Hunting season in Vaud: what walkers need to know

Last checked: 11 Oct 2026. Unofficial student guide, not EPFL or government advice: confirm on the linked official pages before you act. Unfamiliar abbreviation? See the Glossary.

From late summer to winter, hunters are active in Vaud forests and fields, mostly on weekdays. Here is when, where hunting is banned, and how to walk safely. For general trip preparation see Hiking and mountain safety.

Key facts

• Hunting days: mostly Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ("La chasse est autorisée le lundi, le mardi, le jeudi et le vendredi", DGE directives 2026-2027, art. 5 al. 2). Hunting can also happen on Saturdays (roe deer at dawn or dusk in October; wild boar stalking from June to October; wild boar drive hunts from November to January), on some Wednesdays and Saturdays for red deer team hunts, and on 21 Sep 2026 and 2 Jan 2027 (art. 5 al. 3 to 5, annex I). Only Sundays are hunting-free in the 2026-2027 calendar.
• Hunting hours: from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset (directives art. 6).
• Main season 2026-2027: general hunting of roe deer and wild boar opens 1 Oct 2026; wild boar hunting runs 1 to 29 Sep 2026 and 2 Nov 2026 to 30 Jan 2027 (DGE population information sheet 2026-2027). Wild boar is also hunted on Saturdays: stalking from June to October, drive hunts from November to January (directives art. 5 al. 4).
• Drive hunts (battues) for wild boar with dogs are allowed September to January, and on Saturdays from November to January (directives art. 5 and 30). Wild boar stalking (affût or approche) is also allowed on Saturdays from June to October (art. 5 al. 4).
• No hunting in Vaud's 4 federal wildlife sites (districts francs fédéraux), except wildlife management actions (vd.ch).
• Dogs on a lead from 1 April to 15 July in forests, at forest edges and in adjoining meadows (RLFaune art. 2a, DGE).

1. Season calendar 2026-2027 (extract)

From the DGE "Information à la population" sheet. Only the official texts are legally binding.

• Extra hunting days authorised by the department: Monday after the Federal Fast (lundi du Jeûne, 21 Sep 2026) and 2 Jan 2027 (DGE directives 2026-2027, annex I).
• Wild boar can also be hunted from hides, without dogs and outside forests, at dawn and dusk from June to August (directives art. 30). On Saturdays, wild boar stalking is allowed from June to October and drive hunts from November to January (art. 5 al. 4). The canton may extend wild boar hunting into February in risk areas (art. 30 al. 3).
• Full calendar: DGE, Déroulement de la saison de chasse 2026-2027 (PDF).

2. Walking safely during the season

• Hunting can happen on any day except Sunday. It is mostly on Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri, but also on Saturdays (roe deer and wild boar stalking, wild boar drive hunts from November to January), on some Wednesdays and Saturdays for red deer team hunts, and on 21 Sep 2026 and 2 Jan 2027. Check the calendar above before a forest walk.
• Stay on marked paths, especially at dawn and dusk, when hunting from hides is common.
• Be visible: bright clothing helps hunters see you. This is a common precaution, not a legal requirement for walkers. To verify: whether the DGE publishes official safety advice for walkers.
• Drive hunt signs: if you see a sign or hunters indicating a drive hunt (battue) in progress, choose another route. To verify: whether Vaud law requires hunters to put up signs for battues (no cantonal rule found in the 2026-2027 directives).
• Keep your dog close and under control; hunting dogs may be working nearby.
• If you find an injured or dead wild animal, do not touch it; see After a car accident for reporting wildlife collisions.

3. Where hunting is banned

• Federal wildlife sites: Vaud has 4 districts francs fédéraux: Le Noirmont, Grand Muveran, Les Bimis-Ciernes Picat and Pierreuse-Gummfluh. In Le Noirmont "La chasse est interdite, excepté des actions de gestion de la faune occasionnant des dommages", and similar rules apply in the other federal sites (vd.ch).
• Water and migratory bird reserves (réserves OROEM) on Vaud lakeshores, for example Les Grangettes, Grandson-Champ-Pittet and Rive droite du Petit-Lac (vd.ch). Wildlife regulation actions can still take place there (directives art. 8).
• Cantonal wildlife reserves and some named areas, such as near wildlife overpasses and the Bière military training area (directives art. 9).
• Those sites also have rules for visitors (paths, dogs, camping): see Wild camping and bivouacs.

4. Dogs on a lead

• 1 April to 15 July: dogs must be on a lead in forests, at forest edges and in adjoining meadows in agricultural zones, to protect wildlife during breeding (DGE poster, legal basis RLFaune art. 2a).
• All year: in federal wildlife sites, cantonal wildlife reserves, water bird reserves and pastures with livestock; in nature reserves and quiet zones (zones de tranquillité) according to the site rules (DGE).
• Commune rules may be stricter, for example Lausanne. Registration, tax and local lead rules: Dog registration (AMICUS) in Vaud.