Grouse Shooting & Moorland Management: Debunking the Biggest Myths
- Rob Beeson
- Aug 8
- 6 min read
Britain's moorlands are at the heart of a vigorous debate about land management. At the core of this discussion is driven grouse shooting and the associated moorland management practices.
While proponents emphasize its vital contributions, critics often raise concerns about environmental impact, wildlife persecution and the relevance of such traditional practices.
This post aims to address these common concerns by providing evidence-based answers, highlighting the complex and multi-faceted benefits of responsible grouse moor management.
Jump to Section
Environmental Impact and Habitat Management
Critics frequently assert that grouse shooting is detrimental to the environment and wildlife, citing issues like heather burning, moorland drainage, and overall biodiversity loss.
Traditional moorland management, often motivated by the needs of driven grouse shooting, is a comprehensive, year-round effort aimed at creating a thriving ecosystem. This integrated approach involves several key practices:
Heather Management
Gamekeepers use careful, controlled burning, cutting, and grazing to create a diverse patchwork of heather at different ages and heights. This mosaic provides ideal conditions, including new, nutritious growth, for various species and significantly reduces the risk of large, damaging wildfires by preventing fuel build-up.
Peatlands and Carbon Storage
Managed grouse moors have historically prevented the damaging large-scale planting of trees on deep peat, which is detrimental to both biodiversity and carbon management. English grouse moors store between 11% and 35% of all the carbon stored in English peatlands.
While some carbon is released during controlled burning, vigorous regrowth can counteract this, and studies suggest that "biochar" (charcoal produced by burning) can effectively lock up carbon in peatland soils for long periods. Furthermore, moorland managers have actively re-wet over 7,000 km of historic drainage channels to restore peatlands and mitigate flooding downstream.
Biodiversity
Moorland managed for red grouse is a crucial sanctuary for many declining upland bird species of national and international conservation concern, such as curlew, lapwing, and golden plover. Studies show these birds are more numerous and breed more successfully on managed moors compared to unmanaged areas.
It's estimated that approximately 53% of the UK’s curlew population and 42% of its lapwing population are found on English grouse moors covered by our Regional Moorland Groups. In contrast, areas where grouse moor management ceased, like the Berwyn Mountains, have seen significant declines or even extinctions of these populations.
Managed moors support a richer population and diversity of invertebrates due to the mosaic of heather ages, and mountain hare populations are particularly dense on grouse moors.
Addressing Raptor Persecution Allegations
Another significant area of contention is the accusation of illegal persecution of birds of prey, particularly hen harriers, linked to grouse moor management.
While acknowledged instances of illegal raptor killing have occured, these are condemned by shooting organizations as "criminality" by a "lawbreaking minority," not a systemic issue. The industry actively works to combat these illegal acts through investment in the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the hen harrier taskforce.
Positive Raptor Outcomes
The increase in hen harrier numbers is evidence of successful conservation efforts in partnership with the industry. There was a significant increase of 1,150% in hen harrier numbers in England between 2016 and 2023.
The cessation of moorland management in the Berwyn Special Protection Area (SPA), for instance, led to declines in hen harrier numbers, suggesting that active grouse management can actually be beneficial for harriers.
Brood Management
Brood management is a recognized conservation tool designed to reduce conflicts between hen harrier populations and grouse shooting interests, while aiming to increase overall hen harrier numbers. This approach, included in the Joint Hen Harrier Action Plan in England, resulted in the highest hen harrier breeding success in England in 200 years. Gamekeepers themselves express pride in increasing raptor numbers, including hen harriers and merlin.
Predator Control
Legal control of generalist predators like foxes and carrion crows is a cornerstone of grouse moor management and is crucial for the success of ground-nesting birds. This practice is also employed by many conservation organizations, including the RSPB and National Trust, to protect at-risk species.
