Hunting

Do walkers have to wear hi-vis during hunting season in France?

An online rumour suggests the rules for hunters could be extended to the wider public

Associations campaign to stop culling of 500 chamois in France

Animal activists have condemned what they see as ‘slaughter’, but hunters have denied this

Walker picking mushrooms in Var loses leg after being shot by hunter, 82

A gendarmerie investigation has now been opened into ‘unintentional violence with a weapon’

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Man fatally shot while taking part in hunt in Dordogne

The 49-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the stomach

Brittany steps up fight against rising numbers of wild boar

Global warming is enabling the boar to proliferate which brings higher risks to roads, trains, farms, and private residents

Letters: French 'réserve de chasse' sign does not mean what I thought it did

Reader had presumed that it meant an area was reserved for hunting

Criminal inquiry after farmer killed during wild boar hunt in France

Hunters were called to reenact the positions they were at the time the fatal shot was fired

Listen: Stag bellowing season underway in French forests

Every year, nature-lovers gather to listen out for the sound and even compete to imitate it best

Farmers union calls for right to shoot wild boar in Dordogne

If the prefecture labels boar 'pests' then there will be fewer restrictions on killing them

What is known about hunter’s death in southern France at weekend

The 56-year-old man is believed to have slipped and fired the fatal shot into his chest by mistake

How to keep hunters out of your garden in France

They can enter your land unless you take steps to explicitly state that you do not want them to

Hunting season set to open in France: key information and calendar

It starts this Sunday in many departments, with others to follow in the next two weeks

Dismay as court lowers payout over Franco-British man shot dead by hunter

‘Hunters have been given a blank cheque to kill with impunity’, says lawyer for the man’s brother

Franco-British man shot dead by hunters: €1.4m compensation claim

'By hitting each and every hunter in the wallet, we would make them all more responsible in future hunts,' lawyer tells French court

What to do if you cross a boar while out walking in France?

The animals can be aggressive but generally only if they feel threatened

Chance to buy private island in the Loire - you will need a boat too

The island has 33 hectares of land for agricultural use and a nineteenth century hunting lodge to restore

French tabacs to sell ammunition for hunting

‘It seems so insane that it’s unbelievable’

VIDEO: Hunters believe this clip shows a wolf in Brittany

Analyses will be carried out to confirm the sighting

Hunter dies after being charged by boar in south of France

The animals can be very aggressive when wounded or threatened

Driver tells how hunter’s bullet entered car as he drove in Dordogne

The bullet from a boar hunt missed him by ‘a few centimetres’ and ended up lodged in the passenger seat

French wildlife charity to turn hunting enclosure into nature reserve

The deer and wild boar were bred to be shot by hunters but will now live out their days on the property

Associations seek end to marmot hunting in France

Six environmental groups have taken the issue to court, saying that the marmot is ‘no longer used for eating, for its fat, or its fur’. A decision is expected imminently

Couple tell how stray hunt bullet hit car and house in south of France

The shot passed them by just two metres

French state faces legal action for not protecting people from hunters

Two associations say that the ‘unprecedented’ case is calling for no-hunt days and claims that 70% of people in France ‘do not feel safe’ during hunting season

Autumnal French recipe inspiration using seasonal produce

In France it is easy to get produce to cook seasonally, all you need is a little inspiration…

Drunk hunters face €1,500 fine under new French law

Some groups say measures do not go far enough to reduce hunting accidents

Scams, pharmacies, hunting: 5 practical articles from France

We look at changes to the way in which pharmacies can operate, new scams doing the rounds and explain the rules around wastewater and the new hunting season

Hunting season opens in many areas of France: what's good to know

What do they hunt? When does hunting start? How to stop hunters going on your land? We answer the key questions.

Number of fatal hunting accidents in France at historic low

Other hunting related accidents are also down, a new report shows - however environmental groups say more needs to be done to reduce risks

Hunters who receive state funding in France must report how it is used

Official auditors want transparency on the impact of millions of euros in grants for biodiversity and wildlife control

New cull list of wildlife 'pests' upsets conservationists

We look at species on the latest three-yearly ‘pest’ list and the reactions

Why are wild boars now a common sight in French towns?

Hunting, climate change and town residents feeding them have contributed to an explosion in wild boar numbers, experts say

Hunt federation boss ‘regrets’ people are afraid of hunting in France

Hunt opposers and those afraid do not understand us, he says, but warns that people must not discourage hunting too much as the environment will suffer if there are not enough hunters

Walkers to face fines for going into marked private woodland in France

MPs vote in favour of the penalty which could apply to three-quarters of woodland in France. Hunters, though, will be exempt

Hunter’s shot smashes car window passing close to driver in Normandy

A hunt was taking place in a wood a few hundred metres away from the road when the incident happened

Hunter who shot man dead in his garden in France escapes jail time

The hunter who shot the fatal bullet and the director of the hunt received suspended prison sentences for the death of Morgan Keane

Hunting France: no Sunday ban, an app for walkers.. new plans revealed

Some 14 measures have been announced by the government in a bid to reduce the frequency of accidents

Hunter’s shot hits car full of people on main road in north France

Renewed calls for action from hunt opponents as hunters’ own lobby promises to come down hard

‘Hunting in France has changed over the years – not for the better’

Bigger, more aggressive groups and breaches of no-hunting zones are among the main concerns for our reader

Explainer: How to block hunters from using your land in France

Use this letter template to request that your land be taken off the list of permitted hunting grounds

