How not to become a poacher, who, how and where you can hunt in Russia

Types of hares and their habitat

The white hare got its name due to the change in color from summer gray down to winter white (by winter only the tips of the ears remain gray). It has chosen the forest thickets and shrubs of the tundra and forest-steppe zone of Siberia, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Western Europe, and is also found in the Chernigov, Saratov, Oryol regions, Mongolia, North America, Hokkaido and Northeast China, in western Greenland.

The weight of an adult varies from 1.5 to 5 kg, body length from 45 to 70 cm. It feeds on the foliage of shrubs and tree bark. The mating season begins in March, during which the females give birth 2-3 times and after half a month the hares are able to take care of and feed themselves.

The hare is much larger than the hare, its ears and tail are longer, and the color on the back and tail remains gray even in winter. Lives in fields, cleared forest edges, steppes, and is rarely found in forests. Lives in Germany, Sweden, England, France, North Africa, Turkey, Crimea, Iran, Transcaucasia, Ukraine. The distribution area of ​​this species begins in the south of the Arkhangelsk region and further in the Caspian steppes, at the mouth of the Ural River, from Siberia to Omsk, gradually spreading towards the Far East. An adult weighs on average from 3 to 6.5 kg, has a body length of up to 70 cm and is capable of speeds of up to 63 km/h. Females breed a litter 3-5 times a year, which contains from 1 to 12 hares.

The hare, called tolai or sandstone, lives in semi-desert and desert areas, mountain and lowland steppes. In addition to Russia, it is found in China, Mongolia, Northeast Africa, Arabia, Iran, and Northeast India. He is much smaller than a hare. Their worst enemies are considered to be wild pigs and birds of prey.

The most rare are the Manchurian hare and wild rabbit. The first has a reddish-gray sometimes completely black color, which does not change by winter, the second is very similar to ordinary hares, but lives mainly in colonies.

How to start hunting

In order to engage in hunting, you need to obtain the following documents and buy a weapon suitable for hunting.

Hunting weapon

Hunting in Russia is permitted with the following types of weapons (Article 1, Law on Hunting):

• pneumatic hunting weapons;
• firearms, smooth-bore and rifled weapons;
• hunting throwing small arms;
• steel arms.

It is important to understand that the use of this or that type of weapon during hunting is regulated by hunting rules; we will talk about this later.

To obtain and purchase the above weapons, you must obtain the appropriate permits to store and carry this type of weapon and a hunting license.

Ways to hunt a hare

The most common, accessible and successful method, if there are a lot of hares, is hunting from the approach. The hunter should slowly approach the place where the game lies, be ready to shoot and move against the wind. It is in the instinct of self-preservation for hares to allow a person to come close to them, and then “from under” their feet to run away. This method was very effective before the invention of firearms, but now this archaism often causes the death of long-eared animals.

You can track a hare on a moonlit night in late autumn or winter. This requires attentiveness and patience to wait for the hare to decide to feed. This method is called blind hunting.

During a mass, collective hunt, you can use the method of drive hunting, which consists in the fact that the first group of hunter-drivers drives the animals to the second group, which, in turn, shoots them for slaughter.

When searching for a hare by following its tracks (we are talking about a hunting method called tracking), you will need the skills of a tracker. This method is considered very interesting and exciting, on a par with hunting a hare with hounds. The latter uses the dogs’ ability to pick up the scent and drive the hare from the starting point to the same place.

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• ← How to choose the right shot for a duck and features of duck hunting
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Hunting for the Uzerka

A hunter moves through the forest or clearing, carefully looking at his surroundings. Everything that turns white on the ground could be a hare, but it could also be a piece of paper, a piece of birch bark, and who knows what else. It is difficult to see the animal, especially in the bushes. It is not advisable to approach and check: the hare can instantly scurry into the thicket. Hare or not a hare, this question always haunts the hunter in this hunt.

