The end of the hunt? For animal rights activists, a moratorium on this practice must come into force for two - or even three - years in the areas affected by the fires last summer. More than 2,000 hectares burned in the Fontainebleau forest, 42,000 in Gironde... Not counting the heatwaves and drought which affected the forests. âHow can we accept that hunting crews launch their packs on already traumatized animals? How can we justify shooting at living beings who no longer have any bushes to hide in? », asks Bruno Valentin, author of the No rifle on the ashes petition, signed by more than 520,000 people.
In the burned areas of the Fontainebleau forest, hunting is prohibited for this 2026-2027 season. In the rest of the massif, it has been open since September 20 and will officially end on February 28. The plots that burned are closed to the public - and therefore to hunters - due to the dangerous situation. Trees that are dead or weakened by the intensity of the fire may fall with the wind or rain; cutting is underway to prevent this risk. The National Forestry Office (ONF), which manages public forests in France, participates in discussions on the methods of managing hunting rights, but this decision ultimately falls to the prefects.
âThe animals will eat all the natural regenerationâ
For the next hunting season, in 2027-2028, âwe will have to discuss again,â says Sophie David, head of the ONFâs environment and public reception department. Animals love to eat the buds, the young shoots of trees, and they have a preference for hardwoods, such as oak. In the burned areas, which correspond to 10% of the Fontainebleau massif, a certain tranquility has been found due to the absence of the public. âIf we donât come hunting next year, the animals will eat all the natural regeneration of the forest,â points out Sophie David.
For the ONF, it is the sylvocynegetic balance that must be found, that is to say the harmonious cohabitation between forest activities and animal populations such as deer, roe deer and wild boars. âIf there are too many of them, it is the forest of tomorrow that we are sacrificing even more knowing that it has already suffered enormously,â she continues.
Indicators to follow
Several indicators exist to measure this balance, such as the overpresence of browsing tables. âThese are the areas where young trees grow but are ultimately cut at the same height by game, a bit like standing bonsai,â adds Thomas Legout, ONF forest-society dialogue project manager.
If these young shoots are heavily browsed and struggle to develop, then âthis may reflect an imbalance that could compromise forest regeneration,â explains the ONF. The presence and density of seedlings will also be monitored, in order to monitor the progress of this natural regeneration. Naturalist inventories will also take place for at least three years to ensure that biodiversity returns.
In Gironde, private management, but similar
In the areas affected by the fires in Gironde or Landes, made up of 90% private forests, the process will be similar. âToday, everyone thinks that we must completely eliminate hunting activity without necessarily measuring the impact on wildlife,â estimates Valentin Hermouet, general director of the Gironde huntersâ federation. If the prefecture authorizes access next year to the burned areas, âwe will have to ensure that the population dynamics are identical and that we have returned to the levels that we had historically on our circuits,â he adds. Follow-ups are put in place for this purpose.
The notable difference with Fontainebleau is that in Gironde, we talk about agro-sylvo-hunting balance, which consists of making the sustainable presence of wildlife and the economic profitability of agricultural and forestry activities compatible. âThe contraindications that we could have are those of forest owners, linked to replanting work and the impact of game on young plantations,â he explains. We will be able to adapt to this. »
As the 2027 presidential election approaches, the subject remains very sensitive. The Futur association, which fights against hunting and works to defend animal rights, believes that the moratorium on only fire zones is very insufficient. âWe are asking for a ban on hunting for two years in areas where animals have found refuge,â argues Vuk, a member of Futur. Putting yourself in an animal management mentality shakes up the entire ecosystem, it hasn't worked for years. » For Valentin Hermouet, this type of proposal is âabove all ideological, more than linked to the technical aspect of the fieldâ. For its part, the ONF says it favors an approach based on âobservation and analysis of local issuesâ, adapting management measures to changes in the situation in the massifs.
