Game Shooting State of Play

After the two years or more of the ‘pandemic’ we had thought that during the last few seasons things would get back to a more normal situation especially on the game front. That has not proved to be the case and the last few seasons for a variety of reasons look like being among the most difficult in living memory. As we go through the 2025 season we’re currently facing similar problems but with hopes that some may be resolved..

There is a continuing perfect storm within the shooting community. Apart from all the anti-activity, the debacle over lead shot, restrictions from Natural England over GL43 and pest control i.e. no shooting within 300m of SSSIs no releasing within 500m of SPA’s and a host of other problems not least AI or ‘bird flu’ and ‘Blue Tongue’ the whole ‘live quarry’ shooting industry faces some serious problems. Many shoots were unable to source their partridges/pheasants for the 2022/23 season. It’s to some extent the game industry’s own fault relying too heavily on the French and Spanish game farms to supply the majority of the birds we shoot albeit with the best of intentions for early season events. Our local game dealer had not taken any birds since the spring of 2022 and although they did so in 2024 (if shot with non-lead) prices were almost not worth considering. That combined with the huge rise in costs across the board has resulted in many shoots shutting down, some permanently some hopefully just for a season or two. Those that still operate are running much reduced programmes and with major cost increases.

Our predicament is pretty much the same, landowners still want their rents but with the lack of release licenses and the overall escalating running costs it’s pretty nigh impossible to invest with any certainty that we can shoot and see a return.

In the spring of 2023 (May ’23) DEFRA saw fit to ban (without warning) the release of red-legged partridges & pheasants within 500m of some Special Protected Areas (SPAs, a European designation) which impacted on many UK shoots especially here in the east. A complete mess and uncertainties prevailed. Three of our local estate shoots totalling nearly 5000 hectares, were badly affected and were refused any licenses due to the abundance of SPA’s within their borders. Last spring (2024) that ban had changed somewhat with the introduction of releasing being overseen by GL45 but is still very much subject to restrictions. This year 2025 DEFRA has seen fit not to issue GL45 at all sighting Bird Flu as the reason!

The devolved powers in Scotland are bringing in a ban on grouse shooting without a special licence. In Wales the Welsh assembly are considering banning all shooting but may allow it under licence and in England the RSPB are calling for similar licences. A slippery slope as such licences may not be granted or if granted may be withdrawn at any time. Snaring and other means of controlling vermin are also under threat or have already been banned. The anti-shooting fraternity must be dancing with joy! How are fieldsports related businesses supposed to operate under such uncertainties?

Although there is likely to be plenty of stock available for the 2025/26 season unfortunately, many shoots may still not be able to release them in traditional areas. Land grabbing or what, when owners cannot use the land in the way they want?! No releasing on SSSIs or shooting pest bird species within 300m of one now no releasing within 500m of an SPA or SCA! Whose land is it?

Whether we like it or not the Greens, Liberal & Labour parties all appear set against shooting and the countryside in general and it’s no use relying on a Conservative government to be much different. Democracy doesn’t always work the way we’d like! Following the latest general election results we fear for the worst in the longer term.

In addition, there’s AI or bird flu and at the time of writing this article the threat has been upgraded to high in wild birds. Autumn/Winter is, as in human flu/cold viruses, the worst time. Large areas of the country are designated prevention zones whilst the whole of England is under enhanced biosecurity measures. Basically, game birds are classed as domestic poultry/livestock until released into the wild but so far remain mostly free of the disease. That’s the more virulent strain H5N1. Even if it doesn’t affect game birds to any great extent advice is it’s probably now endemic in the wild bird populations and it could potentially lead to a future ban on shooting from government as a bio security measure. More uncertainty but shoots are required to remain vigilant for any outbreaks.!  Most of the UK fieldsports organisations have on-line advice options which can be read here for BASC and here for NGO

Whilst the virus doesn’t generally appear to affect the mammalian world (although recent findings suggest it may well do so, in the USA it’s been found in cattle and in Asia it has now jumped into the human population) it still has its consequences in such activities as our end of season hare shoots. Understandably Landowners do not wish large numbers of Guns wandering their land and maybe spreading the virus across a region. Our duck/goose shooting was almost non-existent during the last couple of seasons as migrating wildfowl are considered to be among the worst hit by AI. We also suffered from devastating floods across the region in both of the last winters which again didn’t help our wildfowling events at all. Now to cap it all there’s Blue Tongue virus becoming an increasing worry in that it affects ruminants, that’s including deer to you and I but restrictions are in place for livestock in affected areas some of which impact on our grounds in East Anglia. It’s prevalent in Europe and the east of England is in a direct line of travel for the midges that carry the disease. We are uncertain as to what may be the situation for 2025/26 but remain ever hopeful of better times.

All in all, some very worrying scenarios for our business. the UK fieldsports industry and the countryside as a whole. We will continue to run our deer stalking along with our pigeon and corvid days (where possible) throughout this year whilst trying to remain upbeat about how the game season might work out. Time will tell but we will be able to offer some game days for the coming season albeit on a limited basis however only for full teams. We will also have plenty of rough/walked-up days for both full team and individual/part team days.

Unfortunately, we can expect shooting in all its forms to face continuing hostile or restrictive legislation. Please keep an eye on our periodic e-newsletters for updates and hopefully we’ll see you on some days during 2025/26.