France hunting season: dates, signs and safety rules

The new hunting season is under way and will run to the end of February. The precise opening and closing dates vary between departments and the species of animal being hunted.

Some 45 million animals are hunted every year, according to the animal rights association One Voice, with wood pigeon, pheasant and wild rabbit being among the most commonly hunted species.

Following wildfires this year, the government reminded prefects of their power to implement hunting bans but said that it would not coordinate a national policy.

In areas badly affected by this summer’s wildfires, hunting of certain species may be banned to allow flora and fauna to regenerate.

The government has given prefects the power to work with departmental hunting federations to limit hunting in affected areas. This includes areas of the Var and Gironde, where officers from the Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) will patrol to ensure hunters remain away.

Check when hunts are taking place

Dates are fixed by prefectural decree. The Fédération nationale des chasseurs has an online tool to check detailed calendars by department.

Organised hunts are set locally, but Sundays tend to be the busiest day. Hunts can, however, take place on any day of the week.

Prefectures can impose a weekly ‘hunt-free day’, intended for the protection of animals rather than for the benefit of walkers. This is optional, not mandatory.

Walkers can check hunting calendars published by the Office national des forêts for state forests, by department. Certain departments also have apps showing where hunts are taking place.

Not all local hunting activities are necessarily shown on online calendars, so walkers should also look out for signs in the countryside.

What do the hunting signs mean?

Chasse en cours means a hunt is currently taking place. Battue en cours means a battue is under way, in which hunters and dogs work together to drive animals towards waiting hunters. Both indicate that you should avoid entering the area and choose another route.

Réserve de chasse means the area is set aside as a hunting reserve where hunting is prohibited, providing a refuge for wildlife and allowing animals to breed.

Chasse réservée has a different meaning. It indicates that the landowner reserves hunting rights for themselves and people they authorise. It does not mean that hunting is prohibited.

Chasse interdite means hunting is prohibited on the land. The sign can be used by private owners where they have the right to exclude hunting.

Yellow Chasse en cours or Battue en cours markers are often placed at entrances near public roads or paths. If you see one, do not continue into the hunting area.

Staying safe while walking

As a general rule, stay on marked paths and make sure that you are clearly visible. Ensure pet dogs remain close and will come back to you when called.

Hunting is not allowed within close proximity of a dwelling. In ACCA communes, this is codified as 150 metres. In non-ACCA areas, the distance can be set by departmental or communal bylaws rather than by a fixed national rule.

Hunters are also banned from shooting near public areas such as roads, walking paths, sports facilities and car parks.

Last year (2025/2026) saw four fatalities from hunting incidents, the lowest ever recorded by the OFB and less than half of the 11 in 2024/2025.

A total of 92 injuries were recorded in 2025/2026, with 89% of these being hunters and only 11% non-hunting members of the public. Of the deaths, three of the four were self-inflicted.

Can hunters enter private land?

Hunters do not have the right to enter or hunt on private land without the owner’s consent. The one exception is land within an Association Communale de Chasse Agréée (ACCA) commune.

The 1964 loi Verdeille established the ACCA system in nearly 30 departments. Parcels under 20 hectares (the threshold varies in some departments) are automatically pooled into the communal hunting territory unless the owner has formally opted out via a registered letter to the prefecture, filed at least six months before the ACCA’s five-yearly renewal.

In departments without an ACCA, hunters are automatically banned from private land. Owners can reinforce this by putting up a Chasse interdite or ‘hunting banned’ sign.

In ACCA departments, owners who want to keep hunters off their land must make a formal request to the departmental hunting federation.

You can ask your local mairie or check online to see if an ACCA is in place in your department.

Fenced-off land is also fully off-limits for hunting, including firing shots through the 150-metre radius around a dwelling. Hunters cannot shoot in the direction of a home or property.

Hunting dogs are not automatically banned from entering the 150-metre radius, although hunters need to be able to show they did everything reasonably possible to prevent the animal from crossing the boundary. If a hunting dog injures a person or pet, the hunter is responsible.

If hunters break these rules, you should immediately contact the local hunting federation, as well as the police.

It is nevertheless worth checking when hunts are taking place in your area to minimise the risk of incidents.