Pheasant shooting opens on 1 October across the UK; the closing date depends on the country.
The table compares England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland. Dates are the statutory open seasons, each linked to its source, last checked 2026-10-17.
Open in the UK today: Pheasant – All.
Status is worked out from the statutory dates each day. Always confirm on the official agency page before you go out.
| Species | Country | Dates | Bag | Status | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pheasant – All Game may not be killed or taken on a Sunday or on Christmas Day (Game Act 1831, s. 3). | England | 1 Oct 2026 – 1 Feb 2027 | — | Open now | — | Source: Game Act 1831, s. 3 (close seasons; Sundays and Christmas Day) (checked 2026-10-17) |
| Pheasant – All Game may not be killed or taken on a Sunday or on Christmas Day (Game Act 1831, s. 3). | Wales | 1 Oct 2026 – 1 Feb 2027 | — | Open now | — | Source: Game Act 1831, s. 3 (close seasons; Sundays and Christmas Day) (checked 2026-10-17) |
| Pheasant – All | Scotland | 1 Oct 2026 – 1 Feb 2027 | — | Open now | — | Source: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, s. 2 (close seasons) (checked 2026-10-17) |
| Pheasant – All Game may not be killed or taken on a Sunday, or from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise (Game Preservation Act (NI) 1928, s. 7A). | Northern Ireland | 1 Oct 2026 – 31 Jan 2027 | — | Open now | — | Source: Game Preservation Act (Northern Ireland) 1928, s. 7 (close seasons) (checked 2026-10-17) |
In England and Wales, game (including pheasant) may not be shot on a Sunday or on Christmas Day.
Source: Game Act 1831, s. 3
In Northern Ireland, game may not be shot on a Sunday, or from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
In Scotland, pheasant is a Schedule 2 quarry bird under the Wildlife and Countryside Act; the Sunday and Christmas Day ban there covers wildfowl and waders, not pheasant.
See registered land boundaries, protected sites, open access land and season dates on an offline map in the HuntScout app. A boundary on the map is never permission to shoot.
Seasons by country: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland · all UK shooting seasons
By species: partridge season, grouse season, woodcock and snipe season, duck and goose season, deer season, roe deer season · lead ammunition ban