The spring hunting season is open

Starting from March 9th of the current year, the spring hunting season for feathered game – geese and male ducks – will commence in the republic. From March 16th, hunting for male woodcocks during their display flights ("na tyage") will also be permitted. This year's spring hunting season will last until May 12th.

In accordance with the Hunting Regulations, the total duration of the spring hunting season cannot exceed 28 days (with the exception of hunting for male woodcocks). Each hunting ground has the right to independently set the specific opening and closing dates for the spring hunting season for geese and male ducks, depending on the availability of game species in the hunting areas.

It should be noted that the migration of birds this year began significantly earlier than usual.

Hunters must remember that spring hunting for geese and male ducks is permitted using the ambush method and only with decoys (using calls, live decoys, or decoys/silhouettes). This type of hunting can be conducted during daylight hours, excluding the period between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

Hunting for male woodcocks is permitted using the ambush method ("na tyage"). The permitted time for this hunt is from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

We remind you that rifle hunting for non-quota game species is permitted on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, officially declared non-working holidays, and specific working days if they are rescheduled to weekends by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. Spring hunting for male woodcocks during their display flights ("na tyage") is also permitted on Fridays. Hunting grounds may establish additional days of the week for hunting during the season (no more than two).

Traditionally, during the spring hunting season, hunters are permitted to take:

migratory geese – white-fronted geese, bean geese, greylag geese, and Canada geese of any sex;

male ducks – mallards, Eurasian wigeons, common goldeneyes, northern shovelers, tufted ducks, garganeys, and common teals, and grey ducks;

male woodcocks during their display flights ("na tyage").

Smoothbore hunting firearms loaded with shot cartridges are permitted as hunting implements. For tracking and retrieving downed game, hunting dogs are allowed, including terriers, dachshunds, pointers, spaniels, retrievers, and water dogs.

During the period of prohibition on the use of small vessels by citizens in fishing grounds during the spring hunting season, hunters are allowed to use non-motorized small vessels for setting up and/or removing decoys, decoys, profiles, and retrieving hunted game.

We remind you that during the spring hunting season, only game bird species specified in the hunting permit may be hunted. Hunting of other bird species, or female ducks and woodcocks, is prohibited and constitutes illegal hunting, which entails administrative (Part 1 of Article 16.27 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) or criminal (Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus) liability, as well as the obligation for the violator of environmental legislation to compensate for the damage caused to the environment as a result of the illegal seizure of the animal.

We also remind you of the prohibition of carrying and/or using in hunting grounds during hunting of game animals of non-regulated species, rifled hunting weapons, hunting bows and crossbows, as well as cartridges loaded with bullets or buckshot.

We draw hunters' special attention to the need for strict compliance with the safety rules of hunting, set out in Chapter 6 of the Hunting Rules, during the hunting process. Practice shows that failure to comply with these requirements is the main cause of hunting accidents, including those resulting in fatalities. In addition, violation of hunting safety rules entails administrative liability (Parts 5 and 6 of Article 16.27 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus) in the form of a fine of up to 15 basic units, and in case of repeated violation within a year – from 10 to 30 basic units or deprivation of the right to hunt.

For additional information or reports of poaching, please contact the Verkhnedvinsk Inter-district Inspectorate for the Protection of Fauna and Flora at the address: Verkhnedvinsk, Sovetskaya St., 193/2, or by calling the "hotline" at 6-17-23.

Deputy Head

Verkhnedvinsk Inter-district Inspectorate

V.A. Goncheronok