News

Grouse Shooting Features on TV

March 2009

The journey of the Red Grouse “from field to fork” was featured on “Kill It, Cook It, Eat It” on BBC3.

The management and shooting of the totally wild bird unique to Britain, was seen from the viewpoint of nine contestants, including two vegetarians, representing a cross section of the population who looked at the moral and ethical issues of shooting for food.

For one of the vegetarians who took part, being on the programme proved to be life changing – it forced her to do some soul searching and ended with her decision to stop being hypocritical and become a vegan. In contrast, the other is keen to test her new shooting skills on the moor and discovers she ‘is not a vegetarian anymore’.

Also among the volunteers is Louise Robertson from the League Against Cruel Sports who learns about the real facts of grouse moor management and shooting and seems to develop respect for the keepers work that helps to protect the rare habitat and other threatened ground nesting birds.

This 10 minute 40 second clip shows the participants on the moorland taking part in walked up grouse shooting on the Balavil estate. Presenter Julia Bradbury talks to the estate owner Allan Macpherson-Fletcher about managing the moorland and the participants as they try and shoot a grouse for their supper.