This perversion has nothing to do with hunting

Jean-Baptiste Forray examines in his book «Les Nouveaux seigneurs» the intersection of power, wealth and hobby hunting, which forms an elitist and largely closed circle in the region.

In the top management of Axa, new employees are asked: “Do you hunt?” They quickly understand that it is better to say yes. For some senior executives, hobby hunting is, alongside elite universities and Freemasonry, one of the three great networks that matter.

Elites and their hunting châteaux in the Sologne

In the Sologne, two hours from Paris, a land of forests and ponds, there are numerous châteaux and manor houses in the hands of barons from industry, show business and luxury. In autumn, the Bouygues, Dassaults, Wertheimers, Seydoux and Tranchants invite politicians and television stars for hobby hunting of deer or wild boar. A consuming passion that sometimes goes to excess.

To protect themselves, large estates are surrounded by 4’000 kilometres of chain-link fencing that traps wildlife. Beneath watchtowers, barbed wire and surveillance cameras, game is driven into a panic and made the target of shooting like clay pigeons, with no possibility of escape. A clear animal welfare problem.

35’000 wild ducks raised and shot per season

At the heart of the Sologne lies one large private estate where 35’000 wild ducks are raised at the ponds each season. When a hunting party arrives, they shoot the birds with semi-automatic weapons. Among 16 participants, over 4’000 ducks and 15’000 rounds of ammunition are used. Wild boar are also killed by the hundreds on such weekends.

In the Sologne, the freezers are overflowing. There are numerous specialized processors and restaurants, yet the consumption of game cannot be increased indefinitely. This leads to distressing incidents. Hunted animals frequently end up in a lime-sealed pit. After a hunting weekend, pheasants and other wild birds regularly turn up in the rubbish bins at motorway service stations heading towards Paris.

Recreational hunting criticized as “porno hunting”

Recreational hunting is not only a leisure pursuit, but also an important social gathering point for the super-rich. At the same time, residents and traditional hobby hunters criticize the excessive privatization and commercialization of recreational hunting, which has now culminated in a kind of “porno hunting.” The fences that confine the wildlife are a symbol of power and exclusivity. The psychology of recreational hunting also plays a central role here.

On one such estate, belonging to the fortune of a major French industrialist, one pays 14’800 € for three days of guided hunting. That, however, is the price without accommodation. That comes on top. Depending on what one wishes.

The wildlife can no longer move freely because of the fences. The certain equality of opportunity — in which the animal could at least theoretically escape its hobby hunter — is therefore gone. Furthermore, the fences violate the achievement of the French Revolution, according to which wildlife no longer belongs to the nobility but to everyone. Special rules apply on private grounds: the owners can hunt whenever they wish, without seasonal restrictions. Locals also recount how the wild animals are being fed. Majestic stags or deer stand behind the fences like cattle, clearly accustomed to humans. Wild boar eat maize that is served to them. All of this breaks with fundamental principles. Recreational hunting fails as population control on every level.

Hobby hunters, environmentalists, and locals are fighting back. The Sologne, long overshadowed by the powerful, is now loudly dreaming of the abolition of privileges. The protests against this development have led to new laws demanding changes by 2027, such as the removal of the fences.

The book «Les Nouveaux Seigneurs» lifts the veil on the separatism of the ultra-wealthy against the backdrop of animal suffering.