Be the voice of shooting.
The government is reviewing every aspect of game shooting in England. The pretext is licensing — and be in no doubt: to license shooting, it must first be capable of being banned.
Defra’s call for evidence covers pheasant, red-legged partridge, mallard and red grouse – rearing, release, shooting and the land management that goes with them.
The review window closes at midnight on 1 November. What Defra hears between now and then will shape the future of shooting in England.
Your voice works. We've proved it
When the Welsh Government proposed restricting gamebird releasing, our community responded in force through BASC’s Act Now campaign and the plans were shelved. When we speak together, governments listen.
The people who want shooting shut down are organising their responses right now. Who will Defra hear more from – shooting’s opponents, or you?
Ten minutes. One email. That's the ask
Ignore Defra’s long survey on gov.uk. Answering hundreds of technical questions is BASC’s job, and our experts are on it. Your job is simpler and just as important: email Defra your own experience, in your own words. A few paragraphs is enough. For a guide on what information to include, check out our blog here.
If you are happy to, please copy in BASC using the email address: evidence@basc.org.uk. This is to allow us to keep an eye on engagement levels and to help inform BASC’s overall response to Defra.*
Alternatively, you can handwrite or print and post your submission to: Defra, Gamebirds call for evidence, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF.
What to say
Start with who you are: your name, your role in shooting, how long you’ve been involved, and where in England (the county is enough). Then tell Defra what you know first-hand. Real experience, plainly told, is exactly the evidence this review asks for. You do not need to be a scientist, and you do not need to answer everything.
If you are a keeper or run a shoot: Include the habitat you manage and the predator control you carry out, and what you see thriving because of it: the songbirds, waders and wild plants on your ground. Mention any wildlife or plant surveys done on the shoot, and the welfare standards you work to.
If you farm with a shoot on your land: Write how shooting shapes the way the land is managed: the margins, hedgerows, cover crops and woodland that exist because of it, and the stewardship work it supports.
If you’re a Gun, beater, picker-up or gundog handler: Say what a season’s involvement means for the wildlife you see, for your community and for your own wellbeing. The friendships, the fresh air, the reason you’re out on a winter hillside.
Write it yourself. Defra has said copied-and-pasted template responses carry no weight. Your own words, however plain, carry plenty.
Need inspiration? Our Four Seasons case studies show what shoots across the country deliver.
What happens to your submission
Before you close this page
*Please read BASC’s privacy policy for how we use your personal information. We will not publish or attribute information from your response without contacting you separately.
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Be the voice of shooting.
Be the voice of shooting. Don’t let our opponents decide our future – get your evidence to Defra by 1 November.
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