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Hunting and game : the taste for nature
Whether for sport or leisure, hunting also has an ecological function by preserving natural habitats and regulating animal populations. It also provides meat with recognized nutritional and culinary qualities, and a warm, festive image that is appreciated, particularly at the end of the year.
Hunting was originally a source of food and by-products (skins, furs, horns, wood, etc.). In the Arctic regions, just decades ago, it was the main source of food along with fishing. As farming expanded, hunting slowly changed into a leisure activity. It plays a significant role in preserving natural habitats and serves as an ecological regulator (disputed by some) by maintaining the balance in animal populations. For a majority of the French population, hunters are involved in the fight against the proliferation of species, monitoring the health of wild fauna and preserving cultural traditions. In this sense, its image has changed in a favourable way, particularly with young people (53%). As Mr Gérard Larcher, President of the Senate and mayor of Rambouillet says: “Hunting is equally an element of culture, of the future, an economic activity, a means to develop and find the right balance for the land, and as such it has earned its place in society.” Various professions have developed over time to satisfy the new rules and requirements, representing over 24,000 jobs. There are about 1.4 million licensed hunters, making France the leading hunting country in Europe, ahead of Spain and Italy.
Hunting methods
French hunting includes numerous practices, including the game drive (78%). This is the field hunt par excellence and it is practised with different types of dogs, depending on the game hunted:
- pointer dogs for feathered game (spaniel, pointer, setter),
- flushing dogs (Springer or Cocker spaniels) for rabbit, pheasant or woodcock.
In the single bag hunt, the hunter scours the land looking for game, targeting a specific animal (single bag), with or without dogs.
Hunting with beaters (75%) is used for large and small game. Armed or unarmed beaters drive the game towards a line of stationed shooters.
Hunting from a hide (35%) allows for the animal to be identified. It is usually done at dusk or dawn, often from a raised hide (mirador). The game hunted includes stag, deer, wild boar and foxes. In bird game hunting, the hunter hides close to the presumed flyover of water game (ducks). A retriever dog (Labrador) is often essential.
Hunting with hounds is a very old tradition and consists of hunting the animals with the help of a pack of dogs. When the hunt is on foot, the pack is composed of small dogs (hare, rabbit or fox hunting). When hunting on horseback, the pack is composed of hounds and the objective is to hunt stag, deer or wild boar. There are over one hundred and twenty hunt stables today.
There are other hunting methods such as tracking, hunting from a boat, crossbow and flyover shooting.
Hunting game
France ranks third in Europe for its hunting grounds, behind Spain and Sweden. It has a rich biodiversity and a hunting culture, and offers a wide variety of game. There are over twenty mammal species for which hunting is authorized, plus about sixty bird species, out of the more than 650 animal species comprising France’s wildlife.
As regards small game, the flagship species are: the hare, which confirms its growing numbers; the pheasant, which is always prized by hunters; the wild rabbit, and birds like pigeon, quail, red-legged and grey partridge (which are still in a precarious situation), water game (mallard, teal, snipe, moorhen, etc.). The latter is still dependent on water level fluctuations, which sometimes cause considerably mortality.
For large game, the reigning species are stag, deer and doe (where the populations remain relatively stable) and wild boar (rising sharply). Often blamed for the damage they cause, wild boar help keep the hunting business going according to the specialists, because the modernization of farming has caused a decrease
in small game in many parts of the countryside, leading to a higher turnover for hunting and its supporting industry (clothing, arms, hunting permits, vehicles).Often blamed for the damage they cause, wild boar help keep the hunting business going according to the specialists, because the modernization of farming has caused a decrease in small game in many parts of the countryside, leading to a higher turnover for hunting and its supporting industry (clothing, arms, hunting permits, vehicles). The culling figures with regard to large game are on the rise due to a surplus, particularly with wild boar (600,000 probably this year). Stag is still quite stable (500,000). For male and female deer, the culling totalled 38,000. For small game, they are estimated at 31 million/year. Generally speaking, wild game is doing well in France. However, certain species merit concern, like the grey partridge, which has experienced mediocre reproduction, farming being partly responsible for this decrease. In the mountains, izards, chamois and mouflons were affected by a harsh winter, requiring a cutback in culling.
