What Does It Take To Bring The First Day Of The Season To Life?

The 12th of August is a highlight in the calendar of shooting enthusiasts. It’s the chequered flag rewarding the patience of estates, guns, beaters, picking-up teams and rural communities, all working together to sustain the people, places and traditions it brings together.

As we re-lace freshly rewaxed boots and inspect trusted waterproofs, it’s important to remember the work that goes into making this day happen.

Uplands gamekeeping is a year-round task that extends far beyond the four-month season it offers the shooting community. Speak with a grouse keeper and ask them about the work they do, and you will hear about the long hours spent managing habitats, wildlife, and vegetation to maintain a sustainable, biologically diverse moor.

It is also worth recognising the vital role gamekeepers play in managing predators, creating the conditions that allow ground-nesting birds to breed successfully on our managed moors. Without this year-round commitment, would we still hear the distinctive call of the curlew echoing across the hills?

The evidence is compelling. Curlew nesting on managed grouse moors produce almost four times as many fledged chicks as those on unmanaged moorland, evidence that active management for grouse can also deliver significant benefits for wider biodiversity.

As the grouse season begins, many parts of the country are also reflecting on another challenging year of wildfires. Across the UK, fires have damaged precious moorland habitats, threatening wildlife, peatlands and rural communities. We should recognise and thank the gamekeepers and estate workers who have worked alongside fire and rescue services to tackle these incidents, often in difficult and dangerous conditions.

These events are a timely reminder of the importance of active moorland management. Through practices such as vegetation management and controlled cool burning, gamekeepers help manage fuel loads, maintain habitat diversity, and improve the resilience of our uplands. Alongside careful planning and close collaboration with emergency services, this work forms an important part of helping to reduce wildfire risk while supporting biodiversity and healthy peatland ecosystems.

This is upland conservation in action. Whether it is improving the breeding success of ground-nesting birds, helping to reduce wildfire risk or protecting the UK's internationally important peatlands, these outcomes are underpinned by the commitment of landowners, gamekeepers and estate workers who invest in the long-term management of our uplands. Together, they demonstrate how practical conservation can deliver lasting benefits for wildlife, habitats, and rural communities.

Thank you to everyone whose dedication keeps the Glorious Twelfth an important part of our upland heritage, and helps the season begin safely, responsibly and successfully.

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