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Restocking hunting grounds

Restocking game for sale

Partridges, pheasants and mallards bred for returning to the wild, wild rabbits and hares: hardy, vaccinated and acclimatised birds and animals, delivered alive to your ground. Volume discounts, quotations for hunting associations and shooting syndicates.

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Restocking game for sale

What is restocking game?

Restocking game refers to farm-reared animals returned to the wild on a hunting ground to rebuild or reinforce a wild population. Unlike put-and-take game, set free shortly before the season opens, restocking game is set out on the ground several weeks to several months in advance so that it acclimatises, breeds and settles for the long term. Success rests on three factors: the genetic quality and hardiness of the stock, the timing of the return to the wild, and the management of the ground that receives it.

Early return to the wild

6 to 12 weeks before the opening of the season for small feathered game, so that the birds revert to the wild and find their bearings.

Hardy birds

Rearing in large planted aviaries, flushing with pointing dogs, natural feeding: birds that fly high and run from predators.

Health traceability

Holding no. 38001, veterinary, health and environmental approvals. Health certificate supplied with every delivery.

Who is restocking game for?

We supply the bodies that manage a hunting ground: ACCA and AICA municipal hunting associations, communal hunting associations, private shoots and estates, GICs (game management groups), departmental hunters' federations, as well as private owners of a hunting ground. Each has its own constraints in terms of volume, timing and budget — we adapt the batches and the delivery schedule accordingly. Hunting grounds that want to diversify beyond small game can also introduce live roe deer of French origin.

Hunting associations, joint associations and hunting clubs

Batches grouped by species, delivery to the ground, staggered deliveries across the season to spread costs and space out the returns to the wild.

Private shoots and estates

Large volumes, selected strains including FAISAN PUR CHASSE®, annual planning with advance booking.

Game management groups and federations

Supply for management schemes at the scale of a whole massif or department: ringed stock, full traceability, provenance records.

Private landowners

Sales to private buyers are possible subject to the regulations applicable in your department. Advice on returning game to the wild and on habitat included.

Which species for which ground?

Every species has its own habitat requirements. The right choice determines the survival rate far more than the number returned to the wild. For dry uplands and large parks, GIBIS also supplies Mediterranean mouflon in founder groups. For pheasant, our exclusive strain has its own dedicated page: FAISAN PUR CHASSE®.

Red-legged partridge

Dry hillsides, scrubland, cereal plains of southern and central France. A sedentary species, ideal for spring restocking in pairs or coveys.

Grey partridge

Arable plains of northern and eastern France, on cool soils. Pure French strain, very well suited to open fields.

PUR CHASSE® pheasant

Woodland, woodland edges, hedgerows and cover. Our exclusive strain, bred naturally in a one-hectare aviary, renowned for its explosive flush.

European wild rabbit

Light, free-draining soils, banks and artificial warrens. Stock vaccinated against VHD and myxomatosis, to be returned to the wild in prepared warrens.

Hare

Open plains and mixed farmland. Hares from France and central Europe, under a health certificate, returned to the wild after a spell in an acclimatisation pen.

Mallard duck

Ponds, marshes and lakes. Flying birds, to be returned to the wild gradually to hold the population on the water.

Prices and quotations

Starting prices by species are summarised in the table below; the full breakdown of prices by age and strain appears on each species page: pheasant poults, red-legged and grey partridges, wild rabbits, hares and mallard ducks. Prices fall with volume, and we issue quotations for grouped batches for hunting associations and shooting syndicates, with the option of staggering deliveries across the season.

Starting prices shown

One line per species below, at genuine catalogue prices. No hidden charges: the breakdown by age is on the species pages.

Volume discounts

The larger the batch, the lower the price per head. The quotation states the exact price according to quantities and species.

Quotes for associations and hunting clubs

Grouped multi-species batches, delivery to the ground and returns to the wild staggered across the season. Ask for your quotation.

The restocking calendar

European season openings run from mid-August (Greece) to 1 October (Romania, Germany), with France generally opening between 6 and 20 September depending on the département. Orders are planned well in advance: our availability by age is set out in the catalogue. See the season's game catalogue for prices by species.

February–April: breeding stock

Making up breeding pairs and coveys, hatching eggs. This is also the season for returning partridges to the wild in spring.

June–August: restocking

The heart of the season. Birds of 8 to 16 weeks to be returned to the wild for acclimatisation before the opening.

September–January: hunting season

Adult stock ready to shoot, mid-season top-ups and game for dog training.

The game year, month by month

From one year to the next, operations always follow the same order: breeding and laying in spring, ordering from winter to early summer, return to the wild and acclimatisation in summer, and the shooting season from September to January. The table below sets out this annual cycle month by month — it scrolls horizontally on a phone. To plan your exact dates, everything is detailed in our guide to achieving a successful return to the wild.

