The Grouse Shortage of 2024

For those who eagerly await the start of the grouse shooting season, The Glorious Twelfth of August traditionally marks a time of excitement and anticipation. However, this year, the outlook is far from glorious. The 2024 grouse season is shaping up to be the worst in over 20 years, leaving moor owners, gamekeepers, and grouse gourmets deeply concerned.

The Current State of Grouse Populations

Reports from the grouse moors paint a bleak picture for the 2024 season. While there are a few positive updates from the North Yorkshire Moors, the overall situation remains poor to very poor, particularly in the higher and wetter regions in the North of England.

The shortage of grouse this year is due to a combination of unfortunate circumstances. During Spring and Summer, a significant number of adult grouse died as a result of high worm burdens. Additionally, in late May and early June, severe storms brought over 6.5 inches of rain in just one day to some moors. The young grouse broods, too big to shelter under their mothers, were drenched and subsequently chilled by the harsh weather conditions and led to the almost complete destruction of many broods, severely impacting the overall grouse population.

The Knock-On Impact

The implications of this shortage are far-reaching. Many grouse moors will only shoot a minimal number of days in August, if at all, with some postponing their shoots until early September. Gamekeepers are advising landowners to refrain from shooting unless there is a genuinely shootable surplus of grouse. This cautious approach aims to preserve breeding stocks for future recovery.

Moor owners will have to invest more resources into maintaining their moors without any immediate income from shooting activities. This financial strain could have long-term consequences for the management and upkeep of these moors.
For those who enjoy cooking and eating grouse, this means limited availability. We expect to have only a few birds available from mid to late September and will make these available to our customers immediately but otherwise, we do not anticipate having grouse in stock this year.

Stay Updated on Grouse Availability!

We recommend visiting our grouse product page and signing up for our back in stock notification. With demand anticipated to exceed supply this season, registering will ensure you are among the first to receive an update when we have some grouse available. We recommend trying to order as soon as you receive a notification email before supply sells out again.