Common snipe

Snipe

This is a wading bird, common throughout the UK. Numbers are increased during the winter as the migrant population arrives. They live in tussock and grass cover on wet moorland or marsh and pasture with easy access to soft, boggy ground and small shallow pools. The snipe provides one of our smallest and most difficult sporting targets due to its erratic flight. In Scotland snipe are usually shot as part of a mixed shoot and can be driven from boggy areas or walked up. The jack snipe – a similar but smaller species of snipe – is fully protected in England, Wales and Scotland but is on the quarry list in Northern Ireland.

Season Dates

12 August to 31 January

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