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Control rules 2026-2029

ESOD species: control and destruction

Nine species may be destroyed outside the framework of hunting in season, when they cause damage to crops or livestock. A ministerial decree of 10 August 2026 sets their list and the methods allowed for 2026-2029.

ESOD, a regime separate from hunting

ESOD stands for "espèce susceptible d'occasionner des dégâts", a species likely to cause damage. Three destruction regimes exist side by side in France and should not be confused. Group 1 covers invasive alien species (coypu, muskrat, raccoon dog and others), which may be destroyed all year with no limit. Group 3 depends on an annual prefectoral decree specific to each department (wild boar, rabbit, woodpigeon, according to local damage). This page deals with group 2: nine species classified by a single ministerial text that applies across the country.

Hunting in season is not affected. A species classified as ESOD remains subject to the prefectoral opening and closing decree during the hunting period; the ESOD classification only governs how it may be destroyed outside that framework, or alongside it depending on the case.

The 9 species classified as ESOD group 2

For each species, the methods of shooting, trapping or digging out are set by the decree of 10 August 2026 and may be restricted or extended department by department in the annex to the text.

  • Red fox

    Trapping all year and anywhere. Digging out all year. Shooting under prefectoral permit, from the general close of hunting until 31 March, extendable beyond that in case of damage to poultry.

    red fox hunting dates →

  • Stone marten

    Trapping all year, within 250 metres of a building or a livestock farm. Shooting under prefectoral permit, outside built-up areas, from the general close until 31 March.

    stone marten hunting dates →

  • Pine marten

    Trapping all year, within 250 metres of a building, a livestock farm or an apiary, and only where no other satisfactory solution exists. Shooting under prefectoral permit, outside built-up areas, from the general close until 31 March.

    pine marten hunting dates →

  • Weasel

    Trapping all year, within 250 metres of a building or a livestock farm. Shooting under prefectoral permit, outside built-up areas, from the general close until 31 March.

    weasel hunting dates →

  • Rook

    Trapping all year and anywhere. Shooting under prefectoral permit, from the general close until 31 March, extendable to 10 June then to 31 July where damage to crops is established.

    rook hunting dates →

  • Carrion crow

    Trapping all year and anywhere. Shooting under prefectoral permit, from the general close until 31 March, extendable to 10 June then to 31 July where damage to crops is established.

    carrion crow hunting dates →

  • Magpie

    Trapping all year in the areas defined by prefectoral decree. Shooting under prefectoral permit, from the general close until 31 March, with the same extensions as the rook and the carrion crow.

    magpie hunting dates →

  • Jay

    Trapping from 31 March to 30 June in orchards, and from 15 August to the general opening in orchards and vineyards. Shooting under prefectoral permit, from the general close until 31 March.

    jay hunting dates →

  • Starling

    Trapping all year and anywhere. Shooting under prefectoral permit, from the general close until 31 March, extendable to the general opening where damage is established.

    starling hunting dates →

Official source

This information comes from the decree of 10 August 2026, published in the Journal officiel no. 0194 of 21 August 2026 under article R. 427-6 of the Environmental Code. It repeals the decree of 3 August 2023 without changing the list of species or the methods allowed. The restrictions or extensions specific to your department appear in the annex to the text, and your departmental hunters' federation can spell them out for you.

← See all hunting dates by department

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about ESOD species

ESOD stands for "espèce susceptible d'occasionner des dégâts", a species likely to cause damage. It is an administrative classification, separate from hunting, that allows a species to be destroyed (by shooting, trapping or digging out depending on the case) outside the hunting licence framework and sometimes outside the general open season, when it damages crops, livestock or the balance of farmland and woodland.
No. Hunting in season remains entirely governed by the prefectoral opening and closing decree, with a validated licence. ESOD destruction is a separate regime, set by a ministerial decree for the 9 group 2 species, with its own rules on shooting, trapping and digging out. A species can be classified as ESOD without appearing in the hunting calendar of a given department.
Nine species: red fox, stone marten, pine marten, weasel, rook, carrion crow, magpie, jay and starling. The list is set nationally by a three-year ministerial decree and applies across the country, subject to the departmental restrictions listed in the annex to the text.
Yes, trapping and digging out of the fox are allowed all year. Shooting outside the season, on the other hand, requires an individual prefectoral permit, valid from the general close of hunting until 31 March and extendable where damage to poultry is established.
The trapper must be approved (training and approval are granted by the prefecture), but that approval covers the activity of trapping itself, not a case-by-case authorisation. Shooting outside the season does require an individual prefectoral permit. The exact conditions vary by department, so ask your departmental hunters' federation.
The decree of 10 August 2026, published in the Journal officiel no. 0194 of 21 August 2026, sets the list, the periods and the methods of destruction for group 2 ESOD species for 2026-2029. It repeals the decree of 3 August 2023 without changing the list of species or the methods allowed. The full text, with its department-by-department annex, is available on Légifrance.

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