Farmed and imported game
Farmed game dates back to the 1960s, although it developed considerably in the 1980s with the expansion of bird game (quail, partridge and pheasant) and then large game releases.
Pheasant production totals about 10 million units, young partridges account for barely half of that, with less than half a million mallards. This is supplemented by a small amount of hare, wild rabbit and wild boar. The animals destined for hunting are released several weeks before the season opens, to recover their aptitudes and return to a natural diet. French deer farming has declined noticeably in recent years due to high imports (notably from New Zealand) and now mainly (90%) goes to abattoirs, with the remainder in hunting enclosures.
Although there is a wealth of game in France, imports represent between 60% and 80% of the 15,000 tons of game meat consumed every year. 90% of small game animals come from South America and 10% from the United Kingdom, which also supplies the majority of game birds. 50% of wild boar comes from Australia and 50% from Europe (Germany, Austria, Spain or Central Europe). Stag is mainly imported from New Zealand and Central Europe. The leaders of the various hunting organizations consider that there needs to be more communication to the various sectors and the consumer in order to regulate or reduce these imports.
Quality meat
A study conducted in 2004 by the French national hunting federation (FNC-Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs) highlighted the qualities of wild game meat. It is an excellent source of proteins and mineral salts, with low lipid content, so it combines nutritional benefits with pleasure.
As the French still consume little game meat (600 g/year/inhabitant), it is necessary to help them appreciate this product, which is still poorly understood, according to the conclusions of the FNC study. The trademark “Gibier de chasse, Chasseurs de France” was created to that end at the Chasse de Rambouillet trade show in March 2008, to promote and provide
specific clarification about French game meat downstream of the sector. Through this brand, professionals make a written commitment to respect the charter relative to the traceability of the game and the technical specifications vouching for the uniformity of any piece of meat bearing this label (French origin, health & safety quality). Wild game represents the jewel in the crown and many great chefs have prepared special recipes in its honour, such as hare à la Royale, wild rabbit gibelotte, saddle of hare in sauce grand veneur, shoulder of wild boar with black truffles from Périgord, venison galantine with red cabbage or wild duck roasted in fig leaves.
Francis Duriez
(Source: AAPrA, Agreste, Conseil Régional d’Aquitaine, CNAC, Librairie Gourmande)
Pro reviews
Crédit photo : Pierre Emmanuel Roubaud
Pierre Emmanuel Roubaud
(General Commissioner of the Salon de la Chasse de Rambouillet)
“There is no equivalent to our trade show in Europe and you can see that hunting is doing well in France with the rise in the number of our visitors. Hunting generates a large turnover and its image has developed very well over the years. There is a genuine awareness on the role of hunting, as a tool for managing the flora and fauna and protecting natural surroundings through a constant effort by hunters and the various associations to protect Nature. However, the sector still needs improvement at the collection level, in relation to the wholesaler and retailer. The game situation remains satisfactory as a whole, with a strong increase in wild boar, which should be more regulated, and the precarious situation of the partridge, which suffers from weather changes and intensive agriculture.
Furthermore, the national hunters federation created the trademark “Gibier de chasse, Chasseurs de France” two years ago, which is a real France label that aims to develop and promote wild game meat. I think that the Rungis operators should have a greater awareness of this. Wild game meat is natural and its nutritional qualities rank among the best. France is a great country for hunting and quality wild game and it is not normal to get supplies from abroad. I think that this trademark should incite consumers to buy more. To learn all about hunting, I invite you to come to the Salon de la Chasse de Rambouillet from 27 to 30 March 2010.”
Crédit photo : FD
Patrick Pignol
(Owner chef of the restaurant Le Relais d’Auteuil - Paris 16th)
“I particularly like autumn because it’s the season for hunting, game and mushrooms. We start with bird game, particularly grouse, which is still one of the best wild game birds. Then we have the grey partridge, woodpigeon and wild duck, followed by hare, and at the end of the season, the large game, especially venison. The season is looking good and the game is top quality.
