Applying for a hunting licence or fauna management exemption
To hunt animals in the Netherlands, you need a hunting licence or falconry permit. To hunt for damage control purposes, you also need an exemption.
Hunting licence
In the Netherlands, there are only five species of animal you are allowed to hunt: mallard, hare, pheasant, wood pigeon and rabbit. You are only allowed to hunt these animals during a specific period. You are not allowed to hunt for red deer, roe or wild boar. If you want to hunt with a rifle, you will need a hunting licence. You can apply for a hunting licence from the police in your region (in Dutch).
Falconry permit
If you want to hunt using a falcon or hawk, or you want to manage game with a falcon, hawk or harris hawk, you need a falconry permit (in Dutch) from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
Damage control and fauna management
If you want to hunt animals for damage control and management purposes, for instance because a protected species (like geese) is damaging your crop, you need an exemption from the provincial authorities (in Dutch) on top of your hunting licence or falconry permit. In some cases, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry can declare an exemption for an entire species.
Fauna Management Unit recognition
If you want your Gamekeepers' alliance approved, please apply to your provincial authority. In a fauna management plan, your provincial Fauna Management Unit (Faunabeheer Eenheid, FBE, in Dutch) describes its management of animal species.
Online application procedure via Message Box
At the province of Noord-Brabant you can apply for the Fauna Management Unit recognition digitally via Message Box. Message Box is a secure e-mail system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.