Dozens of pheasant and partridge shoots have been called off ahead of the shooting season after an unprecedented outbreak of avian flu in France left gamekeepers in the UK with few birds to rear
That means a huge reduction in the 57 million red-legged partridges and pheasants reared and released each year in the UK. Grouse shooting, which heralds the start of the shooting season on 12 August with the “Glorious Twelfth”, will not be affected because grouse are not reared and released
There are many game birds, wildfowl and mammals that can be shot legally within the UK. Seasons which restrict shooting of given creatures at certain times of year, and prohibit their hunting outside of these seasons, are in place to ensure numbers are not depleted.
The game shooting seasons differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the below can be used as a guideline for species-specific seasons
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