Game hunting season: every hunter should know this. Hunting time: hunter's calendar When the hunting season ends

Spring has already fully come into its own, awakening nature. And now the sun is warming up like summer, more and more flocks of birds are returning from wintering. On reservoirs you can already see smart drakes surrounded by modest girlfriends, dandy black grouse are beginning their mating, and long-nosed lapwings are merrily jumping across the fields.

And although many people like the golden colors of autumn or the snowy expanses of winter, ask a hunter when his favorite season is, most will probably answer that it is spring. It is at this time of year that nature is filled with special liveliness and many hunters are ready to devote many hours to their favorite pastime.

Features of hunting in spring

An attentive and careful attitude towards nature is especially important in spring. A careless shot at a mature duck, wood grouse or grouse is irreparable damage to the livestock, because every female can bear offspring. That is why in the spring there are quite strict rules regarding the opening, timing and objects of hunting.

There is a hunting calendar that regulates when and who can be hunted, and there are unspoken rules that must be followed in order not to harm the environment:

1. You should not shoot at a flying flock. There is a great risk of not only hitting the female, but also injuring several birds at once, which will probably die.
2. If the first shots do not reach the target, there is no need to fire indiscriminately. This will only scare away all the game in the area.
3. If you make a fire, try to choose a place away from trees and bushes. After all, it is in these places that shelters for birds, rodents, hares and other small animals can be located.
4. You cannot shoot at a flying couple; most likely, it is a female and a male who have already given birth to offspring.
5. Choose hunting areas away from bird nesting areas.

Who can you hunt?

There is an official list that lists birds and the permitted methods of hunting them:

• hunting for drakes is allowed from a shelter, the use of decoys and dummies is allowed;
• for capercaillie - only with a specific permit;
• You can shoot black grouse in the morning at the lek;
• on the white-fronted goose and bean goose - from the shelter;
• It is allowed to shoot woodcock after sunset, but since its numbers are small in many areas, there is a ban on shooting this bird.

What is prohibited

The spring hunting season is replete with restrictions and prohibitions; moreover, the terms and conditions may differ in each region and republic. Therefore, before you go mining, it is recommended to carefully study the official permission of your region, so as not to break the law and not get into trouble. We can either find the necessary information on the Internet or obtain it from the Association of Hunters in your area.

So, what is prohibited during the spring hunting season:

1. Use any type of watercraft. Their use is permitted only for collecting killed game.
2. Hunting from the approach. The only exception is for wood grouse on a lek.
3. Shooting geese at a distance of less than 200 m from the edge of rivers and reservoirs (distance may vary in different areas).
4. Hunting game birds with hunting dogs and birds of prey. It is allowed to use only gun dogs to find and retrieve wounded animals or hunted game.
5. Shoot at female game birds: black grouse, wood grouse, ducks, lapwings, blackbirds, waders (in some regions woodcock and other birds).
6. Hunt gray geese, hazel grouse, moorhens, and coots.
7. Shooting of game birds and mammals that are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and in the territorial Red Book.

Violation of the rules provides for deprivation of the right to hunt for up to two years for citizens, an administrative fine of up to 50,000 rubles for officials with possible confiscation of hunting weapons.

Who and how to hunt

If everyone follows the rules listed above, the spring hunting season will not cause significant damage to the population of waterfowl and upland game.

Before the long-awaited season, you should take care of the ammunition and aids:

• For duck hunting, many people use a decoy duck. Live, poultry that attracts drakes.
• Camouflage is of great importance. Equipment must be suitable for the surrounding landscape, be moisture resistant, warm and silent.

Woodcock

In central Russia, the woodcock hunting season usually begins in mid-April. After sunset, males fly around areas of the forest, staying above the trees, in search of a female. At the same time, they emit characteristic calling cries. Usually the females stay in the thickets of small forests and, with return cries, invite the male to come down. It happens that females also fly around the forest, but at the same time they do not make sounds, which is why you should not shoot at a quietly flying bird, since it will most likely be a female.

It happens that several males are chasing her at once, in this case it is also better to refrain from shooting so as not to catch her. Basically, woodcocks have permanent places of traction that have become accustomed over the years, usually these are low, damp forests, with ravines, clearings and undergrowth.

