Hunting in France

France has enjoyed over thousand years of hunting history. From Francis I^st, the father to nowadays France has always been a hunting country. There are many species of wild animals and 95% of the hunting takes place in free ranging areas. There are also some fenced areas from 1 000 to 7 000 acres.

Big game We organize hunts in France to stalk Mouflons, Red Deers, Chamois, Roe Deers, Fallow Deers and Wild Boars. We offer many different hunting areas depending on the game you are looking for: forest areas from 50 to 150 km from Paris (for Red Deer, Roe Deer, Wild Boar and Fallow Deer) forest mountain areas (for Red Deer, Roe Deer, Mouflon, Wild Boar) in the southern part of France, around 600 km from Paris and Corsica mountain areas (for Pyrenean Chamois, Mouflon, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Wild Boar) in the southern part of France in the Pyrenean Mountains, in outstanding surroundings

Bird shooting

For your entire stay, you will have an English speaking member of the Club Faune team as your guide. In addition to the hunting, you and your possible companion would be well placed to take advantage of all the opportunities Paris has to offer. Alternatively, there may be others things you might like to see or do while in France. Our Paris office would be more than happy to be of assistance.

Shooting seasons: Red Deer: from mid-September to the end of February. Roe Deer: from the beginning of June to the end of November. Fallow Deer: from mid-September to the end of February. Mouflon: from mid-September to the end of February. Chamois: from mid-September to the end of February. Wild Boar: from the beginning of September to the end of February. Pheasant: from the beginning of October to the end of January. Duck: from the beginning of September to the end of January. Grey Partridge: from the beginning of October to the end of November.

You can conclude your trip by a Day of French Chasse a Courre

French Chasse à courre

The ancient royal tradition of hunting dating back to the first kings of France is still being practiced today by several hundred hunts which pursue stags, wild boars, roebucks, hares and foxes over the beautiful fields and forests of France.

This form of hunting consists of a team of hunters catching an animal after chasing it for several hours with the sole assistance of a pack of about twenty couple of hounds.

These hounds have exceptional qualities of endurance and a highly developed sense of smell which enable them to outmaneuver the ploys of the hunted animal.

Our hunts respects all the tradition and ceremony of this sport of kings such as elegant riding clothes, magnificent carriages and horses and French hunting horns. These horns enable the ups and downs of the hunt to be followed from a distance thanks to the different hunting horn calls. What could be more enjoyable than taking part in one of these thrilling hunts on horseback or in a horse-drawn carriage, chasing a stag or roebuck through magnificent countryside ?

At the end of each day’s hunting, you will meet up with your fellow huntsmen in the convivial surroundings of a magnificent French Chateau.

No nature lover, to be hunter or horseman, should miss such a unique occasion.

Accompanying partners are very welcome and can, if they so desire, follow the hunts in a four-wheel drive car or in a carriage and pair or take advantage of our luxury chateaux and their facilities : golf courses, tennis courses, walks…

Bilingual Guides :

All our guides are excellent huntsmen who will share with you their knowledge of and passion for this noble sport. They will accompany you throughout the hunt to ensure that you can participate to the full with the other members of the team. They will also be with you during the team dinners where fellow huntsmen can meet up in formal attire, a glass of champagne in hand listen to the music of the French horns and talk over the day’s hunting.

The Hunting Season

The best hunting season of the year is the period between the end of November to the middle of March.

The Hunting Terrains

Our hunts mainly take place in the ancient royal forests, whose paths were laid out in star-shaped radials by the Kings of France so as to be able to follow the hunt more easily. All our hunting terrains are within a 150 mile radius from Paris.

Horses and Carriages

The horses you will ride are experienced hunters . You do not have to be a “great horseman” to hunt since in France there is no jumping involved (as in England or Ireland).

However, you ought to be a proficient rider, able to trot, canter and gallop and have a certain amount of stamina as some days you could spend three to seven hours in the saddle.

However, should you feel slightly tired after a few days hunting, then it is always possible to follow the hunts by carriage and horses or a four-wheel drive car.

All our carriages and horses are two horse teams. They are extremely maneuverable, enabling you to stay right in the experienced coachmen.

Accommodation

Accommodation is provided throughout your stay in luxury chateaux beautifully situated in the midst of huge gardens or wooded parklands. Not only do these chateaux capture and enhance the very essence of France but they also sweep you back in time to a more refined age.

In bygone times, the art of hunting was considered “a gentleman’s pastime and a sport of kings” ; the chateaux in which you will be staying will take you back in time, evoking the atmosphere of their prestigious past.

All main meals are served in the chateaux itself, our excellent chefs preparing refined French cuisine. Both, hunters and hunt followers can furthers enrich their holiday by taking advantage of their different facilities available at our chateaux : tennis courts, golf courses, swimming pools, walks in the grounds, etc…