Research indicates that ground-nesting birds breed three times more successfully with predator control and shows the dire consequences for these birds when predator control ends. This broader predator control also benefits other wildlife by creating abundant prey, which in turn supports raptor populations.
Relevance in Modern Conservation
Some critics argue that driven grouse shooting is an outdated pastime, economically insignificant, and irrelevant to contemporary conservation goals.
Driven grouse shooting is recognized by the government as an important part of a local rural economy. It acts as a primary incentive for year-round management activities that underpin other ventures and provides significant and sustainable benefits for the UK’s uplands.
Economic Contribution
The wider shooting sector contributes £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy. Grouse shooting specifically contributes £23 million in gross value added to the Scottish economy alone, supporting around 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs in England and Scotland.
Moorland owners invest considerable private funds - estimated at over £1 million a week across the UK - to maintain these landscapes. This investment generates millions in economic activity annually through expenditure on staff, contractors, and local businesses like hotels, shops, and garages. This high-value tourism often occurs outside the main tourist season, providing a vital economic boost to remote communities.
Alignment with Policy
Driven grouse shooting is a significant conservation success story, sustaining most of the world's heather moorland. It directly aligns with and delivers core outcomes of government policies like Defra's 25 Year Environment Plan, the Nature Markets Framework, and the 30 by 30 biodiversity target. It is primarily privately funded, unlike other conservation efforts that would require public money if shooting ceased.
Lack of Viable Alternatives
Opponents advocating for a ban have yet to propose clear alternative land uses that can match the comprehensive environmental, social, and economic benefits provided by driven grouse shooting.
A report on Lake Vyrnwy, a publicly funded conservation site where driven grouse shooting ended, revealed that curlews vanished, bracken and wildfire risk increased, and the land now requires over £1 million annually in public subsidy, underscoring the high cost and diminished outcomes without grouse moor management.
Extrapolating this model nationally suggests that replacing basic moorland management and maintaining the curlew population alone could cost taxpayers £190 million every year.
Wildfire Risk on Moorlands
Another common argument suggests that grouse moors either increase wildfire risk or that their management practices are ineffective in preventing them.
Traditional moorland management, including controlled burning, plays a crucial role in wildfire prevention and mitigation.
Effective Fire Management
Controlled, "cool" burning is vital for managing fuel loads and creating firebreaks, significantly reducing the risk of large and far more damaging wildfires. Natural England's policies restricting burning have been criticized for "exacerbating the problem" of wildfires by allowing fuel loads to build up. The truth is that "fantasy conservation" that opposes burning has collided with the "real world" where record-breaking burns occur on unmanaged uplands.
Gamekeepers as Firefighters
Gamekeepers are often first responders to wildfires, equipped with specialist training and equipment to fight them. They also help to train members of the Fire & Rescue Service in wildfire management, demonstrating their recognized expertise and essential role in public safety. Their assistance is valued by conservation organizations and utilities.
Conclusion
The debate surrounding driven grouse shooting and moorland management is complex, encompassing economic, environmental, and social dimensions. As demonstrated, many common criticisms are countered by substantial evidence, highlighting the multifaceted benefits of responsible moorland management.
Far from being an outdated or environmentally damaging practice, driven grouse shooting underpins an integrated management system that delivers significant environmental goods and services, acting as a sanctuary for declining ground-nesting birds, contributing to carbon sequestration, and actively mitigating wildfire risks.
Economically, it provides substantial private investment and job creation in remote rural areas, supporting local businesses and communities where other opportunities are scarce. Socially, it fosters strong community bonds, offers significant health and well-being benefits through physical activity, and is a vital part of the cultural heritage of many upland communities.
Policymakers and stakeholders are encouraged to consider all available evidence across these three pillars of sustainability, promoting a collaborative approach that values science, local expertise, and the multi-functional nature of these precious landscapes. The continuation of responsible grouse moor management is essential for ensuring the long-term health and vitality of the UK's uplands for generations to come.
📧 Keep updated on all moorland issues - sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter.
