Summer Grouse Report 2026

11th August 2026

Summer Grouse Report – 2026

The outlook across the northern English grouse moors remains mixed, with significant regional variation in habitat condition and grouse numbers. The North Pennines heather and grouse seem to have bounced back well this year, the Dales remains mixed and localised, and the North York Moors have been affected the worst. I gather that Scotland is mixed as usual, with heavy tick burdens this year but some areas of Scotland are back up to full capacity which is very encouraging.

The counts are finally in from all our estates and as many of you will know it does remain mixed as above shows. One point worth mentioning is that the grouse are tending to be backwards in age again this year and one can’t help but think this is an ongoing reoccurrence due to the changes in climate over the past 10 years…

The North Yorkshire Moors have been particularly badly affected by heather beetle and drought this season. The widespread damage to heather continues to impact habitat quality, and grouse populations in this region have drastically declined so much so, that only a handful of days will be shot across the entire area this season.

In contrast, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines are showing more encouraging signs, particularly on the higher ground where grouse numbers appear stronger and breeding success has generally been better. However, the lower-lying moors within these areas have suffered from heather beetle and drought damage which is raising concerns for future habitat quality if conditions remain unchanged.

A prolonged period of dry weather is now becoming a significant concern across all regions. Wildfires have been all over the news in recent weeks and this just shows how dry the ground is in the UK. We have had some nice heavy showers over the past few days which must have helped things along and relieved a bit of pressure on heather and improved overall moorland conditions though.

The above challenges have also had a considerable impact on the forthcoming shooting programme for us at Dalesport. Although I always like to think we are nicely spread across the Dales, Pennines and North York Moors, we have cancelled over 30 x days already which is not only frustrating for our clients and us at Dalesport but also for the moor owners, managers and keepers who put so much time into the job. Further cancellations may become necessary unless conditions improve substantially over the coming weeks as we continue to hear reports of grouse dying from heat and stress related disease.

So, overall while some higher moors continue to provide reasons for cautious optimism, the widespread effects of Heather Beetle and the continuing dry weather still present significant challenges for the 2026 season.