assessment of the gamebird sector's economic value.

What to put in each answer

For each question you answer, cover these points where they apply:

What is the evidence? The record, count, observation or report you are relying on.
Where and when? The moor or estate, the area and the period covered.
How was it recorded? For example, spring bird counts, grouse counts, wildfire logs or restoration records.
What does it show? The factual point you want Defra to take from it.
What are its limits? What the evidence can't establish.
Is there supporting material? Spreadsheets, survey reports, maps, photographs, licences or management plans.

A strong example and a weak one

Strong:

"During the July 2026 wildfire, eight estate staff assisted for a combined 164 hours. The estate supplied three ATVs, two fogging units and one water bowser. Existing tracks and cut firebreaks were used during containment. The fire crossed one cut line under severe conditions."

Weak:

"Grouse moors are good at preventing wildfire."

The first gives dates, staff hours and equipment that Defra can check. It also records where a firebreak didn't hold, which makes the rest more believable. The second is a general claim that Defra has no way to test.

Even the strong example shows what the estate did during a fire. On its own, it doesn't prove that grouse management prevented one.

Be clear about what your evidence can't show

Being open about limits makes your evidence more credible.

If bird numbers rose at the same time as a management change, that is relevant evidence. It doesn't prove the change caused the rise. Weather, grazing or survey effort may also have changed.

So report what you recorded. For example, "curlew numbers rose between 2018 and 2025 while predator management and habitat work were under way" states an observed result. Saying that one action caused the rise needs stronger evidence.

Include any negative outcomes you have recorded. A balanced submission is more credible.

How to submit

Defra's preferred route is its online Smart Survey: https://consultations.defra.gov.uk/call-for-evidence-on-gamebird-release-shooting-and-welfare-during-rearing-in-england

If you can't use Smart Survey, email your response to gamebirds@defra.gov.uk. You can send one clearly structured document that follows Defra's question numbering, with supporting material attached. Label each part with the question it answers.

Questions 1 to 6 are required. Defra will not consider responses that skip them.

Three practical points:

Q1 (confidentiality): in most cases, answer No unless your submission contains genuinely sensitive information.
Q7 (Smart Survey only): choose "Answer questions on gamebird release and shooting".
Deadline: Defra says late submissions will not be analysed.

Help from the MA

Join the members' Zoom session at 6pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
The full member guidance includes prompts for each question and an example response format.
For help, or to comment on the MA's draft response, email agilruth@moorlandassociation.org. Comments on the draft are needed by Friday 16 October 2026.