Hunters Club 8 August 2026 2 min readEN
Which Animals Can You Hunt in the UK?
The UK has a well-defined list of legal quarry species, governed by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Deer Acts, and various associated legislation. Here is an overview of the main species you can pursue.
Game Birds
The classic driven and walked-up shooting quarry:
- Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) — season: 1 Oct – 1 Feb
- Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) — season: 1 Sep – 1 Feb
- Grey partridge (Perdix perdix) — season: 1 Sep – 1 Feb
- Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) — season: 12 Aug ("Glorious Twelfth") – 10 Dec
- Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) — season: 1 Oct – 31 Jan (England/Wales)
- Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) — season: 12 Aug – 31 Jan
Wildfowl
- Mallard, teal, wigeon, pintail, shoveler, goldeneye, pochard, tufted duck — season varies, broadly Sep – Jan
- Geese (pink-footed, white-fronted, greylag, Canada) — season varies
Deer
Six species of deer are present in the UK, all managed under the Deer Acts:
| Species | Stag/Buck season | Hind/Doe season |
|---|---|---|
| Red deer | 1 Aug – 30 Apr | 1 Nov – 31 Mar |
| Sika deer | 1 Aug – 30 Apr | 1 Nov – 31 Mar |
| Fallow deer | 1 Aug – 30 Apr | 1 Nov – 31 Mar |
| Roe deer | 1 Apr – 31 Oct | 1 Nov – 31 Mar |
| Chinese water deer | 1 Nov – 31 Mar | 1 Nov – 31 Mar |
| Muntjac | No close season | No close season |
Rabbits and Hares
Rabbits can be controlled year-round as a pest species. Brown hares have a voluntary close season (Feb–Sep) observed by most shoots.
Foxes
Fox control is legal by shooting, lamping and other methods. The Hunting Act 2004 prohibits hunting with a pack of hounds but exemptions exist for flushing to guns.
Photo: Metskits, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
