France: Hobby Hunters Terrorize Humans and Animals

He was 42 years old and a farmer.

On 28 September, a hobby hunter was killed during a driven hunt for wild boar in Bussy-Albieux in the Loire department. He is reported to have been struck by a stray bullet following a series of shots that killed two wild boars. According to initial investigations, another driven hunt was taking place in the same area. “In total, 28 hunters were present in the area,” reported the newspaper La Dépêche. An investigation into negligent homicide has been opened.

Although the new hunting season began only three weeks ago, several accidents have already been documented. In the Loire department, this was the fifth person to have lost their life. The first was killed in early August in New Caledonia, a second on 21 August in the Gard, a third on 26 August in the Ardennes, and a fourth on 21 September in the Ardèche.

Decline in fatal accidents

Since the start of the season, several people have also been injured: a child of around ten years old was struck by lead shot, a woman was injured on the forehead while at home, a bullet was found lodged 3 cm from a truck driver, and a cyclist was hit by several pellets in the back and legs.

In a press release dated 9 September, the hunting association welcomed the decline in the number of fatal accidents, citing the 2023–2024 report published by the Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) at the end of July: “The number of fatal accidents is at a historically low level. And this trend is continuing. Over 20 years, these accidents have decreased by 77 %.”

The OFB, however, noted “an increase in accidents to 97, of which 58 were serious, compared to the three preceding seasons.”