From October 1st, one of the most popular hunts in Belarus – the driven hunt for ungulates, which will last until December 31st – will commence. Driven hunts are permitted during daylight hours for all types of ungulate game animals, with the exception of the reserve gene pool European bison. The taking of animals of any sex and age is allowed (in accordance with approved culling plans).
For the taking of elk, red deer, fallow deer, and adult wild boar, it is permitted to use rifled hunting weapons with a muzzle energy of over 3000 joules, and smooth-bore hunting weapons using slugs. For the taking of roe deer and wild boar under 2 years of age – rifled hunting weapons with a muzzle energy of over 1500 joules, and smooth-bore hunting weapons using slugs or buckshot. The use of hunting bows and crossbows, as well as hunting dogs (breeds – as decided by the hunting grounds user) is also permitted.
From October 1st to December 31st, individual ambushing and stalking hunts for ungulates are also permitted throughout the day.
Driven hunting is a collective effort, requiring a high degree of organisation and discipline from its participants. After all, the success of the event depends on the coordinated actions of the entire team – beaters, shooters, and the hunt leader. The latter is mandatorily appointed by the hunting grounds user, and is typically an employee of the hunting enterprise.
The hunt leader's instructions during the hunt are mandatory for all participants and must be followed unconditionally. Before the start of the drive, the leader is obliged to brief the hunters and other persons participating in the hunt on safety rules and hunting procedures, which is confirmed by their signatures in the hunting permit. The leader has the right to remove a participant from the hunt for violating safety rules or failing to follow their instructions, without compensation for the fee paid for the permit.
An experienced hunting guide possesses thorough knowledge of the hunting grounds, animal behaviour, and their concentration areas. Hunters are primarily required to demonstrate composure, the ability to assess the situation, and to make an accurate shot. Impetuosity and excessive impatience are unacceptable and, at best, will lead to reprimands from the team directed at the negligent hunter for a missed shot or a wounded animal that escaped. The presence of reliable hunting dogs plays a crucial role in conducting driven hunts for hoofed game. Often, their competent use largely ensures the success of the hunt.
Considering the most frequently asked questions by hunters, we draw your attention to the fact that, in accordance with the Rules of Game Management and Hunting (Hunting Rules), driven hunts for game of regulated species are permitted on Saturdays, Sundays, on public holidays and festive days declared non-working by the President of the Republic of Belarus, as well as on specific working days if they are rescheduled to weekends by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. Users of hunting grounds have the right to establish two additional days per week, besides the aforementioned days, for conducting driven shotgun hunts for regulated game species.
By decisions of hunting ground users, the hunting seasons established in the Rules may be shortened, and the use of hunting implements and/or methods may be restricted or prohibited. For instance, some users prohibit the use of cartridges loaded with buckshot during hunts for hoofed game.
The fee for a hunting permit, which serves as authorization for harvesting game, is collected before the commencement of the hunt under that permit. The fee for the authorization to harvest game is collected from the hunter (or group of hunters) after the game has been harvested and the authorization is closed. If the animal is not harvested, no fee is charged for its authorization. If the animal is wounded and not harvested, the authorization for its harvest is closed, and the hunter (or group of hunters) is charged 50% of the cost of the authorization for its harvest. The hunting guide has the right to resolve disputes concerning the determination of the species, sex, age, and trophy qualities of a wounded animal.
If a hunter takes a regulated species of adult game animal whose quality (sex, age, other characteristics) does not match the data specified in the permit, the hunter shall be charged double the cost of the permit for the actually taken animal.
If a regulated species of game animal is taken without a permit, the hunter shall be charged five times the cost of the permit for the specified animal. Payment of this fee does not exempt the hunter from liability for illegal hunting as provided for by law.
Hunting of wild animals not specified in the permit for taking game animals, as well as animals in distress (crossing water or ice, exhausted from lack of food, etc.), in a zone of emergency (fire, flood, etc.) is prohibited.
Until the permit for taking game animals is closed, the movement (transportation) and butchering of the carcass of the taken animal is prohibited, except for the removal of internal organs at the place of taking.
The movement (transportation) of regulated species of game animals taken shall be carried out on the basis of a voucher for the transportation of hunting products, detached from the closed permit for taking game animals, with all details filled in. The movement (transportation) and butchering of wild animals, including those that have died, or their parts without documents provided for by legislative acts is prohibited.
Hunting products taken in areas subjected to radioactive contamination as a result of the Chernobyl NPP disaster are subject to mandatory control of radioactive contamination.
