Every summer, the same question comes up in the French countryside: when does the season open? The opening of the hunting season does not correspond to a single nationwide date: it depends on the targeted species and the department, via prefectural orders published throughout the summer. For the 2026–2027 season, the calendar confirms this traditional arrangement, but it is accompanied this year by an unprecedented digital transformation of hunting practices, with new traceability obligations for hunters.
A calendar set species by species and department by department
Contrary to a common belief, there is no single national date. Large game hunted by stalking or stand hunting, such as wild boar or roe deer, can be hunted as early as June 1st in many departments. Waterfowl follows a separate schedule: its opening is traditionally set in early August on the public maritime domain, then around August 21 for inland wetlands, in accordance with reference periods regulated at the European level. The general opening, which concerns the majority of plain and woodland species, then takes place by department between mid-September and the end of September, each prefecture publishing its own order of opening and closing. The general closing most often occurs at the end of February of the following year.
This decentralized organization makes it possible to adapt the dates to local realities: game population status, agricultural practices, and climatic constraints of the summer. The departmental federations of hunters and state services publish each year a detailed hunting calendar, available for consultation before any field outing.
The season of digitization for hunters
Beyond the dates, the notable novelty this season lies in the generalization of digital tools in hunting practice. Registration with the Weapons Information System (SIA) is now required for any holder of a category C firearm, an obligation intended to make the administrative tracking of individually held firearms more reliable. In the field, a dedicated application designed to support hunters in their reporting of harvests now includes automated assistance features to simplify entry and reduce reporting errors.
The traceability of harvests system is also being reinforced: for species subject to a hunting plan, such as roe deer or red deer, each animal taken must bear a numbered tag before any transport, a system that has long existed but whose application is increasingly strictly controlled. In several departments, the quantified hunting plans for the new season have been revised upwards, with harvest targets increasing by about 3% compared with last year, a change linked to the management of large game populations.
What this changes in practice
For the roughly one million hunting license holders in France, these developments translate into additional administrative steps before the opening: checking registration in the SIA, updating the reporting application, and taking note of the departmental game management scheme, which is sometimes revised. Prefectures remind that non-compliance with dates and quotas may result in sanctions, in a context where the traceability of harvests is presented as a tool to combat poaching as much as for scientific monitoring of populations.
Several territories also organize public events around the resumption of the season, such as local hunting festivals that are returning to their usual calendars this year, an opportunity for federations to present these new tools to a broader audience than just practitioners.
Frequently asked questions
When does hunting open in France this season?
There is no single date: large game hunted by stalking or stand hunting can be hunted as early as June 1st, waterfowl generally opens in early and late August depending on the zones, and the general opening occurs between mid-September and the end of September depending on the prefectural order of each department.
What is the Weapons Information System (SIA)?
The SIA is a national database that lists firearms held individually. Registration has become mandatory for holders of category C firearms, which include most hunting weapons, in order to strengthen administrative tracking and security.
Why is a numbered tag mandatory on certain game?
For species subject to a hunting plan, such as roe deer or red deer, a numbered tag must be affixed to the animal as soon as it is taken and before any transport. This traceability device makes it possible to verify compliance with allocated quotas and to fight poaching.
For more on practical life in rural areas, also consult our sections Agriculture, Livestock, Hunting & Fishing, Ecology & Environment and Practical Life & Society.
Sources
- Prefecture of Haute-Garonne — Opening of the hunting season 2026: practical arrangements and revision of the departmental scheme
- Gestion Chasse — Opening of the hunting season 2026: general dates and by department
- Le Montagnard Outdoor — Hunting calendar France: opening dates by department
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