Hunting seasons · 2026/2027 · Updated
Hunting seasons in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland: the open seasons for every game species, class by class, and where they differ from the dates that hold everywhere in the United Kingdom. With Pro, the HunTracker app sends a notification on the day the main seasons open or close.
Big game
| Species | Sex / age class | Open season |
|---|---|---|
| Red deer | Stag | – |
| Hind | – | |
| Calf | – | |
| Japanese sika deer | Stag | – |
| Hind | – | |
| Calf | – | |
| Fallow deer | Buck | – |
| Doe | – | |
| Calf | – |
Small game
| Species | Sex / age class | Open season |
|---|---|---|
| Red grouse | Both sexes | – |
| Grey partridge | Both sexes | – |
| Red-legged partridge | Both sexes | – |
| Common pheasant | Both sexes | – |
| Mallard | Both sexes | – |
| Eurasian teal | Both sexes | – |
| Eurasian wigeon | Both sexes | – |
| Gadwall | Both sexes | – |
| Northern pintail | Both sexes | – |
| Northern shoveler | Both sexes | – |
| Common pochard | Both sexes | – |
| Tufted duck | Both sexes | – |
| Common goldeneye | Both sexes | – |
| Greater scaup | Both sexes | – |
| Canada goose | Both sexes | – |
| Greylag goose | Both sexes | – |
| Pink-footed goose | Both sexes | – |
| Greater white-fronted goose | Both sexes1 | No open season |
| European golden plover | Both sexes | – |
| Common snipe | Both sexes | – |
| Jack snipe | Both sexes | – |
| Eurasian woodcock | Both sexes | – |
| European hare | Both sexes | – |
| Mountain hare | Both sexes2 | – |
| European rabbit | Both sexes | All year |
| Common wood pigeon | Both sexes3 | No open season |
Predators and other game
| Species | Sex / age class | Open season |
|---|---|---|
| Red fox | Both sexes | All year |
| Carrion crow | Both sexes3 | No open season |
| Eurasian magpie | Both sexes3 | No open season |
| Rook | Both sexes3 | No open season |
| Western jackdaw | Both sexes3 | No open season |
| Hooded crow | Both sexes3 | No open season |
| European badger | Both sexes1 | No open season |
| Eurasian otter | Both sexes1 | No open season |
Where Northern Ireland differs from the rest of the United Kingdom
Compared with the dates that hold everywhere in the United Kingdom:
- Red deer (Hind): – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- Red deer (Calf): – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- Japanese sika deer (Hind): – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- Japanese sika deer (Calf): – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- Fallow deer (Doe): – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- Fallow deer (Calf): – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- Greater white-fronted goose: No open season · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
- European hare: – · everywhere in the United Kingdom: –
Openings and closings by month
January
- Closes
- Canada goose ·
- Common goldeneye ·
- Common pheasant ·
- Common pochard ·
- Common snipe ·
- Eurasian teal ·
- Eurasian wigeon ·
- Eurasian woodcock ·
- European golden plover ·
- European hare ·
- Gadwall ·
- Greater scaup ·
- Grey partridge ·
- Greylag goose ·
- Jack snipe ·
- Mallard ·
- Mountain hare ·
- Northern pintail ·
- Northern shoveler ·
- Pink-footed goose ·
- Red-legged partridge ·
- Tufted duck ·
March
- Closes
- Fallow deer (Doe, Calf) ·
- Japanese sika deer (Hind, Calf) ·
- Red deer (Hind, Calf) ·
April
- Closes
- Fallow deer (Buck) ·
- Japanese sika deer (Stag) ·
- Red deer (Stag) ·
August
- Opens
- Fallow deer (Buck) ·
- Japanese sika deer (Stag) ·
- Red deer (Stag) ·
- European hare ·
- Mountain hare ·
- Red grouse ·
September
- Opens
- Canada goose ·
- Common goldeneye ·
- Common pochard ·
- Common snipe ·
- Eurasian teal ·
- Eurasian wigeon ·
- European golden plover ·
- Gadwall ·
- Greater scaup ·
- Grey partridge ·
- Greylag goose ·
- Jack snipe ·
- Mallard ·
- Northern pintail ·
- Northern shoveler ·
- Pink-footed goose ·
- Red-legged partridge ·
- Tufted duck ·
October
- Opens
November
- Opens
- Fallow deer (Doe, Calf) ·
- Japanese sika deer (Hind, Calf) ·
- Red deer (Hind, Calf) ·
- Closes
Notes
- Protected species; no open season.
- The Irish hare, a mountain hare subspecies.
- No open season: may only be shot under a general licence, for the purposes it lists (such as preventing crop damage).
- Source
- BASC / legislation.gov.uk
- Legal basis
- Deer Act 1991; Game Act 1831; Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; Deer (Close Seasons) (Scotland) Order 1984, as amended 2023; Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
- Published
Northern Ireland's own regulations prevail: they can add closures, quotas or restrictions not shown here. 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 keeps every hunt in your journal.