This year the season of fox hunting begins on August 27 and will continue until February 26, 2017. Hunting is allowed nationwide, except for protected areas, and there are no bag limits this season. Besides foxes, hunting of quails is allowed as well during this time.

Oleg Ciocoi, president of the Moldovan Society of Hunters and Fishermen, told IPN no bag limits have been imposed this year because the current fox population is nine-ten animals per one thousand hectares, whereas the optimal density is one-two foxes.

Hunting is prohibited in natural reservations, and within a range of 500 meters from inhabited areas. In case of Balti and Chisinau, the range increases to two kilometers.

During September 24-December 4, boar hunting will be allowed, but only within rented forested areas. The fee charged by tenants for a hunted boar is 10,000-15,000 lei, Oleg Ciocoi says. However, the fine for killing a wild boar illegally is only 5,000 lei.

The forestry agency Moldsilva is recalling that the hunting for deer, bucks, badgers, quails, geese, ducks and doves is prohibited in state-protected areas.

Fines for poaching range from 1,000 lei for a hare or pheasant, for example, to 10,000 lei for a red deer. If the damage is larger than 4,000 lei, the poacher will also face criminal proceedings.