Woodcocks avoid high and dense areas of forest. Therefore, it is better to choose an ambush from the edge of a clearing or clearing, or at the intersection of clearings and roads.

The craving is especially active in the first week after arrival - in the evening in cloudy but warm weather. If the weather is windy and cold, the bird pulls poorly and flies much faster and higher. The craving begins at sunset and continues until darkness, gradually subsiding. You should prepare for it in advance in order to calmly choose a suitable place, listening to the voices of the birds.

Having heard the characteristic sounds, you should track the woodcock above the trees, then smoothly point the gun at the bird and fire with the necessary lead. It is better not to shoot if the distance is more than 40 meters. It should also be taken into account that the plumage of this bird will almost completely merge with the grass and foliage, and it will not be so easy to detect it at dusk. It is preferable to choose fraction No. 7, 6 or 8. It is advisable to have a flashlight with you.

Morning cravings are much shorter, occur very early - in the dark, and therefore are not of particular interest.

Drake

Hunting drakes in the spring is allowed from a shelter, using stuffed animals, decoys or decoys. To set up a hide, you should find in advance a suitable place that ducks visit. For construction, it is best to choose plants growing nearby - reeds and branches of bushes, so that the hut blends in as well as possible with the surrounding vegetation.

The best assistant in hunting drakes will be a decoy or decoy duck. You will have to spend time taming and raising it, because the duck must be quite “talkative”, have a loud and clear voice, respond to the owner’s call, and not be afraid of other birds, unfamiliar places and gunshots.

A soft leather bracelet is attached to the decoy bird's leg, to which a thin strong cord is attached, the other end attached to a circle made, usually of plywood. This circle is attached to a stake, which is stuck into the bottom and serves as a kind of island on which the decoy duck can rest. For carrying, it is best to use a basket with a lid and be sure to stock up on food. You should also take care of warm, waterproof clothing.

Decoy hunting begins early in the morning, before dawn or in the evening before sunset. The duck is fed and placed on the water near the skradka. The decoys are placed a little further, but so that the decoy does not swim to them. You need to be careful and shoot the hooked drake immediately before it swims up to the decoy, so as not to injure it. If a flock approaches, you cannot shoot at it, so as not to catch the females that may be in it.

In the spring, drakes have quite strong feathers, so shot is taken for the right trunk No. 5 and 6, and for the left - No. 3 and 4. Killed drakes are collected from the water only after the end of the hunt.

Grouse

Black grouse spend years mating in the same places, choosing open swampy lowlands surrounded by forest, clearings and clearings. Having discovered a grouse lek, you can build a hut there, in which the hunter will wait for his prey. The morning lekking is considered to be especially productive, which begins while it is still dark and lasts up to 8-9 hours.

While waiting for the roosters, you should be patient and sit quietly and motionless. Under no circumstances should you shoot at the first one to arrive, because this can scare away the entire flock. In a few minutes, the rest of the males will begin to flock, and then the black grouse will gather and watch the roosters dancing from the tree branches.

The strong feather of a grouse requires a good shotgun with a compact shot, shot No. 3-5 is recommended. You can collect shot killer whales only after the end of the current. In the spring, the timing of hunting for black grouse coincides with the time of hunting for waterfowl; in some regions, hunting for black grouse may be prohibited due to low numbers.

Capercaillie

Many hunters agree that hunting capercaillie on a lek is the most exciting, although quite difficult. This bird is very careful; it will take a lot of skill to steal it. But a trophy capercaillie will be a worthy reward.

Capercaillie mating on trees growing in remote places. The current begins quite early, usually still in the snow.

Some hunters go out to eavesdrop in the evening, noting the places where birds roost for the night, so that they can return to the lek early in the morning. Wood grouse begin to display before dawn. It is best to wait at a safe distance for the time when the birds are walking around on the lek, and only after that carefully approach closer, freezing during the clicking and continuing to move to the sounds called chirping.

Having approached a distance sufficient to shoot, you need to take a comfortable position, aiming under the wing, and fire the shot. You should not shoot in the chest and tail; most likely, you will only wound the bird, which will fly away and almost certainly die. It is better to take a large fraction from 0 to 2.

The current ends when the sun rises to about half the level of the tree.

