Hunting for waterfowl in the Vitebsk region is permitted from March 14 to May 10
These include the white-fronted goose, bean goose, greylag goose, Canada goose, mallard, ferruginous pochard, tufted duck, garganey, and common teal. Geese of any sex and age can be hunted, while only males of mallards that have landed or flown near a decoy duck or stuffed decoy can be hunted.
For several years, by decree of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, a ban has been imposed on hunting waterfowl in the spring season in areas of their significant concentration and particularly important for birds. For example, in the Vitebsk region during this period, it is forbidden to hunt waterfowl on the lakes Snudy, Drisyaty, Nedrovo, Pocekh, Plyusy (Braslav district), Osveyskoye (Verkhnedvinsk), Obsterno (Miory), Yelnya marsh (Miory and Sharkovshchinsky districts), on the territory of the landscape reserve "Kozyansky" (Shumilinsky and Polotsk districts), and peat workings "Osintorf" (Dubrovensky district). When introducing restrictions, two factors are primarily taken into account: a large concentration of migratory birds, including species from the Red Book, and the nesting sites of the greylag goose. The population of this species in Belarus is decreasing, so specialists advocate for strengthening its protection.
Sergey Lyashuk, "Vitebskiye Vesti"