Pop pop, Bang bang

[Char]

And so it begins, Sunday morning birdsong punctuated with the beat of guns, with men with little willies waving big guns, trying to kill some defensive animal or perhaps themselves this afternoon after they've had their liquid lunch.

Hey ho!

[Doug]

Char there is another side to the chass.
Any damage gone by sanglier, chevreuil etc the local chass has to pay for as they are responsible for keeping them down.
Have you seen what sanglier can do to a field of crops? Let alone a garden. Or deer to a plantation of trees, we have enough damage done to our fruit trees and roses by the half dozen seen around here
I do admit that a lot of them couldn't hit a flying barn.
Being a country lad I used to hunt but in my day it was for the pot or go hungry.

[Blaze]

[mention]Char[/mention] I wonder how many people will be killed this year by drunken or incompetant chasseurs. Sadly the majority are not hunting to cull nuisances - sanglier can make a piece of land look as if half a dozen JCBs have been at work. They do it because it is their right, an acquis and heaven help any government who tries to take that away. What can you do about a mentality that thinks shooting a song thrush is sport ? Don't get me going on hunting for corporate entertainment

[Bayleaf]

The only bang, bang, pop pop I heard this morning was from rallye cars backfiring, as they ripped through the countryside above us on their annual circuit. I have to say, I love the sound of rallye cars - they always sound much faster than they are (we used to go up and watch - so we know there is more sound than speed! ).

Was then surprised to hear above all that din, some gunfire - some Chasseur maybe profiting from animals being flushed out by the sound of the cars.

[Wilbro]

I expected the usual first day lunacy round the lanes today but all quiet. Nevertheless it will all happen soon enough. The usual excuse re. damage by sangliers etc. of course but only properly trained marksmen should do the job. Hunting after drinking should result in the confiscation of weapons, a life time ban and big fine.

[niemeyjt]

Never sure about shooting sanglier in a driven chasse - unless using a rifle - it is very cruel to pepper them with a shotgun.

And for those who cannot hit a barn door with a shotgun, trying with a rifle is a bigger challenge - and the bullet can kill a person over 1 Km away.

[Bayleaf]

I don't think it's allowed to shoot anything from a vehicle, or indeed from the roadside. Not that that has ever stopped any chasseurs from having a go!

[niemeyjt]

Sorry to confuse - by driven chase I mean where prey is driven by beaters or other guns towards the guns.

[Doug]

In my youth back in fifties I used to earn half a crown doing beating on the estate, the guns were just as bad way back then, missing a pheasant time after time.
Mind you I used to wear an uncles navy greatcoat and could hide a couple in the pockets to take home.

[Wilbro]

When I was in the Army Cadets I remember well when on the range with .303 rifles being told "watch what you are aiming at, a careless discharge could kill some poor farm lad eating his lunch in a field a mile away".
Maybe over the top but it stuck with me. Here we have over enthusiastic hunters discharging rifles into woodland. What's in the trees? Another hunter, a child, a walker etc.