Question 1

What is restocking game?

Accepted Answer

These are farm-reared animals — partridges, pheasants, wild rabbits, hares, mallard ducks — released on a hunting ground to rebuild or reinforce a wild population. Unlike put-and-take game released just before the season opens, restocking game is freed several weeks or months in advance so that it acclimatises and breeds on site.

Question 2

How much does restocking game cost?

Accepted Answer

Allow 11,60 € for a 14-week US-cross pheasant poult (13,50 € for the PUR CHASSE® strain), 10,30 € for a 14-week red-legged partridge and 10,60 € for a 14-15-week grey partridge, 13,00 € for a vaccinated 8-10-week young mallard, 16,30 € for a vaccinated 2,5-month young wild rabbit and 95,00 € for a 3-4-month French leveret. These are the starting prices per head: rates fall with volume and the breakdown by age appears on each species page. For a grouped batch, ask for a quotation — it states the exact price according to quantities, species and place of delivery.

Question 3

Do you offer special rates for hunting associations?

Accepted Answer

Yes: ACCA and AICA associations and shooting syndicates benefit from volume discounts and a quotation for their grouped batches, including multi-species orders. We can stagger deliveries across the season to space out releases and spread the association's costs, with delivery directly to the ground. The exact price depends on species, quantities and timing: contact us with your release plan and we will price the whole batch.

Question 4

When should restocking game be ordered?

Accepted Answer

European season openings run from mid-August to 1 October and the animals must be released 6 to 12 weeks beforehand. In practice, restocking orders are placed between winter and early summer. Availability by species and age is limited: the earlier the booking, the wider the choice.

Question 5

How many animals should be released per hectare?

Accepted Answer

The orders of magnitude commonly used by the federations for small feathered game range from 45 to 90 birds per 100 hectares, depending on whether or not the ground has a management plan, with seasonal ceilings of around 150 birds. For pheasant management aimed at a population that breeds on site, a ground of at least 1 000 to 1 500 hectares is generally considered necessary, and schemes monitored over time achieve 2,5 to 7 breeding pairs per 100 hectares. These figures remain guidelines: the useful density depends on the species, the quality of the habitat, the management work carried out and predation pressure. A well-managed ground gets better results with few animals than poor habitat does with many. We adjust volumes ground by ground — call us to discuss it.

Question 6

Is authorisation required to release game?

Accepted Answer

Yes, releases are regulated. Holdings whose animals are intended to be introduced into the wild fall under category A of the French environment code: they must hold a certificate of competence and an operating authorisation, keep a livestock and movement register, and have an identification number. On the side of the ground holder, introducing game into the natural environment requires an application to the DDT, generally decided after an opinion from the departmental hunters' federation, and releases must be able to be justified (purchase invoice, provenance). Some species may not be released in certain areas — this is notably the case for the red-legged partridge in mountain areas where the rock partridge lives, and for the hare in management units subject to a management plan. Departmental cut-off dates may also apply. GIBIS is registered under no. 38001, holds veterinary, health and environmental approvals, and supplies a health certificate together with the supporting invoice with every delivery. Always check the rules in force in your department with your federation.

Question 7

Do you deliver restocking game to the hunting ground?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We deliver live throughout France with our purpose-built vehicles, and export across the European Union by road or by air in accordance with IATA standards, with a health certificate and TRACES documents. Live arrival is guaranteed.

Question 8

What is the difference between restocking game and put-and-take game?

Accepted Answer

Put-and-take game is released shortly before the shoot and is not intended to settle for the long term. Restocking game is younger, released well in advance, and selected for its hardiness so that it reverts to the wild, escapes predators and breeds on the ground.

Question 9

When should young partridges and pheasant poults be released?

Accepted Answer

For a restocking release, the birds are usually put out on the ground from June to August, at an age of 8 to 16 weeks depending on the species — for pheasant, the reference range is 12 to 16 weeks, set out in detail on our pheasant poults page — so that they revert to the wild and disperse before the opening. The earlier the release, the better the acclimatisation: the birds find their bearings, learn to escape predators and spread out naturally over the ground. Late releases, just before the opening, follow a different logic — that of put-and-take game — and do not build a population. Spring partridge releases, in pairs or coveys from February to April, aim on the contrary at breeding on site.

Question 10

What is a pre-release pen and why install one?

Accepted Answer

A pre-release pen — or recall aviary — is an enclosure set up on the ground where the animals spend a few days to a few weeks before being freed. It lets them find their bearings and get used to the habitat and to local water and food, and greatly reduces dispersal and mortality in the first few days. For pheasants and partridges, a recall aviary left open after the release provides a refuge and a feeding point that holds the birds in the area. For the hare, a pre-release pen is strongly recommended.

Question 11

How can the recovery rate of a release be improved?

Accepted Answer

Four levers account for most of the result, ahead even of the number of animals released: the quality and hardiness of the stock (strain, rearing method, age at release), the management of the ground (cover, hedgerows, game cover crops, water within 200 metres), predator control carried out ahead of the release, and the use of pre-release pens with feeding maintained for the first few weeks. A successful release is prepared several months before the animals arrive.

Operation	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding / laying		●	●	●	●	●
Ordering	●	●	●	●	●	●						●
Restocking release		P	P	P		●	●	●
Shooting season	●								●	●	●	●

Restocking game for sale

What is restocking game?

Early release

Hardy birds

Health traceability

Who is restocking game for?

Hunting associations, joint associations and hunting clubs

Private shoots and estates

Game management groups and federations

Private landowners

Which species for which ground?

Red-legged partridge

Grey partridge

PUR CHASSE® pheasant

European wild rabbit

Lièvre

Mallard duck

Prices and quotations

Starting prices shown

Volume discounts

Quotes for associations and hunting clubs

The restocking calendar

February–April: breeding stock

June–August: restocking

September–January: hunting season

The game year, month by month

A successful release: techniques and densities

Pre-release enclosures

Cover and feeding stations

Water points

Predator control

Sensible densities

Réglementation

Season 2026 Pricing

Starting prices by species — restocking

Frequently Asked Questions

See also

Plan your 2026 restocking