Driven grouse shooting Driven grouse shooting Driven grouse shooting is the hunting of the red grouse, a field sport of the United Kingdom. It is popular because it provides a challenge due to the rapid flight of the grouse. The grouse shooting season extends from 12 August, often called the "Glorious Twelfth", to 10 December each year. Shooting takes place on grouse moors, areas of moorland in northern England and Scotland. The name 'driven grouse shooting' refers to the way in which the grouse are driven towards the hunters (otherwise known as 'Guns') by beaters. A shooting party usually includes 8–10 Guns who
Driven grouse shooting years have resulted in shortages of grouse, to the extent that grouse shooting has had to be cancelled in some locations. This has led landowners in upland areas to substitute pheasant and partridge shooting for grouse shooting, with an increased risk of disease spreading from rear-and-release pheasants and partridge to nearby red grouse. The driven grouse shooting industry has been criticised by some conservation bodies for harming moorland habitats and for illegally persecuting predators, particularly the hen harrier, which preys on grouse chicks. The RSPB has called for shoots to be licensed, and former RSPB Conservation Director Dr Mark Avery