Glorious Twelfth

Not all game (as defined by the 1831 act) have the same start to their open seasons – most begin on 1 September, with 1 October for woodcock and pheasant.

[2][3] Because heather moorland is managed for shooting, the population density of red grouse is unnaturally high.

[4] However, advocates claim that moorland managed for grouse shooting typically contains high levels of biodiversity, including ground-nesting birds (such as lapwing, curlew, meadow pipit, golden plover, redshank and woodcock, in addition to red grouse) and raptor species.

In recent years, the Glorious Twelfth has also been hit by hunt saboteurs, the 2001 foot and mouth crisis (which further postponed the date in affected areas)[7] and severe flooding and bad weather.

[citation needed] This continues to this day,[citation needed] On 12 August 2024, Harry Cole noted that no restaurants in London were offering this service,[8] reported the next day by The Telegraph to be caused by an "unusually cold" breeding season and unrealistically high prices.