Operation Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Breeding / laying ● ● ● ● ●
Ordering ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Return to the wild P P P ● ● ●
Shooting season ● ● ● ● ●

● peak period for the operation · P = partridges returned to the wild in spring (pairs and coveys). Small game shooting season: exact dates are set each year by prefectoral order, generally from September to January depending on the department.

A successful return to the wild: techniques and densities

A successful return to the wild is prepared before the animals arrive. The points below sum up what we have been advising our customers for three generations — and they are developed in detail, species by species, in our complete guide to returning your game to the wild successfully.

Acclimatisation enclosures

Provide aviaries or acclimatisation pens on the ground: the animals get their bearings there for a few days before being freed.

Cover and feeding stations

Game crops, hedgerows, fallow land and feeding points provide the food and shelter that are essential for populations to hold. Allow one feeder per 10 to 15 hectares at the edge of cover, kept supplied without interruption, and 1 to 3 % of the area in wildlife crops: our guide to game feeding and habitat management details crops, feeders, artificial warrens and recall pens.

Water points

Access to water within 200 metres, particularly in summer and for returning mallard to the wild.

Predator control

Predation pressure brought under control before the return to the wild radically changes the recovery rate.

Sensible densities

It is better to return fewer animals to the wild on a well-managed ground than a great many onto unsuitable habitat.

Regulations

Returning game to the wild is regulated (permitted species, periods, provenance). Check with your departmental hunters' federation.

Season 2026 Pricing

2026-2027 hunting season — prices current as of August 2026

Starting prices by species — restocking

Product Price
US-cross pheasant poult14 weeks · each · PUR CHASSE® strain: €13.50
€11.60
Red-legged partridge14 weeks · each · Covey of 9 + 1 leader: €102.00
€10.30
Grey partridge14-15 weeks · each · Covey of 9 + 1 leader: €105.00
€10.60
Vaccinated young wild rabbit2.5 months · each · Vaccinated against myxomatosis + VHD
€16.30
French leveret3-4 months · each · 2025-2026 price, for reference; under a health certificate
€95.00
Vaccinated young mallard8-10 weeks · each · Adult in August: €16.50
€13.00

Frequently Asked Questions

What is restocking game?
These are animals returned to the wild on a hunting ground to rebuild or reinforce a wild population: farm-reared partridges, pheasants and mallard ducks, as well as wild rabbits and hares. Unlike put-and-take game, set out on the ground just before the season opens, restocking game is freed several weeks or months in advance so that it acclimatises and breeds on site.
How much does restocking game cost?
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; a 3-4-month French leveret sold for €95.00 in 2025-2026, for reference (2026-2027 prices announced on 15 November 2026). 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.
Do you offer special rates for hunting associations?
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 the returns to the wild 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 plan for returning game to the wild and we will price the whole batch.
When should restocking game be ordered?
European season openings run from mid-August to 1 October and the animals must be returned to the wild 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.
How many animals should be returned to the wild per hectare?
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.
Is authorisation required to return game to the wild?
Yes, returning game to the wild is 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 each introduction must be able to be justified (purchase invoice, provenance). Some species may not be returned to the wild 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.
Do you deliver restocking game to the hunting ground?
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.
What is the difference between restocking game and put-and-take game?
Put-and-take game is returned to the wild shortly before the shoot and is not intended to settle for the long term. Restocking game is younger, settled on the ground well in advance, and selected for its hardiness so that it reverts to the wild, escapes predators and breeds on the ground.
When should young partridges and pheasant poults be returned to the wild?
For restocking, 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 return to the wild, the better the acclimatisation: the birds find their bearings, learn to escape predators and spread out naturally over the ground. Late returns to the wild, just before the opening, follow a different logic — that of put-and-take game — and do not build a population. Spring returns of partridges to the wild, in pairs or coveys from February to April, aim on the contrary at breeding on site.
What is an acclimatisation pen and why install one?
An acclimatisation 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 return to the wild provides a refuge and a feeding point that holds the birds in the area. For the hare, an acclimatisation pen is strongly recommended.
How can the recovery rate of a return to the wild be improved?
Four levers account for most of the result, ahead even of the number of animals returned to the wild: the quality and hardiness of the stock (strain, rearing method, age at return to the wild), the management of the ground (cover, hedgerows, game cover crops, water within 200 metres), predator control carried out ahead of the operation, and the use of acclimatisation pens with feeding maintained for the first few weeks. A successful return to the wild is prepared several months before the animals arrive.

See also

Delivery by department Successful return to the wild Small game regulations Game feeding & habitat Pheasant poults FAISAN PUR CHASSE® Pheasants Red/Grey Partridges Wild Rabbits Hares Our references Pheasant and game prices

Plan your 2026 restocking

Let's talk about your ground, your objectives and the species that suit it. Free quotation for grouped batches and hunting associations, volume discounts, advice on returning game to the wild and a delivery schedule.

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