UK grouse shooting season opens amid plummeting prices and harsh conditions
The grouse shooting season begins today across the UK, but the tradition faces rising challenges. Prices for sporting estates and game have dropped sharply since the 1970s, with poor weather and disease further dampening prospects for shooters this year.
Grouse moors in Scotland now sell for £300 to £500 per brace, a steep fall from over £1,000 in 1973. Similarly, deer forests that once fetched £10,000 to £25,000 per stag now go for under £5,000. Salmon fishing rights have also declined, costing around £500 per salmon compared to at least £1,000 five decades ago.
On the Yorkshire moors, a day’s shooting for a party of nine costs roughly £1,000, with bags expected to yield 70 to 120 brace. Despite the high speed of grouse—capable of flying at 70 mph during the season—this year’s outlook remains mixed. Poor weather and disease have left conditions ranging from moderate to bad. The Seafield Sporting Club, which offered shooting facilities near Grantown-on-Spey, closed earlier this year. Ian Duncan, factor of the Seafield Estates, oversees the land along the River Spey. Meanwhile, some of today’s grouse will be served at the Savoy hotel, prepared with their own liver pâté. Beaters, flankers, and dogs are already in action as the season kicks off. Yet the decline in prices and challenging conditions suggest a tougher year ahead for estates and shooters alike.
The drop in prices reflects broader changes in sporting estates and game management. With lower values for deer forests, grouse moors, and salmon rights, the industry must adapt to shifting economic and environmental pressures. Today’s opening marks the start of a season shaped by these ongoing challenges.
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