According to the Hunting Rules, the spring season will last until May 12 (the second Sunday in May), but the total duration of the spring hunting season cannot exceed 28 days.
According to the Hunting Rules, the spring season will last until May 12
(the second Sunday in 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 (start of spring migration, presence of game in hunting grounds, etc.) by issuing a local normative legal act before the start of the hunting season.
We remind you that rifle hunting for non-quota game species is permitted on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, festive days declared non-working by the President of the Republic of Belarus, and certain working days if they are rescheduled to weekends by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. In addition, hunting enterprises may establish additional days of the week permitted for hunting during the hunting season (no more than two).
Spring hunting is not as widespread and popular as, for example, summer-autumn hunting "for feathers" or autumn-winter hunting for fur-bearing game animals. Nevertheless, there are quite a few enthusiasts of this type of hunting.
Traditionally, during spring hunting, hunters are allowed to take:
migratory geese – white-fronted geese, bean geese, greylag geese, Canada geese of any sex;
male ducks – mallards, Eurasian wigeons, common goldeneyes, northern shovelers, tufted ducks, garganeys, and common teals, grey ducks;
male woodcocks "on the display".
Incidentally, when hunting geese and male ducks, the taking of cormorants, rock doves, grey herons, and great white egrets is permitted.
In addition, when lawfully present in hunting grounds for hunting purposes, hunters are also permitted to take wolves, jackals, foxes, raccoon dogs, grey crows, and magpies using hunting methods and equipment permitted for hunting the game specified in the hunting permit.
Goose hunting is permitted during daylight hours, except for the period between 12:00 and 18:00, using methods of ambush only from a hide (or using a camouflage suit) and with mandatory decoys (using a call and a decoy goose, profiles, or goose decoys).
Duck hunting is also permitted during daylight hours, except for the period between 12:00 and 18:00, using methods
– from an ambush only from a hide (or using a camouflage cloak) and only with luring (using a decoy duck or duck decoys and a call). The use of a call only without a decoy or a decoy only without a call is not permitted. During this hunt, only drakes that have flown in or approached (landed on the water) the decoy duck or decoy are allowed to be taken.
Hunting for woodcock is permitted between 18:00 and 22:00 by the method of ambush ("on the flight").
Smoothbore hunting weapons loaded with shot cartridges are permitted as hunting implements. Hunting dogs – terriers, dachshunds, pointers, spaniels, retrievers, water dogs – may be used to track and retrieve downed game.
During the prohibition on the use of small vessels by citizens in fishing grounds during the spring hunting season, hunters are permitted to use non-powered small vessels for setting up and (or) removing decoy ducks, decoys, silhouettes, and for retrieving downed game.
We remind you that during the spring hunt, only game bird species specified in the hunting permit may be taken. Taking birds of other species, or female ducks and woodcock, 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 Offences) 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 harm caused to the environment as a result of the illegal taking of the specified animal.
We also remind you of the prohibition on carrying and (or) using in hunting grounds during the hunting of non-regulated game species, rifled hunting weapons, hunting bows and crossbows, as well as cartridges loaded with bullets or buckshot.
We draw the special attention of hunters to the need for strict adherence to the safety requirements of hunting during the hunt, as set out in Chapter 6 of the Hunting Rules. Practice shows that failure to comply with these requirements is the main cause of accidents during hunting, including those resulting in death. In addition, violation of hunting safety rules entails administrative liability (parts 5 and 6 of Article 16.27 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offences) in the form of a fine of up to 15 basic units, and in the case of
repeated violation within a year – from 10 to 30 base units or deprivation of the right to hunt.
