Spring hunting

        Starting from March 9 of the current year (the second Saturday of March), the spring hunting season for game birds has begun in the republic. According to the Hunting Rules, the spring season will last until May 12 (the second Sunday of May), but the total duration of the spring hunting season cannot exceed 28 days.

Specific dates are determined by each hunting grounds user independently, depending on the prevailing natural and climatic conditions. We remind you that rifle hunting for unregulated game species is permitted on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, holidays declared non-working by the President of the Republic of Belarus, and certain working days in case of their transfer by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus to weekends. In addition, hunting farms may establish additional days of the week permitted for hunting during the hunting season (no more than two). Spring hunting is not as massive and popular as, for example, summer-autumn hunting "for feathers" or autumn-winter hunting for fur-bearing game animals. However, there are also many enthusiasts of this type of hunting. Traditionally, during the spring hunting season, hunters are allowed to take: migratory geese – white-fronted goose, bean goose, greylag goose, Canada goose of any sex; male ducks (drakes) – mallard, wigeon, goldeneye, shoveler, tufted duck, garganey, Eurasian teal, and grey duck; male woodcocks "on the lek". Incidentally, when hunting geese and male ducks, it is permitted to hunt cormorant, rock dove, grey heron, and great white heron.

        In addition, when lawfully present in hunting grounds for hunting purposes, hunters are also allowed to hunt wolves, jackals, foxes, raccoon dogs, grey crows, and magpies using methods and hunting gear permitted for hunting the game animals specified in the hunting permit.

Goose hunting is permitted during daylight hours, except for the period between 12:00 and 18:00, using methods – from ambush only from a hide (or using a camouflage cloak) and with mandatory decoys (using a call and a decoy goose, profiles or goose decoys).

Duck drake hunting is also permitted during daylight hours, except for the period between 12:00 and 18:00, using methods – from ambush only from a hide (or using a camouflage cloak) and only with decoys (using a decoy duck or duck decoys and a call). The use of only a call without a decoy or only a decoy without a call is not permitted. During this hunt, only drakes that have flown in or landed (on the water) near the decoy duck or decoy are allowed to be taken.

The following hunting weapons are permitted: smooth-bore hunting weapons loaded with shot cartridges. Hunting dogs are allowed for tracking and retrieving downed game – terriers, dachshunds, pointers, spaniels, retrievers, water dogs.

We remind you that during the spring hunting season, only game bird species specified in the hunting permit may be taken. Taking birds of other species, or female ducks and woodcocks, is not permitted and constitutes illegal hunting, which entails administrative (Part 1 of Article 16.27 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses) or criminal (Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus) liability.

Senior State Inspector

Braslavsky Interdistrict Inspection of Wildlife and Hunting Resources                                                                    

Vladimir Egorenkov