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Shooting, Hunting and Angling Seasons

T

he 'Game' means hares, pheasants, partridges, grouse, heath and moor game and black game but not rabbits.laws and traditions surrounding the taking of live quarry are complex. Most game animals need a time of year when they are left alone, to avoid unnecessary suffering and in order to keep numbers up. A system of seasons has evolved whereby certain animals cannot be taken at certain times of the year. For obvious reasons this can vary from species to species and from place to place.

These seasons apply in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales but may differ between countries (all dates are inclusive). The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands may have different provisions. However variations will occur throughout so be sure to check locally before you shoot anything which might have a closed season. Shooting is largely restricted on Sundays and Christmas Day. Also note that whilst most of these are enforceable as laws, others are a matter of custom.

Those from abroad might also be advised to note that unlike in American English, 'hunting' and 'shooting' are two different things: this distinction can cause some confusion to those who are unaware of this.

More information is available from BASC.

Game Open Seasons

Sunday and Christmas Day

In England and Wales no game may be killed or taken in any county on Sunday or Christmas Day. Game for the purposes of this section means pheasant, partridge, red grouse, black grouse and hare. Orders prohibiting the shooting of wildfowl on Sundays made under sections 2 and 13 of the Protection of Birds Act 1954 still in existence are in the following counties (or parts of counties in existence before the 1974 local authority re-organisation): Anglesey, Brecknock, Caernarvon, Carmarthen, Cardigan, Cornwall, Denbigh, Devon, Doncaster, Glamorgan, Great Yarmouth County Borough, Isle of Ely, Leeds County Borough, Merioneth, Norfolk, Pembroke, Somerset, North and West Ridings of Yorkshire. In Scotland there are no statutory restrictions on the killing of game on Sunday or Christmas Day but it is not customary to do so. Wildfowl species may not be shot on Sunday or Christmas Day.

Deer Open Seasons

From the Deer Act 1991 (England and Wales)

Muntjac has no statutory close seasons. The British Deer Society recommends that to avoid orphaning muntjac fawns dependent upon the mother's milk, only immature and heavily pregnant females (at which time a previous fawn will be independent) should be culled.

Other mammals

• Fox
• Rat
• Mice (except dormice)
• Rabbit
• Grey squirrel
• Mink
• Weasel
• Stoat
• Feral cat

Angling Seasons

England and Wales
The local fisheries office of the Environment Agency. Any angler aged 12 years or over, fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels in England (except the River Tweed), Wales or the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland must have an Environment Agency rod licence. Coarse fish close season - 15 March to 15 June inclusive. The coarse fish close season applies to all rivers, streams and drains in England & Wales, but does not apply to most stillwaters or canals.

Scotland
Local District Salmon Fishery Board (number in telephone directory), or alternatively FishScotland. No rod licence is needed. Note that there is no legal close season for rainbow trout, grayling, coarse or sea fishing, although some fisheries do not operate in the winter.

Northern Ireland
NIDirect

Local angling shops are also a good source of information.

This page is derived from information supplied by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.