Parforce hunt in France: red deer drowns, 19-year-old seriously injured

On Saturday, 31 October 2026, a red deer chased by hounds drowned in the pond of a private property in the forest of Amboise (Indre-et-Loire). On Tuesday, 3 November, in Saint-Laurent-Médoc in the Gironde, a 19-year-old participant in a parforce hunt was seriously injured by a red deer's antlers.

Amboise: red deer flees into a pond and drowns

Estelle Chalon and her husband Christophe were having a family meal with their parents-in-law and the children on Saturday at their estate, «Terre de Lumière», when they heard the pack. «At least 20 minutes before the drama,» Chalon told the broadcaster ICI (formerly France Bleu). Then the red deer ran right past them, followed by around thirty hounds. According to La Nouvelle République, it crossed the property, circled a shelter and reached the pond at around 2 p.m., some 15 metres from the front door. The pack followed it into the water.

A member of the hunt party whistled to call the hounds back, «but it was too late,» said Chalon. «The red deer is dead, drowned, the hounds on top of it.» She told La Nouvelle République that the animal had been exhausted after four hours of pursuit. Afterwards, the hunt participants asked for permission to retrieve the carcass from the pond. One of them said: «Sorry, you will be traumatised.» Chalon added to ICI: «I saw on their Instagram account that they celebrated the red deer.»

Chalon filmed the scene and published the video on 3 November with the caption: «An animal on private land must be pardoned.» She repeated to ICI: «This stag should have been pardoned.» La Nouvelle République headlined with the family's statement «We didn't ask for anything». The owners speak of a death that should have been prevented. According to the newspaper, the Veneurs refer to an earlier permit.

What the 2019 decree requires

Since 2019, a French decree has stipulated that an animal cornered during a hound hunt on horseback (hunting with hounds) must in principle be spared if it is near dwellings and adjoining private gardens. The same applies near commercial zones, offices and facilities that receive the public. The hunt leadership must call the hounds back as quickly as possible and prevent anyone from approaching the animal. If the situation cannot be defused, the competent authorities must be called in. They may order the animal to be sedated by a veterinarian or, if that is not possible, killed.

Chalon stresses that her property is both things: the family's home and a place where she offers courses in nature. Why the stag's death was not prevented despite the protective rule, and whether those responsible breached their duties, cannot be conclusively assessed on the basis of the available reports. Chalon has since taken steps with the animal welfare organisation ASPAS to have her five-hectare property declared a wildlife refuge.

Gironde: Red deer seriously injures young participant

Three days later, a hunt with hounds on horseback in the Médoc ended with a seriously injured person. As Midi Libre, La Dépêche and Sud Ouest report, a 19-year-old participant in Saint-Laurent-Médoc was struck by the antlers of a red deer. He suffered serious lung injuries. According to Midi Libre, his life is not in danger.

Commentary: A tradition that turns animal suffering into spectacle

The exact sequence of events in the Gironde is still unclear. The incident nevertheless shows that pursuing a wild animal can also be dangerous for those taking part. A red deer cornered by a pack defends itself with whatever it has left.

In hunting with hounds, the pursuit of a wild animal becomes a tradition-bound ritual. From an animal welfare perspective, one decisive question arises: why is a non-human animal subjected to this chase at all? Amboise shows how quickly property boundaries, residential houses and the duty to grant mercy become secondary once hounds and riders are in motion. If such a death is then celebrated on social media, as Chalon describes, it says a great deal about the self-image of this recreational hunting.

Wild beim Wild has long reported on the violence surrounding hunting with hounds. In the Forest of Orléans, activists who were filming were attacked, and a court confirmed the right to film hunts with hounds. It is precisely such footage that makes visible what would otherwise remain hidden in the forest. The video from Amboise is also such a piece of evidence.

In Germany, the Federal Hunting Act expressly prohibits chasing game with hounds (Section 19(1), no. 13). France holds on to it. The two incidents show the price paid for it by non-human animals, local residents and even the participants themselves.