Thread: Hunting in France. Differences to NZ. Just for reference

Originally Posted by dudz

Wish it did Brian. It makes it so much better. Feels like too many places are private here

Good. Long may it last.

Originally Posted by dudz

Although I'm originally English, I lived in France for 14yrs. The gun laws are a lot different there. No firearms safe is required unless you own a handgun. A shooting licence is not a hunting licence. You can shoot targets with a shooting licence but have to pass an exam to hunt (all in French). To obtain a shooting licence you get a 20 euro medical exam to say your heart wont stop when you pull the trigger and then you take that piece of paper in the gun shop with a electric bill to prove your address with 110 euros, then buy your gun. By the way there is hardly any gun crime. (But the police all carry guns and will use them.) Nearly everyone rural owns a firearm and you can defend your home in certain situations.
Living in NZ I quickly realized all the animals are trapped in the bush, something I would of never of guessed before arriving here. Doesn't happen anywhere in Europe as far as I'm aware. I look out the window at the bush wondering how I get access , seems odd that I cant just walk directly to get to it.
In France there is a law that translated means "The right to roam". Meaning farmland is not strictly private even though privately owned. We have the right to walk through farmland whenever we feel like it as long as no damage is caused and gates are shut behind you ( with our dogs if we choose). My garden was 1.5 acres and we have had people going though it with guns after deer.
The wildlife (game) , wonders in the forest, bush , fields ,and in paddocks with the cows and horses . Most mornings I would experience deer or fox passing across the rural roads, something we take for granted. Just as much traffic there as to here. Hunting is not restricted to the bush. I would walk out of our house with my rifle, walk across 5 or 6 fields containing livestock to hunt. It is polite to ask farmers permission but not law. I've seen hunters with shotguns on the edge of land with their backs to the roads waiting for boar to be chased towards them by the dogs. This is common. Just a few metal signs on the roads warning that a hunt is in progress. Not to say there isn't accidents involving firearms because there is. The tradition is to go out at dawn and hunt in large groups, then take 2hrs lunch with wine, beer and cider then return to the hunt. I've shared a hospital room when I had alcohol poisoning one xmas with someone who had been out hunting who had shot half his foot off.
I like NZ as you can hunt with an AR style platform which is banned in France as are all military calibers. I like the fact that your licence lasts for 10yrs as opposed to one year and the fact that you can hunt in general with a few exceptions all year as opposed to between September and February.
Just a useless lot of information you may not have known.

What sort of semi automatic rifles re you allowed to own.?

Originally Posted by dudz

Wish it did Brian. It makes it so much better. Feels like too many places are private here

I think that the NZ attitudes toward land in general would mean it would be a cock up. Over there you have lots of people who obviously can't all own land. But here there's not as many people and lots of public land.

So you would end up with a lot of people shooting dangerously and stuffing it up for the rest of us. But I think it is not a bad idea. If implemented properly.

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it's not easy to get to own a farm its your backyard. Why shouldn't you have control of who enters it.

You can have semi autos In France, but until last year all military calibers were not allowed (556/223 ,etc) . Rifles that look similar to military rifles are banned in hunting. Id say where we lived 80% of the land is privately owned by cow/pig and sheep farmers. Its a mutual respect that people can hunt across each-others land . a lot of English were frowned at as we tend to buy a property with land then apply for a no hunt permit ( Chasse Interdit ) as English as a nation are not used to this. 67 million people in France as opposed to 55 million in England (France being twice the land mass)

Hey, Im not here to change any laws in NZ. Just enlightening people how things work elsewhere. I liked it because I didnt even need a car to go hunting. Id shoot sling it over my shoulder and walk home. No need for helicopters or emergency beacons

Originally Posted by Brian

it's not easy to get to own a farm its your backyard. Why shouldn't you have control of who enters it.

If it's not easy then there's bound to be an argument for right to roam. But as I said. With the amount of public land about it isn't necessary here

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As maybe they are on their best behavior with accompanied guests ?
[/QUOTE]
No I chose who I hunt with with great care. No wonder you moved to nz if you used to hunt with a bunch of drunks.