What a joy it is to see how ears suddenly rise and fall over an unknown and doubtful whitish spot, and painful doubts are dispelled. And, on the contrary, what a disappointment when you realize that instead of a hare, the wind is blowing a piece of newspaper that you just wanted to shoot at. But all this is not enough. Even if there is no doubt and the hunter is 100% sure that he sees a hare, the matter is not over yet. Most often, under the described conditions, it is possible to notice a lying white hare at a fairly large distance. Fears that the hare might get up and leave without a shot keep you from trying to get closer to it. Hence the long shots and frequent unfortunate misses. A roosting hare usually lies in a hole, a ditch, or between hummocks. It is often obscured by branches and soil, which together largely protects it from shot impacts. In general, “missing” a white hare when hunting for a whitefish is a common thing.

You can hunt in almost any weather, since hares, apparently feeling their white coat, lie tightly even on frosty days. But the watch is especially good for a hunter when, after heavy rain, drops of water (drops) fall heavily and loudly from branches heavy with moisture. Hares really do not like drops and therefore leave their favorite thickets, getting out to the edges, clearings and fields adjacent to the forest. Here, in an open place, hares lie down, which makes it very easy to find them and shoot at them. It is more difficult to spot a hare who has molted into his winter attire even in the absence of snow, because he does not become white, but only slightly lighter.

The hunt for the Uzerka does not last long. Most often, it is possible for only two or three days, but this short duration only adds sportiness and excitement to it. The falling snow puts an end to it and at the same time opens up a new opportunity for him to hunt a hare - to start tracking.

Comments

1. Andrey0412 10/18/2016 at 10:22 I live in the Altai region and we have both hare and hare.
   I have MP 155, falcon gunpowder, I choose number 7.8 hare shot. Answer
2. Arthur 10/18/2016 at 20:58
   We live in a flat area, there are few forests. We hunt the hare in a large group, at least 15-20 people. Let's go horseshoe.

   Answer

   Dmitry 02/11/2017 at 22:37

   Read also:  Hunting hazel grouse with decoy autumn 2020. Moose tracks.

   According to the rules of hunting, by a guy or by law, a number of more than five people is prohibited.

   Answer

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Hunting with air guns

Can air guns be used for hunting? The answer is yes, but there are a number of questions to consider. This article is dedicated to them. We warn you right away that this contains a point of view that may differ from yours.

Is the use of air guns humane?

Yes, using air guns for hunting is humane. Air rifles hit the target accurately if the hunter has the appropriate skill. Against the background of “anti-aircraft gunners” with semi-automatic 12-gauge shotguns that fire a burst of shotgun blasts at every flock of ducks, a bullet from an air rifle looks more than humane.

At what distance can you consistently hit a bottle cap? This is your effective fire range. Air rifles are designed for small prey such as squirrels, rabbits and birds, which means that you have to target a very small area to successfully hunt. Depending on the animal, the size of the killing zone will vary, but in general it does not exceed 2-3 cm. A head shot is most effective. If everything is done correctly, the animal dies instantly. If you miss, he will run away and be doomed to slowly die. Therefore, always be sure that you are within the required distance. Get so close to the target that you are guaranteed to get into the killing zone. Shoot only when the target is completely visible. If the animal’s head is half hidden in the foliage, don’t even try to shoot, it’s better to wait for the best moment. In this regard, a hunter with an air gun is more like a real athlete-hunter. He has to track down the game, check each shot and fire one gram bullet against one, or even several shot charges, weighing 28 grams each.

How powerful should a weapon be?

The next thing to discuss when hunting with air rifles is shot power. Velocity without power is meaningless - that's why it's worth talking about muzzle energy. Sportsmen don't like the idea of ​​a wounded animal running away if they miss their shot, so there is a minimum energy recommended for airguns. The recommended lower limit is 16 J, which corresponds to a .177 caliber 0.51 g lead bullet fired at 252 m/s or a .22 caliber 0.93 g lead bullet fired at 187.5 m/s. Other bullet weights will obviously produce different energy at the same velocity. Of course, after leaving the barrel the bullet loses energy. Low-power airguns have a shorter effective shooting range, while more powerful airguns allow you to hit prey at greater distances. Limit yourself to the distance at which your weapon can provide the necessary energy. With a weapon with 16 J of muzzle energy this will be 32 meters, 41 J will already allow you to confidently shoot from 46 meters. The maximum distance from which game can be taken is limited by both the power and accuracy of an airgun. Manufacturers are trying to get around these limitations by offering a variety of bullets, including hollow-point ones, which flatten upon impact, thereby increasing the contact area and transmitting more energy. However, always remember the limitations of your weapon and, of course, your shooting skills.

