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Hunting includes the chasing, capturing or killing of any bird or animal.
Not all hunting is illegal, but there are many laws and legal restrictions that help protect wildlife. Illegal hunting can include hunting outside of an open season, using traps or weapons that cause unnecessary suffering, or hunting without a special licence.
It's not just an offence to hunt illegally. You are also breaking the law if you:
Knowing when hunting is illegal can be challenging. Different animals and birds have different laws to protect them. If you're planning to go hunting, it's important you know what you can and can't do.
Hunting wild birds includes:
It is illegal to hunt a wild bird if:
Game birds include pheasants, partridges and grouse, as defined by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The hunting of game birds is covered by the Game Act 1831.
Game birds have their own open season.
It is illegal to:
Deer are a protected species, as covered by the Deer Act 1991.
It is illegal to:
Muntjac deer are not protected by an open season. This is because Muntjac deer breed all year round.
It is illegal to hunt hares and rabbits if:
You can shoot hares and rabbits on your own land in most cases, if you have the correct firearm licence. See ‘Hunting with firearms’ on the Types of illegal hunting page for more information.
Unless you have special exemptions, it is illegal to hunt, capture and kill any of the following: