Is it permissible to hunt as a hobby and for recreation, and what is the ruling on hunting birds during mating season, and does this apply to the rock pigeon which mates all year round?

Hunting is divided into two categories: The first is permissible by the consensus of scholars, which is hunting for beneficial purposes. The second is reprehensible or forbidden, which is hunting for amusement and play, such as killing a sparrow without a just cause.

There is no sacred text that prohibits hunting during mating or breeding seasons. Thus, hunting at this time remains fundamentally permissible. However, it is reprehensible to hunt birds that have small chicks or to take them alive, due to the harm this causes to the chicks. Abstaining from such hunting is considered better.