The Shooting World by Numbers - 2018 Season

The Game Shooting Census and Shoot Owner Census run by GunsOnPegs and Strutt & Parker is the only tool that gives us an annual picture of the 'shooting industry' and what growth we are expecting for the current season. Produced with the support of BASC, Countryside Alliance and GWCT, it helps us identify the numbers behind the issues that face the sport.

Everyone has their own perception of what a shoot day is like, but the truth is, shooting happens in many different forms from the very informal small day to the hugely expensive commercial operation. The beauty of this is that it demonstrates that shooting is a sport for everyone and that each end of the spectrum helps the 'industry' develop every year.

So here are the numbers from this year's Game Shooting Census and Shoot Owner Census.

We surveyed 652 shoots from across the UK with an average acreage of 1,488 acres per shoot. This number of shoots allows the data to be statistically sound and therefore very likely to be close to the true picture.

The ‘average’ shoot last season

Did 13 days per shoot on average
The average number of birds put down per shoot was 4,307
Shoots shot an average of 1,724 birds over the season - 40% return
Had an average bag of 98
A total of 2,058,117 birds were put down by participating shoots and 801,440 were shot

The average bag per day is very similar to the previous season.

35% of shoots shot less than they expected with only 12% shooting more than they hoped for. This suggests that the warmer average winter temperature prior to the end of the season along with generally unsettled weather conditions made a difference.

What do shoots charge per bird?

Only 38% of shoots let days. The majority are private or small informal syndicates who cover the costs amongst themselves.

The average price of a:

Pheasant - £33.68 + VAT where applicable
Partridge - £33.58 + VAT where applicable
Duck - £29.41 + VAT where applicable
Grouse (per brace) - £138 + VAT where applicable (includes walked up charges which are often lower)

Bag filling?

The average price of a duck is now only £2.77 less than a pheasant on shoots where both quarries are offered. In all, two thirds of shoots charge the same for a duck as they do for a pheasant. We know that the average return on ducks put down is much higher than pheasants so is this justified?

What will shoots do this coming season?

The vast majority of shoots (79%) will be doing the same number of days this season. 7% said they would do less and 14% said they will shoot more days than last year.

28% of shoots will be charging more per bird this coming season with only 1 shoot charging less.

Shoots plan to do 13 days again - no change.

4,338 birds put down - 0.7% increase.

Shoots expect an average bag of 106 which would be an 8% increase, although this would require ‘normal’ weather conditions which, judging by the last 12 months, is unlikely. From a market point of view, varied weather conditions could be a welcome sight as an 8% increase in birds shot would not be so welcomed by game dealers.

Game dealers continued to work with shoots throughout last season, on varying prices for dead game, but had the weather been favourable, could this have been a different story?

How big are the big shoots?

For many who shoot on the larger, more commercial shoots, these numbers might seem small, but they represent the average across shoots in the UK. The majority of game shoots in the UK are small, DIY syndicated or private shoots that shoot a handful of small bag days. However, just over 7% of shoots accounted for half of the total number of birds put down and shot.

These larger shoots had an average bag of 271 last season and expect to shoot the same number this season whilst putting down the same number of birds.

How many game shoots are there in the UK and how many birds are shot?

To know how many birds are shot, you simply need to know how many shoots there are. Unfortunately, no-one does! The reason for this is because of the significant proportion of small farm shoots that simply slip under the radar. Some estimates put the number of shoots at 8-10,000 which would match this data with other surveys that have taken place and allow for growth upon the last PACEC report.

Assuming 9,000 shoots and 1,724 birds shot per shoot, the data suggests 15.5m birds shot per season. You could argue with this data both ways, but this is as accurate as we have found.

What are the guns doing this coming season?

The average gun shot 9 days last season and over 29% expect to shoot more than that this season. However, 16% of respondents will be shooting less and the majority will shoot the same number of days as last year.

For those that purchase shooting, 36% of guns say that they will spend more on shooting this coming season with only 13% spending less. Respondents to the Game Shooting Census spent £3,818 on average on shoot days last year, with a total of £25.3m spent by all respondents.

Responding guns expect to spend 2.8% more this year with the average spend rising to £3,928 for the season, a rate slightly higher than current inflation.

In line with shoot's opinions for the coming season, guns do not believe the average bag they shoot will change too much. 11% expect to shoot bigger bags with 7% shooting smaller days than last season.