Grouse shooting licence move sparks ‘dismay’

26th November 2020 Licensing is to be introduced for Scottish shooting estates in a bid to make them more accountable for practices such as raptor persecution. It comes despite strong opposition from land managers who claim it will make their businesses unprofitable. The Scottish government said it would bring forward legislation in the next parliamentary …

Welsh pheasant shooting season to begin despite Covid-19 crisis

Posted 1st October, 2020 The start of the pheasant shooting season begins on October 1 condemning millions of ‘game’ birds to being blasted out of sky for ‘sport’ over the next four months. The beginning of the shooting season takes place against a backdrop of an escalation of Covid-19 in Wales and Government advice to …

Another good article by Channel 4 News

21st September 2020 Is the Queen about to turn her back on grouse shooting? It's long been under scrutiny over the potential damage it does to wildlife and the environment. Now the government's decision to exempt hunting and shooting from the Covid rule of six has led many to turn their fire on the grouse-shooting …

Grouse Shooting And Hunting Exempt From Johnson’s ‘Rule Of Six’ Covid Curbs

14th September 2020 Boris Johnson is facing a fresh row over his new coronavirus “rule of six” curbs after it emerged that the government has exempted grouse shooting and other “hunting” with guns from the restrictions. Pro-hunting and shooting groups can continue to hold gatherings of between six and 30 people because they are covered …

Campaigners See An Industry “On Its’ Last Legs” After Yorkshire’s Not So Glorious Twelfth

18th August 2020 The traditional grouse shooting season on the moors of North Yorkshire is turning out to be anything but glorious. Usually by mid-August the upland estates of the north are swarming with the tweed-covered friends of the seventh Earl of Bucktooth accompanied by the dozens of hirelings necessary to ensure a successful slaughter. …

Not So Glorious 12th

Not So Glorious 12th On Wednesday the 12th August over 100 sabs descended on the Northern Peak District to disrupt the Glorious 12th, the traditional start of the grouse shooting season.  Appropriate social distancing measures were observed to ensure we kept ourselves and local communities safe whilst doing everything we could to disrupt the shooters. After …

WTF??? – North Yorkshire moors prepare for grouse shoots

9th August 2020 NORTH Yorkshire's rural communities are preparing for the start of the grouse shooting season under social distancing. From Wednesday, shoots will be taking place on the county's moorlands, with up to 30 people attending each shoot. Gamekeepers will wear visors and facemasks, beaters will operate socially distanced lines to set birds flying …

Third red kite vanishes in grouse shooting area

6th August 2020 ANOTHER protected bird of prey has vanished in suspicious circumstances prompting further concerns they are being killed illegally. Two red kites and one hen harrier, one of England’s rarest breeding birds, have vanished suddenly and unexpectedly in the same area of the North Pennines AONB since last October. The birds, all of …

Three gamekeepers suspended over killing of goshawk on Queen’s land

Three men have been questioned by police over the death of a protected bird of prey on a shoot in the North York Moors that is owned by the Queen. By Grace Newton Tuesday, 21st July 2020 The head gamekeeper and two underkeepers on the Goathland estate were interviewed under caution by North Yorkshire Police …

Scotland to ban mass culling of mountain hares

Scottish parliament votes to give mountain hares special protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act Thu 18 Jun 2020 Gamekeepers and grouse moor managers will be banned from mass culling mountain hares after Scottish ministers bowed to intense pressure from conservationists. The Scottish parliament voted on Wednesday night to give mountain hares special protection under …