Hunting ‘feels safer’ in France than in the UK

After a woman was killed during a boar hunt in Brittany, a British hunter explains why he still believes the activity is better-regulated in France

French government considers new hunting rules including alcohol ban

The rules on alcohol and drug use may be the same as those for driving, while other measures may also be implemented. Yet, the government has so far ruled out a Sunday ban

Hunting in France has its place – as long as it is done responsibly

Nick Inman argues that compromise is everything if hunters want their divisive tradition to continue

‘Strong emotion’ in Brittany village after Briton killed during hunt

The woman ‘was always in good humour, kind and ready to smile’, the mayor told The Connexion

British woman dies after being shot during Brittany hunt

Her partner is reported to have shot her in the chest with his rifle in a handling error

Teenager shot during presumed poaching accident out of danger

A 21-year-old has admitted shooting the bullet which hit the 17-year-old in the back

Can I import a gun into France from another EU country?

We look at France’s rules on importing a gun, which differ depending on its type

Trial date set for French hunter after man shot dead in garden

The hunter will be tried for involuntary homicide along with the person who organised the hunt on that day

French Senate debates whether to ban drinking while hunting

The chamber has proposed a formal ban on hunting while inebriated, which is not technically illegal in France. Hunters say the report is ‘stigmatising’

MAP: The dates for the 2022-3 hunting season in your French department

With the season having begun this weekend in many areas, we look at the individual departmental start and end dates

Concerns as the hunting season opens in many areas of France

Walkers and environmentalists are among those to express worry after a season of drought and wildfires. Several Senate debates are also due to return their conclusions on hunting subjects

Is there a way to check if a hunt is taking place near me in France?

There is no centralised resource containing information about hunt dates and locations but several other ways exist to gain information

Snakes, wader birds and the wrath of hunters in French countryside

Wildlife spotter Jonathan Kemp shares stories of reptiles, raptors and four flat tyres

Hunting subsidies rise to €6.3m in France as critics call for ban

Critics say the hunting lobby has had far ‘too many gifts’ in recent years and are calling for a temporary ban, but proponents say its organisation is ‘transparent’

Petition targeting French anti-hunting associations gets 100,000 names

A group aiming to have hunting banned for two days a week has dismissed the petition as a ‘waste of time’

French hunters and hikers unite to save rural footpaths for wildlife

The unlikely alliance have seen a drop in biodiversity where countryside paths have been destroyed or forgotten - they explain why

Who has the right to carry a gun in France?

Owning a gun is usually associated with hunting practices in France

Hunting of two endangered birds authorised in France

A bird protection group has denounced the decision to allow the hunting of two types of birds in Hautes-Alpes, saying they are ‘under pressure’

Breeding like rabbits: Row over wild animals’ presence in Paris

The animals, which are common in Les Invalides gardens, are no longer considered to be ‘pests’, prompting environmental managers to warn of the damage they can cause

Brown bear numbers growing in French Pyrenees after reintroduction

Record numbers of cubs were born last year thanks to a state-backed repopulation project, but illegal hunting and claims of broken promises from the French government are a threat

‘A long road ahead’: Parti Animaliste leader on French animal rights

Hélène Thouy discusses her presidential campaign and the barriers to improving animal welfare in France

French hunting boss tells people to walk ‘at home’ to avoid accidents

Willy Schraen also says walkers should wear high-vis jackets. He argues that ‘85% of the country is privately owned’ and that ‘nature does not belong to everyone’

Should foxes still be classed as ‘pests’ in France?

The animals can currently be hunted and killed all year round, but environmentalists say their status should be changed as, far from being a risk to nature, they actually help it

French election candidates meet hunters: what are they proposing?

Two candidates were deliberately not invited to the hunting union’s congress, having been accused of ‘spitting’ on the activity and creating opposition to it

French village restricts hunting by banning bullets after hiker death

The death of the 25-year-old hiker in Cantal last weekend was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ on hunting accidents, the mayor’s office said

Calls for hunt-free day in France multiply after hiker, 25, killed

The woman was hit by a bullet believed to have been fired by a teenage hunter. Hunting federation insists the practice has and will continue to become safer

Man, 25, shot dead by hunter as he cuts wood at home in Lot

More than 400 people have died in hunting incidents in 20 years, according to official figures

Hunter, 17, questioned after woman shot dead on walking path in France

The 25-year-old deceased woman was hiking with her partner when she was hit. The incident has been strongly condemned by a minister and the French hunting federation president

Hunters use bows and arrows to cull boar in southwest France

The method is often used to hunt boar when the population is judged to be getting too large and dangerous for nearby homes, but the practice is controversial

Stag moves into hunters’ club garden, becomes mascot of French village

The animal has been named Etienne after the village where he now lives

Hunter killed by stray bullet during hunt in central France

Investigators believe the man, 66, may have been hit by a ricocheting bullet shot by a fellow hunter who was aiming for a fox

French hunters to ‘get gift ahead of election’, say wildlife charities

A new rule will make it harder for animal rights groups to lodge legal objections to hunting periods

Hunter who killed bear in Pyrenees will not face charges, rules court

The decision in Spain is likely to be closely considered in France, where an investigation into a similar fatal bear shooting is still ongoing

Stray bullet hits car in south-west France in new hunting accident

Investigations are underway to determine the circumstances in what is the latest in a series of hunt accidents to have prompted public debate on the practice

Do hunters need ongoing medical tests in France?

Do hunters in France have to undergo any regular medical tests to keep their hunting licences?