Brewer's: Sporting Seasons in England

Those marked thus (ast) are fixed by Act or Parliament.

Black Game,
from August 20th to December 10th; but in Somerset and New Forest, from September 1st to December 10th.

Blackcock.
August 20th to December 10th. Buck hunting, August 20th to September 17th. Bustard, September 1st to March 1st.

Red Deer
hunted, August 20th to September 30th. Male Deer (Ireland) October 20th to June 10th. Fallow Deer (Ireland), June 20th to Michaelmas. Eels, (about) April 20th to October 28th.

Fox
hunting, (about) October to Lady Day. Fox Cubs, August 1st to the first Monday in November. Grouse shooting, August 12th to December 10th. Hares, March 12th to August 12th.

Hind,
hunted in October and again between April 10th and May 20th. Moor Game (Ireland), August 20th to December 10th.

Oyster
season, August 5th to May. Partridge shooting, September 1st to February 1st. Pheasant shooting, October 1st to February 1st Ptarmigan, August 12th to December 10th. Quail, August 12th to January 10th.

Rabbits,
between October and March, Rabbits, as vermin, are shot at any time. Salmon, February 1st to September 1st.

Salmon,
rod fishing November 1st to September 1st. Trout fishing, May 1st to September 10th.

Trout,
in the Thames, April 1st to September 10th. Woodcocks, (about) November to January.

For Ireland and Scotland there are special game-laws. (See Time Of Grace.) N.B. Game in England: hare, pheasant, partridge, grouse, and moor-fowl; in Scotland, same as England, with the addition of ptarmigan ; in Ireland, same as England, with the addition of deer, black-game, landrail, quail, and bustard.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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