Sporting Events

Game and Wildfowl: Open Seasons

'Game' refers to pheasant, partridge, grouse, heath and moor game, black game and hares; rabbits are not included. Game licences are required by law and may be obtained from the post office.

No game (including hare) may be shot in any county (England and Wales) on any Sunday or on Christmas Day. The Protection of Birds Act (1967) prohibits the shooting of wildfowl on Sunday in certain counties (England and Wales). Wildfowl may not be shot on any Sunday and Christmas Day in Scotland. All wild birds are protected on Sunday and Christmas Day in Northern Ireland.

Species	England, Scotland & Wales	Northern Ireland
Blackgame	20 August-10 December	Not found here
Common snipe	12 August-31 January	1 September-31 January
Coot/Moorhen	1 September-31 January	Protected
Duck & goose - inland	1 September-31 January	1 September-31 January
Duck & goose - tidal areas	1 September-20 February	1 September-31 January
Golden plover	1 September-31 January	1 September-31 January
Grouse	12 August-10 December	12 August-30 November
Hare*	Moorland/unenclosed land subject to closed season	12 August-31 January
Jack snipe	Protected	1 September-31 January
Partridge	1 September-1 February	1 September-31 January
Pheasant	1 October-1 February	1 October-31 January
Ptarmigan	12 August-10 December (Scotland only)	-
Woodcock	1 October-31 January	1 October-31 January
Woodcock (Scotland)	1 September-31 January	-

 

*Hare cannot be sold between 1 March and 31 July.

Species	England, Wales, Northern Ireland	Scotland
Fallow bucks	1 August-30 April	1 August-30 April
Fallow does	1 November-28/9 February	21 October-15 February
Red stags	1 August-30 April	1 July-20 October
Red hinds	1 November-28/9 February	21 October-15 February
Roe bucks	1 April-31 October	1 April-20 October
Roe does	1 November-28/9 February	21 October-31 March
Sika stags	1 August-30 April	1 July-20 October
Sika hinds	1 November-28/9 February	21 October-15 February

 

For more information contact:

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation
Tel: 01244 573000
www.basc.org.uk

National Association of Regional Game Councils (Ireland)
Tel.: 00 353 1497 4888
www.nargc.ie

Fly-fishing

For when and where to fish:
www.flyfishingvenues.co.uk
www.fishingthefly.co.uk

Hunting

1st November: hunting begins (the end date is not specific but often finishes in March)

Point-To-Point

29 November-12 June 2010: a full list of fixture dates is avaialble at www.mfha.co.uk