Oh dear- the hunting season has begun

[Nicos]

Sunday here was the first day of the hunting season- which goes on until the end of February ( and a little longer for some species)
It means my cat has to stay indoors during daylight hours sat, sun and mon- poor lad.( midweek being much quieter)
It being the first weekend of the season meant there were loads of hunters with rifles and plenty of vans parked together in fields.
Deer, wild boar,bunnies and hares- and basically anything which moves( including accidental injury to cats and dogs.
No wonder there aren't many birds in the area.
We're even advised to walk the country lanes ( blackberry picking etc) wearing yellow vests!

[pdblake]

We're even advised to walk the country lanes ( blackberry picking etc) wearing yellow vests!

They really will eat anything there won't they?

[Incy]

Deer, wild boar,bunnies and hares- and basically anything which moves( including accidental injury to cats and dogs.

Not always so accidental I am led to believe. We think that's what happened to my parents cat and also a friends dog

[SlugLobber]

Shooting laws dicate that they CANNOT shoot across a public right of way and must shoot away from it at a fixed distance (50m?). If they are genuinely advising you to walk the lanes in yellow vests, then this suggests they are breaking the law!

Sorry that your shoot is so 'accidental'. That's appalling. Thankfully the shoot closest to me just blocks the roads with all their cars/trucks/vans. That's as bad as it gets (unless you're a pheasant or partridge).

[Pumpkin Becki]

Shooting laws dicate that they CANNOT shoot across a public right of way and must shoot away from it at a fixed distance (50m?). If they are genuinely advising you to walk the lanes in yellow vests, then this suggests they are breaking the law!

Maybe its a 'French' thing SL?

[Nicos]

Ah well- remember we are in France...and after a few glasses of wine with lunch, anything seems to happen
All land is accessible ( as far as I am aware) unless there is a sign saying access is forbidden/restricted...and yes I think there is a 50m rule here as distance from a house.
The other problem is that the dogs get so excited and often can't be stopped from rushing into peoples gardens and attacking pets.
Yes- I'm sure most of the hunters take great care- but there's always one in the bunch isn't there?

Problem with shooting, is that if the bullet misses the target- what's behind it???

[Incy]

Correct Nicos. They have the right to walk right through your property!

[bobleponge]

Hmmm actually they only have the right to walk through your property (certainly in 35) if you give your express permission.
Few years ago the previous Mme Leponge was in the house and heard a very loud noise. Ran round the front to see a young lad with a gun leaning against a tree in the front garden, shooting across into next doors.
He clearly hadnt realised anyone was in, saw her and ran as fast as he could out of the garden.
I asked a few discreet questions and was told, quite categorically, that this was totally forbidden without permission.
As it happened, I bumped into one of the chasseurs a little while later at a soiree, and he apologised, explaining that they had winged something and were trying to finish it humanely. Ever since that day, they stopped shooting within a reasonable distance of the house, as the horse was in the front garden.
I am in France, for whatever its goods and bads, I live with the chasse, and have no real problems as long as they "stayy orrfff moi land".

[organic]

Problem with shooting, is that if the bullet misses the target- what's behind it???

That bit is worrying. A good back-stop is an absolute must for most hunters. Even on TV recently I saw someone have a clear, in-range shot at a deer they were stalking but didn't take the shot because it was on a ridge and they couldn't be sure of where the bullet would go if it missed or passed through.



As for all land being accessible - I don't know if France is the same but I recently read about an English couple who run (or maybe ran, they might have sold up now) a vineyard in Italy. They had constant trouble with hunters cutting their fences and trampling young plants with a similar right to hunt.

Their way out was to designate their land as a private hunting area whereby it was illegal to hunt there without permission. That way they could control who shot on their land and make everything much safer for all concerned.

Worth looking into? It could well prove useful.

It's always a shame when a few idiots spoil it for all the good, safe, respectful hunters and the residents around the shoot.

[SlugLobber]

D'oh, didn't even clock it was you posting, Nicos! Have no idea about hunting law in France!

[TEB]

Gosh thats bad, nothing like that happens here, the shooters are kept well away from the lanes and where a shoot is near a public footpath then there are loads of "officals" waving flags and stopping the shoot or redirecting walkers around fields etc.

Not sure but I think they are not allowed to shoot partdrige/pheasant over here on a Sunday but they can shoot geese, obvioulsy geese are not deemed to be god fearing.

[Jardiniere]

so the dogs will all be out!!!
We often hear (and sometimes see) the dogs coming along the side of the cliff chasing wild boar but they never shoot within the village.....
we still go walking with the walking group ( i dont think the hunt goes out on tuesday afternoons)

[Snadger]

Don't knock it.............i just 'aquired' two free freshly shot geese yesterday!