Geese

Ten days are allotted for hunting geese, during which time they head from the wintering grounds to their nesting sites. They mainly hunt geese in forage fields, usually winter crop seedlings, meadows with large puddles, or wet plowing. It is advisable to mark the feeding fields in advance in order to equip a shelter there.

A camouflaged hut is used for hiding. Goose profiles are placed at a short distance, with their sides directed towards the place from which the flock will fly. In windy weather, it is better to place them with their nose in the wind so that they do not sway and scare away birds. It is advisable to combine flat and volumetric profiles.

It is necessary to use only a high-quality decoy; you will have to learn how to use it, since sexually mature groups of geese are very careful - if they sense the falseness, the birds will simply fly away. The feeding season begins at dawn and ends around 9 am. It happens that flocks spend the night right in the fields.

Hunter's calendar

This calendar contains general information that may vary in different republics and regions:

• January. End of the ungulate season. The main prey is usually the fox.
• February. The end of the hunting season for fur-bearing animals.
• March. In the south of the country, hunting for waterfowl (male ducks and geese) opens, by mid-March it opens in the Rostov region, and by the end of the month - in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions.
• April. At the beginning of the month, the drake season opens for 10 days in the central regions (Smolensk, Tambov, Lipetsk and other regions).
• May. Hunting is allowed only in the northern part of the country. This month can be used to train dogs.
• June. Hunting is only allowed for wolves and hooded crows. Dog training is allowed only in special places.
• July. Quail season opens.
• August. Permit for almost all types of hunting. From the middle of the month, shooting of ducks and drakes is allowed, shooting in summer and at dawn is allowed. Hunting of brown bear is permitted.
• September. The autumn season is open for deer, elk, roe deer, hazel grouse, some marsh and meadow game, goose, and bear.
• October. The beginning of the hunt for hare, fox, beaver.
• November. The autumn hunting season for game birds is closing, the peak of hunting for beavers and ungulates.
• December. Hunting for fox, hare, ungulates.

Before you go hunting, check all the necessary information about the dates, restrictions and other conditions in your area. Treat nature with care so that its bounty will last for a long time!

Video

From this video you will learn some more important features of spring hunting.

– this is the most interesting and long-awaited time for hunters, since it is during this period of the year that the opening of the new hunting season begins.

There is no doubt that the main holiday of hunters begins at the end of summer, when duck hunting in the summer is in full swing, but there are certain types of hunting that take place earlier, so special attention should be paid to summer hunting.

We all know that summer time is mainly used by animals in order to raise young offspring, which in the future will be a continuation of one or another species.

June and July are the months when broods of ducks, pigeons, quails, geese and other birds grow extremely quickly, for which hunting will be open in August.

Many under hunting in summer They understand only a short time in August, when everyone runs to hunt ducks and doves, but this is only part of all the opportunities that open up for the hunter.

Who is allowed to hunt in summer?

For some countries, summer hunting is possible only in August, when the game bird hunting season opens everywhere.

In recent years, the high level of fire danger has forced government authorities to postpone the opening of hunting, which moves the dates to the fall, so there may be no summer hunting at all.

Ukraine can serve as such an example, where such cases have already happened many times. Hunters from this country have already forgotten what it means to greet the opening of the hunting season normally and on time.

For Russia, there may also be some delays, but this is a large country where you can hunt almost all year round, because the territory and the huge variety of wildlife allows you to do this.

According to the calendar, summer begins in June. Where can you go to hunt at this time and who? This month can be called the darkest month for hunting, but there are still a couple of options.

In June, as a rule, most hunting is allowed for ungulates represented by males, but there is no permanent rule, because everything depends on the number, which can suddenly decrease, which will lead to a ban on shooting.

For example, in Russia it is allowed to hunt adult male European roe deer, wild boars, male red deer and sika deer with non-ossified antlers, which are also called antlers.

In addition, you can hunt a brown bear. Fans of mole hunting can also have fun at this time. Please remember that these are just estimates and may change depending on government policy.

The month of July has already come knocking and here new hunting opportunities are opening up for us, and some still remain unchanged since June.

For example, it continues. You can also hunt male deer and roe deer, but here everything is coming to an end. Then there will be a short break and in the fall everything will resume again, but on a larger scale.

