151 boar killed in out-of-control hunt

Some 300 shots were fired and 151 wild boars killed in a few hours as a local hunt got out of hand in northeast France.

The fédération de chasse des Ardennes said that it 'strongly condemned' the hunt that took place in the forest of La Croix-Aux-Bois last week.

Jean-Pol Gambier, the federation's president, said 84 people took part in the local hunt, half of whom were guests of the organising group - which 'considerably damages [its] image'.

The hunter also said that some animals were injured, not killed outright, and escaped into the wood.

"It was ridiculous," one participant told local media. "We are a laughing stock … In terms of security, it was borderline. In fact, it happened just outside Grandpré, where a hunting accident occurred recently.

An organised hunt in France normally kills up to 40 boar.

News of the hunt rampage broke after it was revealed that death toll among hunters this year after half the season is already higher than all of last season.