The Outdoors

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	Eng, Scotland & Wales	N.Ireland
Blackgame	20 Aug-10 Dec	Not found here
Common snipe	12 Aug-31 Jan	1 Sept-31 Jan
Coot/Moorhen	1 Sept-31 Jan	Protected
Duck & goose - inland	1 Sept-31 Jan	1 Sept-31 Jan
Duck & goose - tidal areas	1 Sept-20 Feb	1 Sept-31 Jan
Golden plover	1 Sept-31 Jan	1 Sept-31 Jan
Grouse	12 Aug-10 Dec	12 Aug-30 Nov
Hare*	Moorland/unenclosed land subject to closed season	12 Aug-31 Jan
Jack snipe	Protected	1 Sept-31 Jan
Partridge	1 Sept-1 Feb	1 Sept-31 Jan
Pheasant	1 Oct-1 Feb	1 Oct-31 Jan
Ptarmigan	12 Aug-10 Dec (Scot only)	-
Woodcock	1 Oct-31 Jan	1 Oct-31 Jan
Woodcock (Scotland)	1 Sept-31 Jan	-

 

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

Species	Eng, Wales, N.Ireland	Scotland
Fallow bucks	1 Aug-30 Apr	1 Aug-30 Apr
Fallow does	1 Nov-28/9 Feb	21 Oct-15 Feb
Red stags	1 Aug-30 Apr	1 Jul-20 Oct
Red hinds	1 Nov-28/9 Feb	21 Oct-15 Feb
Roe bucks	1 Apr-31 Oct	1 Apr-20 Oct
Roe does	1 Nov-28/9 Feb	21 Oct-31 Mar
Sika stags	1 Aug-30 Apr	1 Jul-20 Oct
Sika hinds	1 Nov-28/9 Feb	21 Oct-15 Feb

 

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 available at www.mfha.co.uk