Anyone can go gameshooting in the UK as long as they can legally hold a gun and legally shoot on that ground – and more than half a million people do.
Natural England wants to ban gameshooting and then re-license us to do it. Their civil servants are planning a nasty piece of martial law to add to the existing rules.
Even though Natural England has its law ready to try and put on the statute book, every gameshooter should respond to its consultation, which ends on 1 November 2026.
When DEFRA did the same to trailhunting earlier in 2026, more than 90,000 trailhunters responded. With less than two weeks to go on the gameshooting consultation, only 10,000 shooters have sent their response and copied BASC.
Here’s what to do:
Either: read DEFRA’s over-complicated instructions and follow them to the letter (that’s what Charlie did in the film)
Or: email gamebirds@defra.gov.uk with the subject line ‘Call for evidence’ and write a couple of paragraphs about why your pheasant, partridge, duck or grouse shoot is good for nature. Quick way to do it: click here
Or: download our version of the DEFRA form which you can fill out by typing in your responses on your computer – then send to gamebirds@defra.gov.uk with the subject line ‘Call for evidence’