As many people know, hunting in France is very different from the English country pursuit.

We had been living in the Dordogne on the banks of the river Bandiat for only a few weeks when, one sunny Sunday morning, we heard outside a great kerfuffle of dogs, shouting and banter. We looked out, and between our house and our barn we saw a rabble of dogs, youths and men, carrying guns, ambling down the path and towards the river.

Naturally we went out to see who they were, and discovered that this was the local village Hunt.

Having decided their quarry, (or better pickings) were to be found on the other side of the river, they proceeded to one of the few crossing places, where the water is nevertheless fairly high in the winter – over the barrage directly in front of us. The problem was that only some of them had wellies. An elaborate farce ensued, with lots of shouting and laughter, with wellington boots being thrown backwards and forward across the river, and of course some of them falling in, so that those who didn’t have any could get across, theoretically, with dry feet.

That was all fine, until the dogs were called across………. Now good hunting dogs are dedicated and trained, but not necessarily very keen on swimming; so most of them took one look at the water (this was winter, so the water flows over our barrage at quite a rate), and simply decided `No, thank you!’ and headed off to calmer pastures. Cue much more shouting and screaming.

This then was our introduction to `la Chasse’. More of an energetic Sunday morning ramble, fortified with a few pastis, accompanied by dogs, shotguns, and lots of bonhomie than what we might call a hunt, but apparently it worked for them.

Or rather, it used to. Since those days, nearly 20 years ago, things have changed considerably. All hunters must now wear high-visibility jackets, and no shot may be fired within 150 metres of a dwelling. Guns may not be carried loaded on any road, and the kills permitted are strictly controlled and licensed for each season for each Hunt – maybe 1 stag, 3 or 4 roe deer, and a wild boar or two – although if there are too many boar, the right to take another one can be purchased. All huntsmen have to pass strict exams on gun handling, identifying game (age, sex, size) and
how to shoot humanely and cleanly.

Regrettably, the health and safety brigade have also got in on the act in terms of the disposal of the take; in the old days it was quite traditional to share the proceeds of a good day’s hunting around the rest of the commune –with special focus going to the troisième age (old age pensioners). Because of concerns about any legal repercussions from people falling ill, having eaten recently killed game, distribution of the spoils is now only permitted among members of the Hunt.

This is a real shame; one of our best experiences was to have been invited to a special meal in the village hall (Salle des Fêtes) for the troisième age, to have a delicious venison stew, made from a deer unfortunately run over by our son on the night of the annual village fête; but that’s another story…..

The Hunt have automatic rights to hunt on your land, unless your domain is more than 20 hectares, and is separately fenced off (or at least marked `Chasse privée’) Nevertheless, in a typically French way, the Hunt are required to obtain written consent for them to go on your land, although this isn’t strictly a legal necessity.

Not to mention boundary disputes. Because of internecine squabbles, our neighbouring commune recently had split into 3 separate Hunts, all with their own marked-out territories. (Société Communale de Chasse, Chasse de .... Chasse indépendante de …) all within a commune of only some 1000 hectares, and 700 people. In pursuit of a good quarry, a Hunt will often reach a departmental road marking the boundary between their home territory and the next Hunt’s. Nobody about; to cross or not to cross? If we catch it, can we get it back onto `our side’ before anybody notices?

Nowadays regulations during the hunt are very tightly enforced, and incidents of `poaching’ like this are now very rare. Sanctions against any Hunt breaking the regulations can be very severe (right up to complete disbandment of the Hunt) so individuals on the hunt are very careful to stick to the letter of the rules – which makes it a lot safer for everyone.

Like many things in France, while the initial impression may be one of disorganised chaos, the fact is that the weekly hunt `works’. Perhaps the reason for this is that hunting is far more a part of the fabric of country life than in Britain. The days when proceeds of the hunt formed part of every country dweller’s larder through the winter are not so very far in the past.

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