Saturday 3 November 2018

We are at risk from chasseurs

Hunting with guns is part of the countryside culture of France and we are used to seeing the "chasse en cours" signs warning us that the hunters are about with their guns and dogs. There have been several fatal injuries this season, and one MP called for a ban on VTT cycling in the hunting season after a cyclist was shot and killed in the Alps. To the contrary there is an increasing call to ban hunting on Sunday to protect walkers and others enjoying the country and woods. But last week a father playing in his home with his children was shocked when a bullet smashed through the window.
A hunter taking part in a sanglier battue had fired the shot, in contravention of the rules banning shooting near to houses.
Despite the entrenched rights of the chasseurs, many readers of Taglines consider that the rights of the general public not to have their lives unnecessarily endangered is paramount.