Some hunters like to hunt gophers and marmots during this period, since such an opportunity arises under the law.

August, which millions of hunters have been waiting for so long, has already knocked on the window. This month is very rich in hunting, since you can continue a little not only, but also try new hunts that are related to hunting birds.

In addition, you can have great fun with this activity, which is allowed for brown and Himalayan bears. There is also the opportunity to run after a badger, musk ox, Siberian mountain goat, bighorn sheep and some others.

Thus, there is hunting in the summer throughout all months, so a real hunter will not have time to get bored.

Probably, many people have a hunting passion genetically, but a novice hunter awakens this passion in different ways. Some people “get sick” of hunting from childhood. The first trips to the forest with his father, spent cartridges donated by a neighbor-hunter, an unexpected meeting with a “real” hare while picking mushrooms, a book about hunting adventures that accidentally fell into the hands - all this can become a catalyst for the awakening of a novice hunter.

And if a boy is lucky enough to go hunting in the company of adults, even as a “hunting dog,” or with his peers, even if not with a gun, but with a slingshot, you can be sure that this passion will remain forever.

Novice Hunter, sometimes, awakens due to current circumstances - having accidentally been on a hunt with friends, or having ended up in that remote area where hunting is one of the few accessible entertainments for the male population, and sometimes even a necessity. This casual hunting activity often develops into a lifelong hobby. Many, especially recently, become novice hunters because of the supposed prestige of hunting. Some people quickly get tired of it, while others forever join the army of people devoted to hunting.

However, most often a novice hunter develops a passion for hunting primarily due to the desire to come into contact with pristine nature. See and feel what most other people cannot. And a duck caught on the fly is not just a trophy for a novice hunter. This is a particle of the universe that traveled across the expanses of the earth from the northern tundras to the coasts of the southern seas.

The right to hunt is the constitutional right of every citizen. However, a novice hunter must remember that this activity involves human intervention in wildlife, as well as the use of hunting weapons - a means of increased danger. Therefore, hunting requires special responsibility and certain knowledge from a citizen, and the right to it, in accordance with Russian legislation, is a special right.

A novice hunter should know that to become a real hunter, you need to learn a lot. The moment of meeting the desired game, the first shot, is preceded by months and years of knowledge of nature, a long search, intense and often dangerous work. Therefore, before starting practical hunting, a novice hunter must master a certain minimum of knowledge.

Hunting throughout the Russian Federation is carried out in strict accordance with the Hunting Rules approved by the authorities of each subject of the Federation. A novice hunter should understand well that there are no hunting grounds where it would be possible to hunt without following these rules.

Novice Hunter must learn that if hunting rules are not followed, administrative liability arises. If it weren’t for legal bans and sanctions, many animal species would have disappeared completely. As reasonable restrictions, first of all, standards for shooting game per hunter per day, and less often for a season, are introduced. It is prohibited to hunt rare and endangered animals.

Hunting rules also prohibit the shooting of non-game animals that are of aesthetic value: swan, white heron, firebuck, gray crane, bustard, little bustard. Their shooting is absolutely prohibited and is considered a serious administrative offense. The most valuable animals - elk, wild boar, deer, roe deer - are hunted only with special permits - licenses.

A novice hunter must know that hunting is carried out strictly during certain hunting seasons. The seasons are spring, when hunting for male woodcocks, geese, and drakes is allowed; summer-autumn, when you can hunt swamp and field game and waterfowl, and autumn-winter, when you hunt fur-bearing animals - fox, hare, licensed species of mink and polecat. The opening and ending dates of hunting seasons vary from year to year. They are determined only shortly before the start of the seasons, taking into account the characteristics of the year - the timing of arrival, nesting, reproduction, development of game, etc. A novice hunter must come to terms with the fact that for an amateur hunter who is forced to plan his vacation in advance, this is inconvenient, but this order, again, is due to necessity.

A novice hunter should always remember that a real hunter, if he considers himself one, is a kind person! He really loves and knows nature, knows how to enjoy communication with the living and green world, take care of it and use it well. If a novice hunter has received a gun, but has not mastered the knowledge of hunting and nature, his hunting will entail wrong actions. Proper hunting does not exclude elements of luck and favorable circumstances. It allows you to achieve your goal and elevates hunting work to the rank of art. A novice hunter must understand that practical mastery of hunting skills comes with age. But a novice hunter must master the basic principles of hunting ethics from the very first days, observe and remember them from the first steps.

