Book your free BASC shoot visit and small game meat hygiene training

Regional officer Ryan Darby gives an update on BASC shoot visits, which are free to BASC members and now incorporate small game meat hygiene courses.

We often talk about standards within the shooting and conservation community – not as a slogan, but as a responsibility. Responsible game management underpins everything we do.

From habitat creation and predator control to the careful stewardship of released birds, modern shoots contribute significantly to the rural landscape. But once the horn sounds and the shoot day concludes, our responsibility continues. Ensuring that game entering the food chain is handled to the highest possible standard.

To help meet this challenge, BASC is now delivering small game meat hygiene courses within our free shoot visits. The course provides practical, hands-on guidance to support food safety and bolster the long-term reputation of shooting.

High standards from field to fork

Game meat has one of the strongest sustainability stories of any protein source available in the UK. It is wild or carefully reared, locally sourced and harvested within managed ecosystems that deliver measurable conservation benefits. But that story only remains credible if standards are robust.

Small game meat hygiene begins the moment a bird is picked up. How it is handled in the field, how quickly it is gathered, transported, stored and cooled – each step directly influences quality and safety. This is covered in the Code of Good Shooting Practice Guide to Good Game Handling.

Good practice includes:

Minimising contamination in the field
Avoiding heavily damaged or contaminated birds entering the food chain
Appropriate transport and prompt chilling
Effective temperature control in the larder
Clean, well-organised storage areas
Accurate record keeping and traceability

A poorly handled bird can spoil a batch, knocking processor confidence. High standards protect consumers and, in doing so, protect shooting.

The value of a BASC shoot visit

BASC shoot visits are advisory and supportive. Most importantly, they are free to members. But their value is significant, especially with the inclusion of small game meat training.

During a BASC shoot visit, we provide advice on:

Poultry registration requirements
Proportionate biosecurity measures
Pen construction and stocking densities
Predator management and legal control methods
Habitat management
Record keeping

This support offers significant real-world value as part of your membership. Independent calculations show that the support provided during a visit is worth more than £400 per shoot.

This reflects the level of practical advice and expertise provided and broadly corresponds to what comparable advisory visits would cost if delivered commercially by other organisations.

And that is notwithstanding the extra value of gaining the small game meat hygiene certificate. This would normally cost up to £200 per person but is completely free to BASC members. What’s more, you’ll will receive a recognised qualification upon passing the course.

In 2025, we delivered more than 400 shoot visits across the UK, representing an estimated value of £160,000. Each visit provides tailored advice and expertise. More importantly, it represents reassurance that larder standards meet expectations, that documentation is correct and that biosecurity is proportionate and effective.

Securing the future of shooting

The future of shooting depends not only on conservation delivery, but also on public confidence. Shoots contribute through habitat creation, hedgerow management, winter feed provision and predator control, all of which benefit ground-nesting birds and provide significant economic input to rural communities.

Demonstrating excellence in small game meat hygiene, compliance and biosecurity reinforces the message that shooting is responsible and strengthens our social licence. Diseases such as avian influenza have brought renewed focus to biosecurity and registration requirements.

For shoots, this is not simply a tick-box exercise. Strong biosecurity protects released birds, neighbouring shoots and wild populations. It reduces disease risk and demonstrates that shooting operates responsibly within a broader rural and ecological context.

If we want to protect the future of shooting and conservation, we must continue raising standards across the board. That means professional handling, clean and well-managed larders, accurate documentation and strong biosecurity alongside a clear understanding of registration requirements.

To book your free BASC shoot visit and small game meat hygiene course, please contact your regional BASC team.

You can also find out more about small game preparation here.

Image by: Sarah Philips

Ryan Darby

BASC East of England regional officer Ryan Darby was formerly a wild grey partridge keeper. He now manages a small, sustainable syndicate game shoot and enjoys early sunrises over the Wash accompanied by his Labrador. He also volunteers on an RNLI lifeboat, balancing wildlife conservation with community service.