Game Profile - Quick Guide to Red Grouse

Key grouse stats:

Latin name: Lagopus lagopus (Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos, meaning "hare" and pous "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes.)

Colouration: Reddish brown plumage, a black tail and white legs with white stripes also on the underwing and red combs over the eye.

Call: Loud, harsh “go-bak, go-bak, go-bak”

Wingspan: 60cm

Weight: 600g

Average clutch size: 6

Estimated UK breeding population: 230,000 pairs

Grouse flying speed: Up to 70 miles an hour

Open season England, Wales and Scotland: 12 August – 10 December

Open season Northern Ireland: 12 August – 30 November

Open season Isle of Man: 25 August – 31 October

Where to see grouse: The best place to see red grouse is on upland heather moors, in Scotland, North England, Wales and Ireland.

Suits: Guns who do not hesitate – you’ll need to be able to pick your bird from a pack, and shoot with lightning-fast reactions, especially when shooting driven birds.

Shooting style: Driven over butts, over pointers and walked-up.

Cost: Driven grouse are the most expensive gamebird to shoot in the UK. Prices vary from estate to estate, but expect an average of between £180-230 per brace. Shooting over pointers, you can expect to pay between £75 and £85. Walked-up grouse is the least expensive at around £65 a bird.

Find Grouse Shooting available

Grouse shooting tip: 

Never look away from the horizon from which the grouse are coming. If you have to look down to reload or even turn to present your gun to a stuffer or loader, then vital seconds are lost before your eyes can refocus on the near distance and pick up the next covey twisting towards you.

Did you know?

• Red grouse start to fly at just 12 days old
• The first record of a grouse shot while flying dates back to 1650
• The original opening date for the grouse season was on the 1 August. This was changed when the British government adopted the Gregorian Calender in 1752, which had an 11-day difference. The “new” 1 August was considered to be too close to the breeding season – hence we now have The Glorious Twelfth!

How to cook grouse:

Just like all game, the age of the red grouse lends a big part in choosing how to cook it. The younger the grouse, the more tender the flesh and less strongly flavoured. It can be pan-fried or cooked in the traditional manner, roasted with neeps and tatties. Older birds need slow cooking to release the more intense flavour and soften the meat. 

Grouse is a dark, strong flavoured meat and goes particularly well with a full flavoured red wine.

Find some delicious grouse recipes to try here with your new shot game.

Find out how our Editor got on when he attempted to recreate a restaurant-quality grouse dish at home

Grouse shooting opportunities for the 2021 season

23rd August- Driven grouse 
River and Moor Sporting, Northumberland - View Shoot
Cost: £3340 per gun - VAT inc.
Guns: 10 Full team only
Bag size: 150 brace no overage

25th August - Driven grouse
A Morton Sporting Ltd, Durham - View Shoot
Cost: £2800 per gun - VAT inc.
Guns: 2 available, 9 total
Bag: 120 brace day

26th August - Driven grouse
A Morton Sporting Ltd, Durham - View Shoot
Cost: £2800per gun - VAT inc.
Guns: 2 available, 9 total
Bag size: 120 Brace

27th August - Walked up grouse in the Moorfoot and Lammermuir Hills. 
Scottish Borders, Selkirkshire - Swift Valley Sporting - View Shoot
Cost: £400per gun  (Premium members: £380per gun)
Guns: 3 available, 5 total
Bag size: 10 brace

28th August - Walked up grouse in the Moorfoot and Lammermuir Hills. 
Scottish Borders, Selkirkshire - Swift Valley Sporting -  View Shoot
Cost: £400 per gun  (Premium members: £380per gun)
Guns: 3 available, 5 total
Bag size: 10 brace

4th September - Walked up grouse in the beautiful Lammermuir and Cheviot Hills. 
Scottish Borders, Berwickshire - WL Sporting - View Shoot
Cost: £440per gun
Guns: 1 available, 4 total
Bag size: 10 (2.5 brace grouse per gun)

23rd September - Driven grouse on a magnificent grouse moor
Danby Moor, North Yorkshire - Ian Coley Sporting Agency - View Shoot
Cost: £2,965 per gun - VAT inc.
Guns: 1 available, 9 total
Bag size: 125 Brace

24th September - Driven grouse on a magnificent grouse moor
Danby Moor, North Yorkshire - Ian Coley Sporting Agency - View Shoot
Cost: £2,965 per gun - VAT inc.
Guns: 2 available, 9 total
Bag size: 125 Brace

More grouse shooting opportunities

Photo credits:

Middle image (shooting grouse over a butt) - William Powell Sporting

Top two images (flying grouse covey and flying grouse close up) - Mollie Lord Photography