King of the game birds.

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.