What is "small game"?

Ask any hunter to name examples of "small game" and the first two animals he will name will be the hare and the squirrel. But this pair is only a small part of the long list of game that can be hunted with an airgun. And the approaches even to these two animals are different. A hare can be killed with a bullet either in the heart or in the head. But you can hit a squirrel several times, but it can still escape. Examples like these show how broad the concept of “small game” is. If you are going to hunt, you need to know exactly what kind of game you are going to get and prepare accordingly. A discussion of this issue deserves a separate article; in any case, participation in a hunting society and consultations with senior comrades will obviously not be superfluous.

Who are “pests”?

There are two definitions of pests. A creature that annoys you personally can be classified as a pest. And there is a much broader category of animals that society considers as such. Rats are a prime example of this. And a bird that has built a nest under the roof can easily be a species listed in the Red Book. Accordingly, there are two points of view on “pests”. If you hunt, it is necessary to relate the concept of “pest” to laws – local and federal. This is the only correct point of view in this case.

Can air guns be used?

Like rifles, air pistols must meet power and accuracy requirements. 16 J of muzzle energy is the lower threshold recommended for all pneumatics that can be used as hunting. This immediately excludes most pistols from consideration, because they produce approximately 8 J. Those that produce more are obviously expensive models. The TalonP pistol can produce up to 60 J of muzzle energy, making it one of the best pistol models for hunting. Just as the effective range of air rifles is limited to hitting a bottle cap with confidence, pistols have the same limitation. The pistol is more difficult to hold, so its effective shot distance is shorter than that of rifle models of the same power. One more thing - do not try to hunt with an air gun that shoots steel balls. It is easier to stabilize a lead bullet in flight and achieve the desired accuracy from it. BB balls are good for plinking or hardballing, but requiring them to have good accuracy at 30 meters is pointless.

What about calibers?

Consider .177, .20, .22 and .25 calibers. All of them are effective for hunting and meet the requirements of power and accuracy. But there are a few subtleties that a hunter should remember.

The .177 caliber is the smallest among bullets and it has the not very good property of flying through the victim without hitting vital organs. This caliber is also the fastest of the four, so sufficient muzzle energy can be achieved on a large number of guns. The shooter must have good training precisely because of the small caliber of the bullet.

The .20 and .22 calibers are very similar, so let's discuss them together. These are the most successful calibers for hunting. As the caliber increases, the area of ​​guaranteed target destruction increases, which makes them more effective than .177. .22 caliber rifles are more efficient in terms of air consumption, the heavier bullet allows for longer range shooting.

The .25 caliber would be ideal for air rifles, but, unfortunately, until recently, high-quality bullets for it were not produced. Everything changed a couple of years ago and the .25 caliber can now compete with the .22. Its only negative property is its high cost. This is not a casual shooting caliber, so it is much more expensive than smaller calibers.

We do not consider the legal aspects of owning hunting pneumatics in Russia, I would only like to note that pneumatics with a muzzle energy of up to 7.5 J in .177 caliber and up to 3 J in .22 caliber are allowed for free sale

Safety first

One of the biggest advantages of pneumatics also becomes its biggest disadvantage. Hunting is carried out from short distances and takes place in more civilized places where the use of firearms is impossible. But even a bullet fired from an air gun can fly past the target - and the shooter must take this into account when choosing a position. It is necessary to ensure that your target does not have other people's property or people. A hunter should always understand that a pneumatic or firearm is in any case a weapon, so in no case should you relax and neglect safety measures when shooting.

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Other duties of the hunter:

