Hunting in France

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niagaraduval

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Hi all,
I was wondering if hunting exists in France, and how I would go about finding out and joining a local hunt, also if hunting works the same in england (Gawjuss horses, beautiful plaits and spotless breeches!- or at least to start with!)
I have never hunted before and horse is a bit of a nutter so would like to go out calmly with small jumps to begin with.

Any help or advice available? Thankies :)
 
In our locality in France, we just have men with specialist hounds and guns, no horseback hunting. BTW their season starts next Sunday 14 August for sanglier,wild boar, so keeping out of the woods on Sundays till January and wearing full high viz whilst hacking!
I would think one place to ask your question might be on a French based forum like Total France, or a horsey one such as Horsetales.fr.
No one I know hunts on horseback, I have heard a few interesting stories and wish you all the best.I do believe the breakfasts are, shall we say, quite something....Bon chance
Do let us know how you get on
JC
 
Thanks for the reply! :)
I also have never seen anyone hunt on horseback, they are always out shooting round the property though.
They call it 'chasse à cour' so I think it probably does take place although I have never heard or seen it myself.
Will be going to look round the french horse forum!
 
When I lived in Alsace we used to have "hunts" ... but it was an imitation of the English traidtion only - i.e. no real foxes, no real dogs, just a predetermined route guided by "huntmasters" at high speed.
 
Hunting does exist there :) Chasse
When i did french exchange my partners family had the kennels, they mainly hunt deer but hunt foxes aswell, they dont jump anything though. Turn out was pretty much the same (their hunt horses were incredibly scruffy)
I also got dragged to a hunting fair and got a picture :)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30336200&l=9aa2455082&id=1520553206

If you google 'fontainebleau nature et venerie fete' there are some other pictures.
I have no idea how you join though :)

I also found this: http://www.frenchhorseandcountry.com/c5/country-life/french-country-life/la-chasse-french-hunting/
 
Last edited:
niagaraduval said:
Hi all,
I was wondering if hunting exists in France, and how I would go about finding out and joining a local hunt, also if hunting works the same in england (Gawjuss horses, beautiful plaits and spotless breeches!- or at least to start with!)
I have never hunted before and horse is a bit of a nutter so would like to go out calmly with small jumps to begin with.

Any help or advice available? Thankies :)
Click to expand...

All current and active hunts in France are listed in Baileys Hunting Directory
 
My understanding is that hunts rent the rights in the (very) large national forests for the season. So you need to be near one of them. They also,I've heard, tend to be 'exclusive' ie only interested if you've got plenty of dosh!....but who am I to criticize?
 
I think you would be near at least one hunt, someone from the hunt here goes somewhere south of Pas-de-Calais hunting on horseback. You have also just missed a fair at Carrouges (Fete de la Chasse) again a bit of a way from you but when we went there many, many hunts from all over France had their hounds on display, with lists of the breeding etc. it was fascinating. There is also, and again I cannot remember exactly where the info came from, an English couple I think somewhere southish who run a hunt in France. Have you Googled it in French on Googlefr?
 
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