King of the game birds.
Grouse shooting in the UK has been very good in 2010. Most areas in the north of England and Scotland have produced big numbers of grouse due to the fine weather when the eggs were hatching in May and early June. This meant good chick survival and a plentiful supply of insects for the young birds to feed on. Some estates have now finished shooting leaving a healthy population of birds to breed next summer, whilst other estates are still trying to reduce the near record numbers of birds before winter sets in. Leaving too many birds can lead to disease and huge mortality in winter and spring, resulting in no shooting the following season.
In 2010 some of the best moors have had “driven” days of over 300 brace of grouse shot by teams of eight or nine guns. Drive grouse shooting is the most expensive wing-shooting in UK but there can be no doubt that it represents the most exciting form of game shooting in a breathtakingly beautiful upland environment. Grouse, driven to the guns by a team of beaters, present the most challenging of targets and many sportsmen greatly value the opportunity of being tested by these sporting birds in the heather-clad hills. Driven grouse shooting starts on the 12th August and can continue well into November. For clients wishing to come to the UK for grouse shooting, the early part of the season offers the most reliable weather and the more plentiful supply of birds.
Walked-up grouse shooting is less expensive than driven grouse and the “bags” tend to be smaller. Teams of about six guns walk in line across the moor shooting the birds as they flush. Sometimes “pointing” dogs are used to locate the birds prior to them being flushed for the guns. Bags of around 20 brace are normal for walked-up grouse shooting. Once the birds have been disturbed a few times by shooting, they can become very wild and nearly impossible to approach within sensible range so the best of walked-up grouse shooting is had in the early part of the season.
Lax-a has many contacts in the north of England and throughout Scotland. All forms of grouse shooting are popular and availability is usually limited, so it is advisable to contact us well before the season starts in August. For more information on UK grouse shooting and all UK sport please contact Lax-a’s UK manager, Mark Ainscough on
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General information..
The undisputed king of game birds, the red grouse is the only one that is unique to the British Isles. Found on moorlands in Scotland and Northern England, traditionally the better region, driven grouse shooting is normally reckoned to be the pinnacle of driven shooting, a potent mixture of stunning scenery, deep rooted tradition and the ultimate shooting challenge.
However, a major word of warning, grouse numbers are very unpredictable owing to a number of factors that can lead to population booms and crashes, more frequently the latter. Furthermore, some regions can be good and others bad, patterns are deceiving.
Are we trying to put you off? No, not in the least. But you should be aware that in every five years, you tend to get one good, one average, one mediocre and two where little or no shooting takes place at all. Cancellations are often the name of the game for accustomed grouse shots, but then, the end result, when it does come around, is so special that it is reckoned to be worth it.
Shooting
The shooting takes place on moorlands at elevations between 500' and 3000' above sea level. The grouse are driven across the terrain towards The line of guns, traditionally between 6 and 9, stands in stone or turf 'butts' set wide apart, normally 20 to 35 yards. The birds hug the contours and, when the wind is behind them, can reach speeds upwards to 70 mph!
Bags
These can be anything from 50 to 200 brace ( 1 brace = 2 birds).
Season
This starts on August 12th, the 'Glorious Twelfth'. It technically continues until December 10th, but in all but the most bumper years, effectively comes to an end by the end of September. The larger bags tend to be shot in August and early September.
