Credit crunch taking toll on shooting industry as grouse season opens - Telegraph Pheasant shooting, which gets under way in October, is thought to be particularly vulnerable to the downturn, with the number of birds expected to outstrip the number of shooters. The rising cost of metals on the international market is also putting clay pigeon shooting beyond the reach of some for the first time. No.1 son certainly hasn't been doing as much shooting as he would like to, but I think that is because he has run through all my cartridges and I haven't refilled the safe, aren't I mean, and he has other birds to spend his money on.....