The Kaimai ranges is in veiw from Morrinsville if you would care to look out the window of the Castle pub!
Just let the rest of us know when your going. As you said yourself “you have never met a truly sober Frenchman”
Mind you if you hunted it from the Waikato side you would sober up very fast just by getting out of your truck and walking to the top of Wairere falls would make you spew ya breakfast if done drunk

Sad that you tar all your former countrymen with the same brush.
Have been met with nothing but good friendship and hospitality by the French that I’ve hunted with.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

As maybe they are on their best behavior with accompanied guests ?

No I chose who I hunt with with great care. No wonder you moved to nz if you used to hunt with a bunch of drunks.

The Kaimai ranges is in veiw from Morrinsville if you would care to look out the window of the Castle pub!
Just let the rest of us know when your going. As you said yourself “you have never met a truly sober Frenchman”
Mind you if you hunted it from the Waikato side you would sober up very fast just by getting out of your truck and walking to the top of Wairere falls would make you spew ya breakfast if done drunk

Sad that you tar all your former countrymen with the same brush.
Have been met with nothing but good friendship and hospitality by the French that I’ve hunted with.[/QUOTE]

I’ve read this differently to you and don’t think it’s all about hunting drunk. Yes there is a 2 hr lunch with alcohol but as I read it’s more about tradition and having a drink with lunch. I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t have a go at @dudz And just for the record I don’t know the guy. He has just put up a post and I found it an interesting read. My 2cents worth.

No worry's Shootm . Theres always one complete Knob that thinks he knows better. I lived there and raised my children there, and know a heck lot more about French life than he does obviously. I have many French friends. Hes a tourist nothing more. Did I say I used to hunt with them ?? no... I never have hunted with any French person, that was just a blind assumption of yours. But I know them and have drank beer with them. You are just a complete cock

@dudz, interesting thread

in france, is the firearms/shooting license per person or per firearm ?

Originally Posted by ebf

@dudz, interesting thread

in france, is the firearms/shooting license per person or per firearm ?

Per person

Here are some good reads

Hunting in the Languedoc in the South of France

https://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/...french-hunters

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...th-France.html

yep black powder still not under any Licences. Mags for semi autos 3 I think, 5 in a bolt action. I can ask My eldest Son, hes still there. Shotguns you need to have a licence for but no need to register them at the Gendarmerie , but rifles, handguns etc need to be.
Up until 2017 at least, it was against the law to hunt with a suppressor but Ok to use at the range.
You need to be 15 years old to own a shotgun and/or black powder revolver

I guess you can if you get an original one.

Originally Posted by Brian

Hope that right to roam shit doesn't catch on here.

It has caught on.... I’ve got a couple of fellas who when confronted told me that they’ll walk where ever, and whenever they want. Pointed out it’s private property, and they wouldn’t like it if I walked through their backyard. They told me to go for it, but don’t think you’ll make it out. When I went to the cops, they basically told me to suck it up, it’s not worth the grief that’ll come out of it. It’s to easy for them (well not them, but prospects)to damage the tractors, headers and crops down there. After that yarn I had with them, a car was doing slow drive bys of the house for week afterwards.
Just turning a blind eye to it now, and barred the boy from going down there by himself.
Not ideal, but just can’t be fecked with the potential fallout of it.

Originally Posted by Brian

Hope that right to roam shit doesn't catch on here.

I don't think it'd work in New Zealand, too many brainless idiots who would screw it up. That's why so many public tracks through private property get closed or access restricted.

Every time I go to the UK I am amazed at how accessible the country side is, so many public rights of way you can walk, cycle or ride your horse.
There's actually enough bridal ways you can ride a horse the full length of the UK without ridding on roads.

Whilst NZ has lots of public land, the countryside is not at all accessible compared to other countries, and basically means you need to drive somewhere.
I stayed at a place in rural Devon and walked through some amazing woodland and farmland, had a nice breakfast at a pub and walked home again.

I wish NZ didn't require you to drive everywhere, but if you tried to implement something similar here people would screw it up quickly.