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Hunting dates for magpie: opening and closing for the 2026-2027 season
Dates differ from one department to the next. Find yours on the map or in the table.
ESOD control: new ministerial decree 2026-2029
A decree of 10 August 2026 sets the list, the periods and the methods of destruction for group 2 ESOD species, the species likely to cause damage (weasel, stone marten, pine marten, red fox, rook, carrion crow, magpie, jay, starling). It repeals the decree of 3 August 2023 and ends the suspension in force since 1 July 2026. The methods allowed (trapping, shooting under permit, digging out) vary by department: refer to the annex of the decree or to your departmental federation. Hunting in season, governed by the prefectoral decrees, is not affected by this text.
Read more about ESOD control → Open today Closed today No data yet
For the 2026-2027 season, the opening and closing dates for magpie hunting are set department by department by prefectoral decree. Across the 38 departments documented so far, the earliest opening recorded is 23 August 2026 and the latest closing 28 February 2027. Periods sometimes differ by several weeks from one prefecture to another, so check the table below for your department.
Data updated on 21 September 2026, from the prefectoral decrees.
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Dates by department
| Department | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| Ain (01) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Aisne (02) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Allier (03) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Hautes-Alpes (05) | 13 September 2026 | 20 February 2027 |
| Alpes-Maritimes (06) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Ardèche (07) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Ardennes (08) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Ariège (09) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Aube (10) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Bouches-du-Rhône (13) | 11 January 2027 | 28 February 2027 |
| Calvados (14) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Cantal (15) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Charente-Maritime (17) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Corrèze (19) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Drôme (26) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Gard (30) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Haute-Garonne (31) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Gironde (33) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Hérault (34) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Isère (38) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Loire (42) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Haute-Loire (43) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Loire-Atlantique (44) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Lot (46) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Lot-et-Garonne (47) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Lozère (48) | 13 September 2026 | 31 January 2027 |
| Puy-de-Dôme (63) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Pyrénées-Orientales (66) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Bas-Rhin (67) | 23 August 2026 | 1 February 2027 |
| Haut-Rhin (68) | 23 August 2026 | 1 February 2027 |
| Savoie (73) | 13 September 2026 | 31 January 2027 |
| Seine-Maritime (76) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Somme (80) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Tarn (81) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Var (83) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Vaucluse (84) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Vendée (85) | 20 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
| Vienne (86) | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 |
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Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about magpie hunting
The opening date is set by each prefecture, so it varies from one department to another. Across the 38 documented departments for 2026-2027, the earliest opening recorded is 23 August 2026. The table above gives the exact date, department by department.
The closing date depends on the department and on the decree in force. Across the 38 documented departments, it ranges from 31 January 2027 to 28 February 2027; half of the departments close by 28 February 2027 at the latest. It appears in the table above, next to the opening date.
No. Each prefecture sets its own dates by decree, and periods sometimes differ by several weeks from one department to another for the same species. That is why you should always check the decree that applies where you hunt.
Every row of the table links to the page of the department concerned, where we cite the prefectoral decree used as the source. That official document is what counts for the 2026-2027 season. In a few departments whose decree has not been signed yet, the dates come from the draft put out for public consultation and may still change: the department page says so.
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