With the onset of spring, hunters begin to be divided into two types - those who categorically do not want to disturb nature during this magical time and those who still risk trying their luck and go with a gun to look for game.

Spring hunting certainly has its advantages and delights, but the huge number of rules that are introduced for this period of time sometimes stop hunters and force them to wait until the height of summer. The mating season, which lasts for animals from the beginning of March to the end of July, creates many restrictions for the hunter. But this does not change the rich taste of hunting, despite the fact that the spring season lasts only 10 days. Having studied the entire list of restrictions and selected the proper equipment, the hunter can hit the road.

How should you behave when hunting in the spring?

A good hunter is an honest hunter! In the spring, there is an urgent need to prohibit the shooting of certain species of birds and animals, as this can threaten a sharp decline in the population and depletion of the natural resources of the forest. Also, do not forget about a number of general important rules that every experienced and novice hunter should follow:

1. Each species of animal produces offspring in the spring. Therefore, the hunter must remember that it is absolutely forbidden to hunt females of absolutely any species of birds and animals. The same may apply to males who actively participate in raising offspring;

2. If you hunt birds, you should not shoot at flocks, as you risk not only shooting the female, but also injuring several birds at the same time, putting them in mortal danger;

3. Do not fire indiscriminately if you do not hit the bird with the first shots. You will not only scare away the remaining game, but also ruin the rest of the other hunters;

4. Make a fire away from trees and potential places where rodents, birds, and small animals could make their shelter;

5. Never shoot at a pair of birds in flight - it is obvious that they are a male and a female, who, apparently, have already had offspring;

6. You should never hunt in bird nesting areas.

Who can you hunt in the spring?

1. Black grouse - you can hunt this bird after the onset of morning twilight on the lek. It should be remembered that the first male who arrives at the lek is the key one and cannot be touched until a sufficient number of males flock to his call.

2. Drake - it is allowed to hunt from shelters, using decoys, by using dummies (stuffed animals), since the drake does not participate in the upbringing and preservation of offspring.

3. Capercaillie is a bird that can be hunted, as a rule, with a strictly defined permit. You can find a capercaillie at the place where it spends the night, at a lek, after being well prepared and having studied the methods of hunting.

4. Bean goose and white-fronted goose - hunting of these birds is allowed from special shelters in places where geese take short breaks after migrations.

5. Woodcock - hunting is allowed after sunset. However, often woodcock is also banned, since its numbers in many regions are not high.

additional information

Experienced hunters are aware that the spring season is full of prohibitions and restrictions. However, you can find a decent way out of any such situation and get no less pleasure from hunting than in any other season. So, first of all, it is necessary to remember that the spring hunting season in each region of Russia falls on different dates. And if the winter period has passed without any special incidents or disasters and the spring hunt begins on time, then hunters pay attention to preparing the following hunting equipment:

1. Decoy duck - is a domesticated, live duck that acts as bait to attract drakes.

2. Camouflage - depending on the terrain that the hunter prefers, the appropriate equipment is selected. Considering that the hunter spends most of the spring hunting in a shelter, the uniform should be discreet, not frighten the bird, be warm and not wet.

Hunter's calendar or at what time it is allowed to hunt feathered game (birds) and animals. In this topic, we will provide you with information regarding the period of hunting for various types of game animals, but we warn you that the time indicated is approximate and, depending on many components, the start and end seasons of hunting in different regions and republics, according to orders and regulations, may change. We recommend that you read

JANUARY

In January, the snow cover reaches large sizes, which makes life worse for animals. For example, due to deep snow, many ungulates reduce their daily movement, or generally remain in one of their feeding territories. During this period, the hunting season for ungulates ends. In January the main hunting animal is the fox.

February, like January, is a snowy month, which makes hunting with hounds difficult. The hunting season for fur-bearing animals ends in February.

MARCH

In the south of Russia, hunting for male ducks and geese begins, in mid-March hunting opens in Rostov, and at the end of March hunting opens in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions.

MAY

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER