Defra’s Consultation on Shooting Seasons: What MA Members Need to Know

Key Takeaway

For Moorland Association members, the main implications of this consultation are straightforward: later starts for snipe and woodcock, and a new statutory open season for woodpigeon.

More broadly, the consultation asks whether several declining species should remain on Schedule 2.1, which is the part of the law that lists ordinary quarry species and their open seasons. Adding a species gives it an open season; removing one means it would no longer be ordinary quarry, and any lawful taking would need to depend on some other legal basis, such as a general licence.

For most MA members, the key proposals are:

• Snipe - the season would not open until 1 October (currently 12 August)

• Woodcock - would not open until 1 December (England and Wales)

• Woodpigeon would, for the first time, have a defined open season of 1 September to 31 January, with crop-protection control still possible under licence during the close season.

The consultation closes on 17 May 2026, so members who shoot, manage land or hold local population data should respond.

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What is being proposed?

For most Moorland Association members, the key proposed changes are to snipe, woodcock and woodpigeon. The consultation proposes delaying the snipe season opening to 1 October in England and Scotland, delaying the woodcock season opening to 1 December in England and Wales and 15 November in Scotland, and creating a new statutory woodpigeon open season running from 1 September to 31 January across Great Britain.

The consultation also includes proposals affecting a number of other species, particularly certain ducks, geese and waders, but these are likely to be of secondary relevance to most MA members.

Why are these changes being proposed?

Defra, NatureScot and Natural Resources Wales each commissioned their respective Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies - Natural England, NatureScot and NRW - to assess every species on Schedule 2.1. The reviews looked at population trends, conservation status, breeding ecology, migratory behaviour and the likely impact of shooting on each species.

Several species currently on the shootable list are now classified as Red or Amber under Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC5) or are considered at risk of extinction under the GB IUCN Red List.

The government says the proposed changes are intended to ensure that shooting does not undermine the recovery of species with declining populations, in line with England’s target to halt species decline by 2030 and improve threatened species status by 2042.

Proposed extended close seasons

Common snipe (England and Scotland): The close season would be extended so that shooting could not begin until 1 October instead of 12 August. Snipe have a prolonged breeding season running into mid or late August, meaning birds shot early in the season may still have dependent young.

This is particularly relevant to Moorland Association members because snipe breed in wet upland and moorland habitats, and Natural England’s advice notes that this risk is especially acute in more northerly and upland areas. The proposal is therefore presented on both conservation and animal welfare grounds. An estimated 85,000 snipe were shot in the UK in 2016.

Woodcock (England, Scotland and Wales): The breeding population in England has declined by 22.5% between 2003 and 2023, and by 36% in Wales over the same period. The species is Red Listed and assessed as Vulnerable. The proposal would delay the start of shooting from 1 October to 1 December in England and Wales, and from 1 September to 15 November in Scotland.

This is intended to ensure that the vast majority of birds shot are continental migrants rather than declining British breeding residents. The consultation notes this would reinforce the voluntary moratorium on shooting woodcock before December that is already widely promoted within the shooting community. An estimated 140,000 woodcock were shot in the UK in 2016.

Goldeneye (Scotland) and pintail (Scotland and Wales): Both would see close seasons extended by one month in Scotland (to 30 September) to protect small breeding populations before migratory birds arrive. In Wales, pintail’s close season would extend to 30 November.

Woodpigeon: a proposed new addition to Schedule 2.1

This proposal works differently from the rest. Woodpigeon is not currently on Schedule 2.1, meaning it has no formal shooting season. At present, woodpigeon control in England is generally carried out under General Licence GL42, which permits year-round lethal control to prevent crop damage.

Adding woodpigeon to Schedule 2.1 would create a legal shooting season (1 September to 31 January) for recreational shooting and harvesting for food. The general licences for crop protection (GL42 in England, GL02 in Scotland, GL001 in Wales) would remain in place.

The purpose is to draw a clearer distinction in law between shooting for sport or food and shooting to protect crops.

The government says that while the introduction of a close season will not end shooting during the breeding period (which would still be permitted under the general licence for crop protection), it expects it will lead to less recreational shooting during the breeding season. The woodpigeon population is increasing - breeding numbers are up 36% since 1995 - and an estimated 1.9 million were shot in 2016.

Proposed species to be removed from Schedule 2.1

European white-fronted goose: Red Listed under BoCC5, with a dramatic long-term decline in its UK wintering population. Already removed in Scotland. Fewer than 100 were estimated shot in the UK in 2016. Removal would also reduce the risk of accidental shooting of the globally endangered Greenland white-fronted goose, which looks very similar.

Goldeneye (England and Wales): Red Listed and assessed as Vulnerable to extinction in GB. The UK wintering population has declined by 58% since the early 1990s. Around 450 were estimated shot in the UK in 2016. The government cites the precautionary principle, noting a lack of data to confirm that shooting is sustainable.

Pochard: Assessed as Endangered in Britain under the IUCN and Red Listed under BoCC5. The non-breeding population in England has declined by 64% over 25 years. Around 370 were estimated shot in 2016. The UK is also obliged under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) to prohibit hunting of pochard due to its conservation status.

Pintail (England): Natural England actually recommended maintaining the current Schedule 2.1 status, concluding that shooting is not a main driver of decline. However, the UK government is using the consultation to test whether pintail should be removed as a precautionary measure given its very small English breeding population.

Common snipe (Wales), coot (Wales) and golden plover (Wales): All proposed for removal in Wales only, based on small and declining Welsh breeding populations. Natural England and NatureScot do not recommend changes to coot or golden plover status in England or Scotland.

What the consultation does not cover

Red grouse, black grouse, grey partridge, red-legged partridge and common pheasant are huntable in England and Wales under the Game Act 1831 rather than Schedule 2.1, so they fall outside the scope of this consultation. In Scotland, the Scottish government is separately proposing voluntary moratoriums on shooting ptarmigan and grey partridge in areas where populations remain low, but these are not part of this consultation.

Have your say

The consultation closes on 17 May 2026. We strongly encourage all Moorland Association members and supporters to respond. Your practical experience and local knowledge are exactly the kind of evidence the government needs to hear.

Don't forget to download our free handbook to help guide you through the consultation.

You can respond to the consultation in three ways:

•       Online: via the Defra Citizen Space consultation platform 

•       By email: WildlifeManagementAndCrime@defra.gov.uk

Please note that responses will be shared across all three governments (UK, Scottish and Welsh).

We also want to hear from you directly. If you have views, practical experience, bag data or local population observations relevant to any of the species covered, please share them with us so we can take your feedback into account when preparing the Moorland Association’s own response to the consultation. You can contact us at agilruth@moorlandassociation.org.