The Environmental Role of Shooting: The Good, the Bad, and the Future

Words by George Davis, Chairman of the Game Farmers Association, commissioned by our partners at Marsdens Game Feeds, supporting the future of shooting for 70 years. 

The economy, world affairs, the environment, our daily feed of depressing news. It is little wonder we are facing a mental health crisis. For us country folk it does feel that the Environment debate has been weaponised.

A Climate of Anxiety and a Case for Hope

But before we spiral further, there is reason for hope. We work in or participate in a sector uniquely placed to deliver real environmental gains. Better than that, we have been doing exactly that for years. That said, we could do it better.

A Countryside Misunderstood

The British countryside feels more exposed and misunderstood than at any point I can remember. Not because those who manage it have failed, but because they are increasingly demonised rather than listened to. It is ironic, if not moronic that the people best placed to deliver environmental outcomes are being marginalised, mistrusted, or actively ostracised.

As a farmer of many years, I have lived through constant change and often disinterested governance. Today, however, the environmental debate has become the central battle for rural Britain. The struggle is unfolding in Westminster, academic institutions, and the media, territory unfamiliar to most of us.

Thankfully, our sector does have a small but very capable army of lobbyists working on our behalf. My overriding ask of anyone passionate about our sport is simple: support them. There are several ways we can do that, and I will return to this later.

Headlines Over Outcomes

Governments and businesses are increasingly chasing headlines rather than outcomes, particularly on environmental issues. The result is a growing disconnect between those who talk about the countryside and those who actually deliver environmental management on the ground.

Social media, fake news, and cancel culture only compound the problem. These debates thrive on short soundbites, while land management is complex and nuanced. Try to explain that complexity and you risk losing the reader entirely, because attention spans now rarely exceed thirty seconds.

The Danger of Binary Thinking

If there is one thing I have learned from years of working alongside nature, it is this: fixing one problem can easily create another. Good intentions do not always lead to good outcomes.

That is why binary thinking like farming versus nature, is so dangerous, particularly in a small, densely populated country whose countryside has been actively managed for centuries. Britain’s landscapes are not wilderness; they are working landscapes and low land shooting has been shaping it for two hundred years.

Environmentally speaking, there is a hunger for change, but it must come with greater care, and less ideology and politics.

Evidence, and Not Silence

Rural Britain has not been idle or silent, but it does need to amplify its voice. Backed by the science of organisations such as the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, our shooting and land management organisations have defended against years of sustained pressure from licensing threats to attempts to restrict long-standing practices.

We have lost some battles, but it is important to recognise that we are still here. That resilience has come from collective defence and real-world evidence.

Fragmentation and Opportunity

If we value our countryside, support matters. No single organisation can carry this alone. Our sector is complex and interconnected, and fragmentation remains one of our greatest weaknesses. Communication, however, is our greatest opportunity.

Doing the Work Is No Longer Enough

The uncomfortable truth is that doing the work is no longer enough, we must also explain it.

Those within the sector know that UK shoots and farms invest millions of pounds and countless hours in habitat creation and management: hedgerows, ponds, woodland management, and predator control. When done properly, this work benefits biodiversity far beyond game species.

It is estimated that land influenced by shooting activity covers around 60% of the UK, much of it delivering environmental benefit at no cost to the taxpayer. The problem is that the taxpayer largely isn’t aware of it.

Standards, Credibility, and Accountability

That said, credibility matters. Poorly managed practices can undo years of good work, particularly when they generate damaging headlines. We must be honest about this.

Guns need to stay informed, recognise bad practice, and call it out where necessary. This was the thinking behind the Code of Good Shooting and the development of various assurance schemes. Raising standards strengthens our position.

Award schemes and best-practice initiatives supported by respected names across the sector exist for a reason: to demonstrate that good management is measurable, defensible, and repeatable.

Competing for Land, and Values

We are seeing an accelerating land grab by interests that do not share rural values. Farming and lowland shooting have long coexisted to mutual benefit, yet they struggle to compete with industrial-scale rewilding and solar developments.

While these may meet policy targets, they risk hollowing out rural communities and exporting environmental harm, as food production displaced here is simply replaced by imports from less productive, less well-managed land.

The Future: Engagement, Evidence, and Outcomes

The future of the countryside will only be secured through improved engagement on an individual level and building stronger partnerships. Success must be measured by outcomes, not intentions.

The people best placed to deliver those outcomes are already on the land. The responsibility now lies with us to tell our story better, clearly, honestly, and with evidence and with policymakers to start listening before more damage is done.

With thanks again to Marsdens for comissioning this article

Marsden's Game Feeds has been providing the UK's shooting community with high-quality, tailored nutrition for over 70 years, helping gamekeepers rear stronger, healthier birds and supporting shoots with expert advice, innovation and local service thoughtout the season. 

Marsdens Game Feeds have commissioned this four-part series to educate, inform and inspire readers, offering deeper insight into shooting and highlighting its many benefits for individuals, wildlife and the wider countryside.