Shooting seasons
This table lists the shooting seasons of the main game species in England, Scotland and Wales. The dates listed are when you can shoot the quarry. The close season, the period you can't shoot them, generally coincides with the breeding seasons, as it is in everyone's interests to maintain a healthy and sustainable population of all the species listed.
In addition to the species listed here, some mammals are classified as 'pests' and may be shot all year round. These include rats, rabbits, mink, etc.
The hare has no close season, but hares cannot be sold during their breeding season, between 1 March and 31 July.
Some non-game birds are covered by 'general licences' issued by the government, which allow them to be controlled all year round. These include pigeons, crows and magpies. It is important to understand that the general licences only allow these birds to be shot for specific reasons - and those reasons do not include shooting them for sport or for food.
So remember: if you're shooting pigeons and someone asks you why, the answer is 'to prevent serious damage to farm crops'. And if you're shooting or trapping corvids, the licence covers 'preventing serious damage to livestock'.
Game
| Pheasant | Oct 1st - Feb 1st |
| Partridge | Sept 1st - Feb 1st |
| Grouse | Aug 12th - Dec 10th |
| Ptarmigan | Aug 12th - Dec 10th |
| Black Game | Aug 20th - Dec 10th |
| Common Snipe | Aug 12th - Jan 31st |
| Woodcock (England and Wales) | Oct 1st - Jan 31st |
| Woodcock (Scotland) | Sept 1st - Jan 31st |
| Duck and Goose (inland) | Sept 1st - Jan 31st |
| Duck and Goose (foreshore) | Sept 1st - Feb 20th |
| Coot/Moorhen/Golden Plover | Sept 1st - Jan 1st |
| Hare | No close season |
Deer
| Species | Eng & Wales | Scotland |
| Red Stags | Aug 1st - Apr 30th | July 1st - Oct 20th |
| Red Hinds | Nov 1st - Mar 31st | Oct 21st - Feb 15th |
| Sika Stags | Aug 1st - Apr 30th | July 1st - Oct 20th |
| Sika Hinds | Nov 1st - Mar 31st | Oct 21st - Feb 15th |
| Fallow Bucks | Aug 1st - Apr 30th | As Eng & Wales |
| Fallow Does | Nov 1st - Mar 31st | Oct 21st - Feb 15th |
| Roe Bucks | Apr 1st - Oct 31st | Apr 1st - Oct 20th |
| Roe Does | Nov 1st - Mar 31st | Oct 21st - Mar 31st |
