Hunting seasons · 2026/2027 · Updated
Hunting seasons in France
The open seasons for every game species in France, species by species and class by class. Tap a species in the HunTracker app to get a notification when its season opens or closes.
National framework (Code de l’environnement); each département’s prefectural order sets the actual dates. General opening shown for 2026–27 as the third Sunday of September; earlier in much of the south and in Corsica.
Big game
| Species | Sex / age class | Open season |
|---|---|---|
| Roe deer | Buck1 | – |
| Doe1 | – | |
| Fawn1 | – | |
| Fallow deer | Buck1 | – |
| Doe1 | – | |
| Calf1 | – | |
| Red deer | Stag1 | – |
| Hind1 | – | |
| Calf1 | – | |
| Mouflon | Ram1 | – |
| Ewe1 | – | |
| Lamb1 | – | |
| Chamois | Buck1 | – |
| Doe1 | – | |
| Kid1 | – | |
| Pyrenean chamois | Buck1 | – |
| Doe1 | – | |
| Kid1 | – | |
| Wild boar | Both sexes2 | – |
| Alpine ibex | Both sexes7 | No open season |
| Brown bear | Both sexes7 | No open season |
Small game
Predators and other game
| Species | Sex / age class | Open season |
|---|---|---|
| Marmot | Both sexes6 | – |
| Red fox | Both sexes | – |
| Stone marten | Both sexes | – |
| European pine marten | Both sexes | – |
| Raccoon | Both sexes | – |
| Raccoon dog | Both sexes | – |
| American mink | Both sexes | – |
| Nutria | Both sexes | – |
| Muskrat | Both sexes | – |
| Carrion crow | Both sexes | – |
| Rook | Both sexes | – |
| Eurasian magpie | Both sexes | – |
| Eurasian jay | Both sexes | – |
| European badger | Both sexes | – |
| Grey wolf | Both sexes7 | No open season |
| Eurasian lynx | Both sexes7 | No open season |
| European wildcat | Both sexes7 | No open season |
| Eurasian otter | Both sexes7 | No open season |
Openings and closings by month
January
- Closes
- European badger ·
- Bean goose ·
- Canada goose ·
- Common goldeneye ·
- Common moorhen ·
- Common scoter ·
- Common snipe ·
- Egyptian goose ·
- Eurasian coot ·
- Eurasian skylark ·
- Eurasian teal ·
- Eurasian wigeon ·
- European golden plover ·
- Gadwall ·
- Garganey ·
- Greater scaup ·
- Greater white-fronted goose ·
- Greylag goose ·
- Jack snipe ·
- Long-tailed duck ·
- Mallard ·
- Northern lapwing ·
- Northern pintail ·
- Northern shoveler ·
- Tufted duck ·
- Velvet scoter ·
- Water rail ·
February
- Closes
- Common blackbird ·
- Fieldfare ·
- Mistle thrush ·
- Redwing ·
- Rock dove ·
- Song thrush ·
- Stock dove ·
- Common quail ·
- Common wood pigeon ·
- Eurasian collared dove ·
- Eurasian woodcock ·
- European turtle dove ·
- American mink ·
- Carrion crow ·
- Chamois (Buck, Doe, Kid) ·
- Common pheasant ·
- Eurasian jay ·
- Eurasian magpie ·
- European hare ·
- European pine marten ·
- European rabbit ·
- Fallow deer (Buck, Doe, Calf) ·
- Grey partridge ·
- Mouflon (Ram, Ewe, Lamb) ·
- Muskrat ·
- Nutria ·
- Pyrenean chamois (Buck, Doe, Kid) ·
- Raccoon ·
- Raccoon dog ·
- Red deer (Stag, Hind, Calf) ·
- Red fox ·
- Red-legged partridge ·
- Roe deer (Buck, Doe, Fawn) ·
- Rook ·
- Stone marten ·
June
- Opens
- Fallow deer (Buck, Doe, Calf) ·
- Roe deer (Buck, Doe, Fawn) ·
August
September
- Opens
- Chamois (Buck, Doe, Kid) ·
- Mouflon (Ram, Ewe, Lamb) ·
- Pyrenean chamois (Buck, Doe, Kid) ·
- Red deer (Stag, Hind, Calf) ·
- Common moorhen ·
- Eurasian coot ·
- Gadwall ·
- Tufted duck ·
- Water rail ·
- American mink ·
- Black grouse (Cock) ·
- Carrion crow ·
- Common blackbird ·
- Common goldeneye ·
- Common pheasant ·
- Common scoter ·
- Common wood pigeon ·
- Eurasian collared dove ·
- Eurasian jay ·
- Eurasian magpie ·
- Eurasian skylark ·
- Eurasian woodcock ·
- European badger ·
- European hare ·
- European pine marten ·
- European rabbit ·
- Fieldfare ·
- Greater scaup ·
- Grey partridge ·
- Hazel grouse ·
- Long-tailed duck ·
- Marmot ·
- Mistle thrush ·
- Mountain hare ·
- Muskrat ·
- Northern lapwing ·
- Nutria ·
- Raccoon ·
- Raccoon dog ·
- Red fox ·
- Red-legged partridge ·
- Redwing ·
- Rock dove ·
- Rock partridge ·
- Rock ptarmigan ·
- Rook ·
- Song thrush ·
- Stock dove ·
- Stone marten ·
- Velvet scoter ·
- Western capercaillie (Cock) ·
November
- Closes
- Western capercaillie (Cock) ·
- Black grouse (Cock) ·
- Hazel grouse ·
- Marmot ·
- Mountain hare ·
- Rock partridge ·
- Rock ptarmigan ·
Notes
- Before the general opening, only by stalking or from a hide, with prefectural authorisation; a hunting plan (plan de chasse) applies.
- Framework 1 June – 31 May; outside the general season only by the methods and in the periods the prefectural order allows.
- On inland waters and marshes; on the maritime public domain from the first Saturday of August.
- Subject to a national bag limit or quota set each season; every bird taken must be declared in ChassAdapt.
- Hunting suspended until a national quota is set.
- Mountain game: until 11 November at the latest, under a hunting plan; many départements set a shorter season or none.
- Protected species; no open season.
- From 11 to 20 February only from a fixed, man-made hide.
- Source
- Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) / Ministère de la Transition écologique
- Legal basis
- Code de l'environnement, art. R424-4 à R424-9 ; arrêtés ministériels du 24 mars 2006 et du 19 janvier 2009
- Published
Season information in the app is for guidance only. Always check current legislation and local rules before you hunt.
Every season in your pocket
HunTracker opens on the country you are in, shows what is open today, and tells you when a season opens or closes.