United Kingdom

Summary

Great Britain names the bow in its wildlife law. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to use any bow or crossbow to kill or take any wild bird, and any wild animal. It applies in England, Wales and Scotland; in Scotland the animal provision is written even wider and covers any animal. In England and Wales the Deer Act 1991 adds a specific ban on arrows for deer. Northern Ireland has its own order of 1985, which forbids for birds and wild animals any missile not discharged from a firearm, in particular any arrow or spear.

The ban is old and has been kept in every revision. The Deer Act 1963 already forbade arrows for deer in England and Wales, and the Act of 1981 carried the words bow or crossbow from the day it was passed. The only way around the text is a licence from the conservation authority for purposes the Acts list, such as science, public health or preventing serious damage; no licence allowing a bow was found.

The legal mechanism

• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, England and Wales: s. 5(1)(c)(i) makes it an offence to use any bow or crossbow to kill or take any wild bird; for that section game birds count as wild birds. S. 11(1)(b), and s. 11(1)(be) in Wales, makes it an offence to use any bow or crossbow to kill or take any wild animal, defined in s. 27 as any animal other than a bird that is or was living wild. The penalty under s. 21(1) is up to six months in prison, a level 5 fine, or both, and the court may order the weapon forfeited.
• Wildlife and Countryside Act, Scotland: the Scottish text of s. 11(1)(b) forbids the bow or crossbow for killing or taking any animal, and s. 5(1)(c)(i) for any wild bird. Under s. 21(4D) the offence carries up to twelve months and £40,000 on summary conviction, and up to five years on indictment.
• Deer Act 1991, England and Wales: s. 4(2)(b) makes it an offence to use any arrow, spear or similar missile to take, kill or injure any deer; s. 9 sets a level 4 fine, up to three months in prison, or both.
• Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985: art. 6(1)(c)(i) for wild birds and art. 12(1)(b) for wild animals forbid any missile not discharged from a firearm, including in particular any arrow or spear. The order counts deer, hares and game birds as game.
• Licences: s. 16 of the Act of 1981 and art. 18 of the Northern Ireland order disapply these prohibitions for acts done under a licence from the appropriate authority, for listed purposes such as scientific research, conservation, public health and safety, or preventing serious damage to livestock, crops or property. No licence permitting a bow was found.
• History: the Deer Act 1963, s. 3(1)(c)(ii), already made it an offence to use any arrow, spear or similar missile on deer in England and Wales, and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 contained the bow and crossbow in both s. 5 and s. 11 as enacted.
• The crossbow is named with the bow in the Act of 1981 and falls under the missile wording of the Northern Ireland order.

Before you go

This page describes the legislation of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as it stood on the date below. A change would show up as an amendment to s. 5 and s. 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to s. 4 of the Deer Act 1991 or to the Northern Ireland order; if you hear that the bow has been allowed, ask for the amending act and its date on legislation.gov.uk. Until then, hunting any wild bird or animal with a bow anywhere in the United Kingdom is a criminal offence. The final check is yours.