City Life

Hunting season in Poland: UWAGA POLOWANIE signs and forest walks

Short answer: Group hunts must be notified 14 days ahead and published by the municipality within 5 days. Yellow warning signs go up 24 hours before. If you see one or hear shots, choose another route.

Published 18 Oct 2026, 00:04 CEST · By Expats Poland Editorial Team

A forest path covered in autumn leaves in Poland

Hunting happens in Polish forests

Polish forests are used for walking, mushroom picking and cycling. They are also hunting districts. Under the hunting law, organised hunts can take place in the same woods where people walk. As of 17 October 2026, the main season for drive hunts is under way.

This guide explains how the public is warned, what the yellow sign means, and what to do on the spot. It is based on the Hunting Law (Prawo łowieckie), a Ministry of the Environment regulation and information from the State Forests and the Świat Lasu portal. It is general information, not legal advice.

How a group hunt is announced

A group hunt (polowanie zbiorowe) is one where at least two hunters, or a hunter and a beater, work together. In a drive, beaters walk through a section of forest and push game towards hunters standing at fixed positions.

Article 42ab of the Hunting Law sets the notice rules:

The hunting district tenant or manager, usually a hunting club, must tell the mayor and the local State Forests forest district at least 14 days before the hunt. The notice gives the date, start and end time and place.

The mayor or city president must make the date and place public within 5 days of receiving the notice. This is done in the way customary in the municipality, by public notice and on the municipal website.

There is no single national list of hunt dates. Each municipality publishes its own. The Świat Lasu portal, in an article checked on 30 September 2026, says the Ministry of Climate and Environment acknowledged in December 2025 that this procedure does not give easy access to the information, and that recommendations on changes were still being analysed in September 2026.

Municipal notices usually give the number of the hunting district, so it helps to know which district your route passes through.

The yellow warning sign

Before a group hunt the organiser must mark the area with warning signs. The Ministry of the Environment regulation of 3 October 2018 (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1939) sets out where and when they go up:

The signs are placed between 200 m and 1,000 m from the edge of the area where the drive takes place, especially at forest car parks, tourist trails and meeting points.

They hang with their centre at a height of 160 cm and must be visible, not hidden in dips in the ground.

They may go up no earlier than 24 hours before the hunt and must come down promptly, no later than 24 hours after it ends.

According to Świat Lasu, the sign is yellow with a red border and the words "UWAGA POLOWANIE". A sign at the forest entrance therefore means a hunt is on, will start within a day, or ended recently.

A warning, not a ban

The regulation calls it a warning sign. Świat Lasu notes that the Forest Act lists three reasons for a temporary entry ban (damage to the stand, high fire risk and forestry work) and that hunting is not among them. Some forest districts say only authorised persons may be present in the hunt area. Whatever the legal position, foresters and hunters give the same advice: avoid the marked area.

When hunts happen

Per Świat Lasu, drives with beaters or dogs are allowed mainly from 1 October to 31 January, between sunrise and sunset. The Warsaw regional directorate of the State Forests says group hunts usually take place at weekends.

Individual hunting, by one hunter acting alone, can happen all year, because open seasons differ by species. Świat Lasu gives wild boar as huntable all year. Municipalities do not announce individual hunts, but they must say where the register of individual hunts is kept and how to see it.

What to do in the forest

Choose another route if you see the sign or hear shots, keeping a safe distance, or wait until the drive has finished. Świat Lasu cites the Polish Hunting Association and forest districts for this advice.

Hunters use sound signals to start the drive, to forbid shooting into the drive area, and to end it. If you hear them, a hunt is close.

Keep dogs on a lead. The Forest Act bans letting dogs run free in forests, according to Świat Lasu.

Do not try to stop or disturb a hunt. Świat Lasu says deliberately obstructing a hunt is an offence under the Hunting Law.

Bright clothing, such as a hat or vest, is a sensible precaution. The rules do not require walkers to wear it, but they do require hunters to wear bright elements, so it helps you be seen.

What hunters must do

Based on Świat Lasu's reading of the Hunting Law and the 2005 hunting regulation:

Hunters may not shoot at game within 150 m of residential buildings, or within 500 m of a public gathering place while it is in use.

They may not shoot if people, livestock, buildings or vehicles are on the line of fire without a safe margin.

They must take special care where visibility is limited and where people are gathering forest produce such as mushrooms or berries.

The hunt leader is responsible for the safety of participants and the surroundings.

Landowners can object to a group hunt. At least 3 days before it, they can send the mayor a reasoned objection naming the property by address or plot number. The organiser must take it into account if the hunt would endanger people's safety or lives.

A forest in Białowieża, Poland, with a fallen tree trunk

* Photos: forest path and Białowieża Forest, both CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out when a hunt is planned near me?

Check the website of your municipal office, and its notice board, for a notice about group hunts. There is no national register. The notice gives the hunting district number, date, hours and place, and must be published within 5 days of the organiser notifying the municipality, which must happen at least 14 days before the hunt.

What does the yellow "UWAGA POLOWANIE" sign mean?

It warns that a group hunt is happening or about to happen. It goes up no earlier than 24 hours before the hunt and comes down within 24 hours after it. Take a different route.

Can I enter the forest during a hunt?

The sign is a warning, not a legal ban, according to the sources used. But foresters and hunters advise staying out of the marked area. Some forest districts say only authorised people may be in the hunt area, so check the local forest district's notice.

Is it safe to walk my dog?

Keep the dog on a lead. The Forest Act bans letting dogs run free in forests. During hunting season, avoid marked areas altogether.