The fee for a permit to take game animals, with the exception of hunting trophies, shall be refunded in cases where the content of radionuclides in hunting products exceeds republican permissible levels or if it is infected with diseases dangerous to humans.
When lawfully present in hunting grounds for the purpose of hunting, hunters are permitted to take wolves, foxes, raccoon dogs, grey crows, and magpies, as well as to shoot stray cats and mongrel dogs. It is prohibited to use hunting tools and methods not specified for the current hunting season for the game animals that a hunter may take in accordance with a hunting permit and/or game taking permits and their accompanying hunting vouchers. Stray cats and mongrel dogs are considered to be those found without their owners in hunting grounds more than 300 metres from populated areas.
Please note that due to the prevention of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Republic of Belarus, a special regime (different from that stipulated in the Hunting Rules) for the use of wild boar resources remains in effect. Their removal is carried out under game taking permits and hunting vouchers without any charge. Furthermore, users of hunting grounds are provided with compensation payments of 7 base units for each animal taken, regardless of its sex and age, of which 2 base units are paid by the user to the hunter who took the wild boar. The animals taken are subject to mandatory burial and/or destruction by the users of hunting grounds in conjunction with the veterinary service.
Drives require the strictest adherence to safety rules and the instructions of the leader from their participants. Practice shows that the majority of hunting accidents occur during collective hunts. Failure by hunting participants to comply with basic requirements – shooting at game animals along the line of fire, at noise, rustling, or at an indistinctly visible target, leaving one's assigned position without authorization, using prohibited ammunition – are the main causes of accidents during drives.
During driven hunts, hunters are prohibited from:
conducting them at dusk, in fog, during heavy snowfall, and in other conditions of poor visibility;
entering the middle of a clearing, road, or the opposite side of the enclosure;
changing positions, independently choosing spots, and leaving their position before the end of the drive, except in cases where a hunter must provide immediate assistance to another person in distress;
using semi-automatic weapons with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, as well as cartridges for rifled weapons with full metal jacket bullets and for smoothbore weapons with round bullets;
firing at game animals along the firing line, outside their sector, after the signal to end the drive.
Firing along the firing line is considered firing at such an angle to it that the projectile or part of the projectile will fly within 15 meters of a neighboring position.
Each shooter at a position must accurately know the location of neighboring positions and the entire firing line. Neighboring shooters must show each other their positions before masking themselves at their positions.
During driven hunts, weapons may only be loaded at the designated position. Weapons must be unloaded before leaving the position.
Firing during driven hunts is carried out in accordance with the requirements established by the hunting grounds user. As a rule, this is after the game animal has crossed the firing line. In specific cases, with the permission of the hunt leader, firing inside and/or within the enclosure is permitted, provided safety is ensured. The hunter firing the shot bears responsibility for the consequences of firing inside and/or within the enclosure.
A hunter may fire only after being convinced that there are no people or domestic farm animals in the direction of the shot.
The following are prohibited during any hunt:
firing at noise, rustling, an unclearly visible target, in fog, heavy snowfall, twilight, against the sun, and under other conditions of poor visibility;
firing towards people, populated areas, agricultural animals, vehicles from smoothbore hunting firearms at a distance of less than 500 meters from them, and from rifled hunting firearms – less than 2 kilometers;
pointing hunting weapons, including unloaded ones, at a person, domestic animals, or their accommodation;
firing unnecessarily, cocking an external hammer weapon, or disengaging the safety of an internal hammer weapon;
finishing off a wounded game animal with the butt of a weapon.
When moving for hunting purposes by any type of transport, hunting weapons must be in a case, except in cases established by the Hunting Rules. When travelling within hunting grounds outside public roads, firearms may be kept assembled, but must be unloaded and with the barrel(s) pointed upwards or away from nearby people.
Upon encountering officials of hunting control bodies, internal affairs bodies, as well as officials of the hunting grounds user, hunting weapons must be unloaded.
Please note that illegal hunting (without proper authorization, in prohibited areas, during prohibited times, with prohibited tools, or by prohibited methods) entails administrative (fine from 20 to 50 base units with or without confiscation of hunting tools and deprivation of special rights), criminal (fine, imprisonment for up to 6 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities), and civil liability (compensation for damage (harm) caused to the environment).
Illegal movement (transportation) or butchering of wild animals that are objects of hunting, including dead ones, or their parts, entails administrative (fine from 20 to 50 base units) or criminal (fine, imprisonment for up to 4 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities) liability.