Today is the first day of the annual grouse shooting season, known as the "Glorious Twelfth".

The Game Act of 1831 established close seasons, during which it was illegal to shoot game birds, in order to protect numbers. The red grouse season begins on 12 August, while black grouse can be shot after 20 August, partridge after 1 September and pheasant after 1 October. It's also illegal to shoot game on Sundays or on Christmas Day.

The Great Bustard was also protected under the Act, with its open season decided as 1 September - 1 March. However, this protection wasn't much use, as the Great Bustard became extinct in Great Britain in the 1830s.