I’ve been a hunter for twenty-five years and I primarily do open field hunting with my dog, which does most of the work. Hunting is about participating in the balance of Nature and defending this great outdoor theatre, which is a place for authentic conviviality. Game is nature in your plate. I work with grouse, which I roast with juniper berries and foie gras, with its legs in a flat sausage. It’s subtle and delicious and the taste of the game is really present. I also propose hare à la Royale, which remains a must, as well as other game dishes that are always popular with customers. It is important to work with game while preserving all its authenticity. When you are a hunter, you respect the product much more when you cook it.”
Crédit photo : FD
Pascal Bleunven
(Assistant Manager of Huguenin – Rungis)
“We are specialized in poultry, lamb and game and we supply the more upmarket gastronomic catering trade. As regards game, we start with wild game to end with finished product in our cutting workshop. In season, we produce 200 hares a week, 350 mallards, 400 woodpigeon, 400 young red-legged partridges, 100 grey partridges, 1 ton of large game, especially venison and doe and a little wild boar, as saddle and fillets but also as stews for the brasseries. Deer is the main product in money terms. We match the demand from our restaurant and caterer clients as closely as possible. Two years ago the market experienced a major price rise because of the short supply, whereas this year the supply is greater. We only work with wild game (70% French and 30% foreign) which is controlled in health terms. Game is a fascinating product with a seasonal consumption and chefs like to work with it. The 2009 - 2010 is looking quite promising as a whole.”
Crédit photo : FD
Olivier Binois
(Managing Director of BGL Avigros - Rungis)
“During the hunting season and for the year end festivities, we sell a lot of small and large game, both birds and animals. Actually, it’s a pity that the consumption is only seasonal because it is a top quality meat that is very tasty and festive. We should encourage consumption of wild game. In total, game represents 15% of the company’s volumes, with about half just in December. As regards large game, doe meat is the most sold. The vast majority of our sales are French wild game, with very little farmed game. French game is perfectly traceable and meets the veterinary standards by going through the processing centre. We have noted that small game seems to be dropping slightly as people are cooking less. On the other hand, sales of venison should grow due to a quite significant drop in prices compared to last year.
As I am a hunter too, I consider that hunting plays quite a significant role on an ecological level and in terms of regulating the species. Furthermore, hunters are subject to strict hunting standards (scattering grain, maintaining the land, etc.). Hunting should be encourages for all these reasons.”
Crédit photo : FD
Jean-François Mahe
(External relations officer for the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage)
“We are seeing a slight fall off in the number of hunters due to an urbanization phenomenon on hunting land. However, it is still the largest in Europe. Nevertheless, this fall off is aggravated by the profusion of large game, which sometimes causes serious damage to farming, particularly wild boar, where the culling should be increased. As regards small game, hare is relatively abundant. As a new trend, pheasant is making a spectacular comeback, due to the move from ‘penned’ pheasant to wild pheasant. On the other hand, grey partridge reproduction has remained insufficient for several years now, a victim of intensive agriculture and land consolidation. The reproduction rates for migratory birds are quite good. As game is a specific foodstuff, and occasionally rare for some species, a maximum authorized culling plan is going to be introduced. While hunting is doing well as a whole, we note that imports are still too high, while there is a growing surplus of French wild game meat.”
Crédit photo : Guillaume Roques Rogery
Didier Roques - Rogery
(President of the national deer farmers association (syndicat national des éleveurs de cervidés)
“I have a herd of 700 deer, 60 stag and 80 mouflon. I have also just created a hunting park. We have seen quite a significant drop in farmed game production in France. There are now 2,000 stag and as many deer, compared to 10,000 of each a few years ago. The drop is the result of direct competition from hunting and imports of game from New Zealand. The latter ships, at a low cost, chilled vacuum packed meat by the container, with a shelf life of 110 days, which is classified as ‘fresh meat’, whereas our fresh meats have a use-by date of 21 days. Our specifications are draconian and our traceability is total, from farm to sale in the store. There are less than 72 hours between slaughter and sale. Our animals are spread out by reason of 7 deer and 3 stag to the hectare and they feed on what can be found in their natural surroundings. Furthermore, they are monitored in terms of health.
The number of farmers has decreased and those who remain are adapting by making processed products and selling them at markets or on the farm. I personally sell my products directly to mass distribution, particularly at the end of the year. Game meat is a quality product but it is still rarely consumed and we need strong communication.
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