• The hunter is obliged to hunt in the territory indicated in the permit and comply with the hunting standards specified in it;
• Place traps, traps and other devices in an unalarmed state no later than the last day of the validity period of the permit for the extraction of hunting resources;
• after harvesting a game animal, before the start of its primary processing and (or) transportation, make an appropriate note about the harvest on the back of the permit for the extraction of hunting resources;
• Upon expiration of the validity period of the permit for the extraction of hunting resources, or in cases of extraction of the amount of hunting resources specified in the permit, as well as in cases where, in accordance with the Hunting Rules, the permit for the extraction of hunting resources is considered to be used, fill out and send information about the obtained hunting resources , provided for by the permit for the extraction of hunting resources, to the place where it was received;
• carry out transportation of hunting products and their sale only if there is a permit for the extraction of hunting resources, with an appropriate mark on the extraction or in the presence of a completed tear-off coupon for the specified permit; In the event that the permit for the extraction of hunting resources specifies the rate of permissible extraction of more than one individual game animal per day or the specific number of individuals of game animals or the rate of permissible production per season , transportation of the corresponding hunting products is carried out in the presence of a permit for the extraction of hunting resources without a mark on the production on its reverse side;
• During a collective hunt, the person responsible for its conduct is the person in whose name the permit for the extraction of hunting resources was issued, therefore the responsibilities indicated above are usually assigned to him and he knows how and what to fill out and will explain everything during the briefing;
• When carrying out a collective hunt, each hunter must have with him the documents specified above, with the exception of collective hunting for ungulates, bears, wolves, during which permits for the extraction of hunting resources are held by the person responsible for the collective hunt.

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Results

1. Fines for illegal hunting are established by administrative , criminal legislation and orders of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.
2. For violation of hunting rules , violation of hunting deadlines, lack of documents, use of prohibited types of weapons, and harm to the environment, various measures of administrative and criminal liability have been established.
3. In addition, they are subject to fines for poaching , which vary by animal species and other criteria.
4. For hunting in protected areas and zones and killing females, fines increase by 5-7 times.
5. Killing animals from the Red Book of Russia and the world is punishable by imprisonment and a fine of up to 1,000,000 rubles.

What does a hunter have to do?

According to the hunting rules, the hunter must comply with the following:

Have the following documents with you:

• hunting license;
• in case of hunting with hunting firearms and (or) pneumatic weapons, a permit to store and carry hunting weapons;
• in the case of hunting in publicly accessible hunting grounds, a permit for the extraction of hunting resources, issued in the prescribed manner;
• in the case of hunting in designated hunting grounds, a permit for the extraction of hunting resources, issued in the prescribed manner and a permit;
• in the case of hunting in other territories that are the habitat of game animals, a permit for the extraction of hunting resources issued by government authorities or environmental institutions authorized in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation in the prescribed manner;
• in case of hunting with birds of prey, permission to keep and breed in semi-free conditions or in an artificially created habitat;

The hunter is obliged to present the above documents, hunting tools and hunting products at the request of the following officials:

• an authorized government body exercising federal state hunting supervision;
• territorial bodies of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Natural Resources and state institutions under the jurisdiction of executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, to which Federal Law N 52-FZ is assigned the functions of protection, federal state supervision and regulation of the use of wildlife and their habitats;
• other officials authorized in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation;

If a production hunting inspector comes up to you and shows you the identification of a production hunting inspector , at his request you must show him:

• necessary documents from the list above;
• things on one's person (including hunting tools, hunting products) and vehicles for their inspection.

From Article 41 of the Federal Law on Hunting... dated April 24, 2020, paragraph 7 (extract):

Industrial hunting inspectors have the right to:

• check, upon presentation of a certificate of industrial hunting inspector, compliance with requirements in the field of hunting and conservation of hunting resources, including compliance with hunting rules and hunting parameters established in accordance with this Federal Law and the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, norms in the field of hunting and conservation of hunting resources, as well as the presence of a hunting license, voucher, permission to extract hunting resources and permission to store and carry hunting firearms and (or) pneumatic weapons;
• upon presentation of a certificate of a production hunting inspector, if there is sufficient data on violations of the requirements in the field of hunting and conservation of hunting resources by a person located within the boundaries of the hunting ground, inspect the things located with the specified person (including hunting tools, hunting products), stop and inspect vehicles without violating the integrity or opening the inspected items, vehicles and their parts ;
• during the inspection of things and vehicles, use photo and video recording equipment;
• in case of detection of violations of requirements in the field of hunting and conservation of hunting resources containing signs of an administrative offense or crime , as well as in the event of harm to hunting resources and their habitat by legal entities and citizens when they hunt within the boundaries of the hunting ground, draw up acts on the presence of signs of administrative offenses or crimes related to violation of the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of hunting and conservation of hunting resources.

It is important to note the difference between the concepts of inspection, inspection and search; these are all completely different procedures with different legal consequences.