Free hunting attracts young chasseurs

Hunting federations in Lorraine, Grand-Est, are offering free hunting for a year in a bid to attract newcomers as numbers fall with fewer young people signing up.

With an aging population, hunter numbers in France are dwindling by 2% every year. So, to attract fresh blood, the hunting federations of Meurthe-et-Moselle and Vosges have launched an operation called "Hunting licence for zero euros". And it is working – 300 new chasseurs have signed up so far.

Strictly speaking, Federation 54 are not offering the hunting licence itself, but the first year of registration in a hunting company, called la part à chasse – “a share of hunting”, the price of which varies depending on the place and the animals hunted.

Beginner hunters will have to invest in equipment, possibly some dogs, which can represent a significant outlay.

The federation is keen to alter the image of the old-fashioned "viandards" – a word used to describe unscrupulous and greedy hunters with no respect for the animal or nature – and to encourage young people to “enjoy closer contact with nature”.