French hunting season 2026-27: dates, rules, and how to stay safe when walking

The hunting season in France generally runs each year from early autumn to the last day of February. The precise opening and closing dates vary between departments and the species of animal being hunted.

Some 45 million animals are killed every year during hunting season, according to animal rights association One Voice, with species such as the wood pigeon, pheasant and wild rabbit being most popular.

Following the devastating wildfires this year in departments such as Var, the French government said that it would give local authorities the power to implement hunting bans, and not coordinate a national policy. 

Dates are fixed by prefectural decree following recommendations from the departmental commission on hunting and wildlife (CDCFS), which is chaired by the prefect. The framework is set nationally, but local implementation is highly variable.

The Fédération nationale des chasseurs provides an online tool where hunters can check detailed calendars by department. You can also consult the website of your prefecture, the local hunting federation or the Office français de la biodiversité.

Who can hunt in France?

Hunters must be members of an association that belongs to the departmental federation. These federations receive state funding due to the role hunters play in managing animal populations and protecting farmland.

However, the number of hunters has been declining in recent years - and the number of fatal accidents increasing.

If animals cause damage to farmland, farmers can receive compensation that is paid by the departmental hunting federation. This system gives hunting associations an incentive to fulfil their role in wildlife management.

What days can hunts take place?

Organised hunts are set locally, but Sundays tend to be the busiest day. Departmental 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.

How to know if a hunt is taking place where you want to walk?

It is important to look out for yellow triangular markers reading Chasse en cours or Battue en cours (Hunt in progress), placed at entrances near public roads. If you see one, plan another route.

Official réserve de chasse signs are used to mark out territory set aside for no hunting to allow animals to breed.

Chasse réservée signs, on the other hand, often nailed to trees,  show that the owner of the land wants to keep hunting on the land to themselves (or to their friends and family).

Walkers can check hunting calendars published by the Office National des Forêts for state forests, department by department. 

Certain departments also have smartphone apps, such as Chasseco (Haute-Savoie) and Melckone (Seine-et-Marne), through which walkers can specify an area and find out when and where hunting is permitted. It is not clear how regularly these tools are updated.

There is no one official national app, although ChasseInfo and Chassé & Croisé offer an overview of most departments, and claim to provide some 'real time' updates for walkers.

As a general rule, you should stay on marked paths where hunters will expect there to be walkers, and make sure that you are clearly visible. If you are walking your dog, make sure that it remains close by and will come back to you when called. If walking in a residential area you should not need to worry.

However, note that hunters can enter your garden without permission. Read this Connexion articles for ways to prevent this.

Species and methods

Specific rules apply to animals such as wild boar, deer and waterfowl. Each year, conditions are reviewed and changes can affect not only dates but also permitted methods. Examples include hunting with hounds, from fixed hides, or at night in authorised zones.

Courts in several parts of France including Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan and Orne have suspended measures allowing badger hunting this summer, with judges saying that local authorities have not provided enough evidence to justify killing the animals. 

Departmental opening dates 2026

Below is a selection of general opening dates for 2026 as published by prefectural orders.

These cover small game and do not include additional species-specific provisions (check with your departmental hunting federation for further details).

Closing of the season

While the season officially closes nationwide on February 28, 2027, some animals may be hunted outside this period under derogations.

Examples include wild boar, which can be subject to extended culls where populations are considered too high, and migratory birds, which follow specific opening windows.

Hunters must therefore check both the general departmental decree and any additional texts relevant to the species they intend to pursue. Hunting without regard to these rules is punishable by fines and suspension of licences.

The full list of prefectural decrees for all metropolitan departments is available on the website of the Fédération nationale des chasseurs.