Hunting in France is
regulated by the National Office of Hunting and Wildlife, which was
created in 1972.
The
Office has five main aims:
- Disseminate
best practice amongst those responsible for land and wildlife
management
- Develop
sustainable hunting practises that respect the natural environment
- Conduct
research on wildlife and its habitat
- Safeguard
and police wildlife crime and police hunting
- Develop,
organise and deliver hunting permit exams
Hunting
is a property right in France and as such a landlord has the right to
allow or prohibit hunting on his land. However, there are several
exclusions which means that hunting is not allowed in a 150 meter
radius of homes; on land that is fenced in a way that does not allow
men and game to transit; on lands whose owner is opposed to hunting;
or on government property.
Hunting
is tightly controlled in France, both in terms of the species that
may be hunted and the people who may hunt.
An
annual hunting license may only be obtained after successfully
passing a practical and theoretical exam. Topics include game biology
and management, legislation, weapons, munitions and safety rules. The
licence permits the holder to hunt in a given territory, for a given
period. There are 1,313,000 hunters currently licensed in France.
Less
than 15% percent of animal species in France may be hunted. Of the
529 species of bird in France only 64 are permitted to be hunted. Of
the 119 species of mammal, only 24 may be hunted. That said, an
average of 30 million animals are shot by hunters in France every
year.