Which Country Boasts the Most Hunters in Europe?
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.09.13
The answer may surprise you. For the traveling hunter, Europe offers many unique opportunities, whether it be tracking ibex in the mountains of Spain or roaming through the wilds of Tuscany in search of wild boar and deer.
Some, however, may be surprised to learn the nation of France boasts the most hunters of any country in Europe. According to Le Figaro, there are over 1,224,000 licensed hunters in the western European nation, where the sport is second only to soccer.
For French hunters, the month of September marked a return to the countryside with the start of the hunting season. France had once experienced a major decline in the number of hunters, but recent surveys may signal a reversal of this trend. For the last five years, officials saw an increase of 20,000 permit holders per year, a significant number for a country with a population of 60 million. The National Federation of Hunters (FNC) reports that the sport is increasingly popular with the younger generation as well as city-dwellers.
Newcomers to hunting say that affordability and closeness to nature are major draws. Pascal, a first-time hunter who is a computer engineer in Paris, said that hunting allows him to discover the excitement of hunting after a lifetime in the city. Although rules and regulations may differ from the United States, hunting remains steeped in tradition and a sporting heritage.
Although the country may not be as famous as neighboring Spain or Italy for their hunting customs, France contains 40,000 hunting associations and a large variety of legal game. The sporting opportunities in the south of France are considered some of the best in all of Europe, and provide both local and Parisian chefs with cured game meat. Many visiting hunters come to France for a chance to take trophy animals on the French side of Pyrenees Mountains or the dense forests dotting the south-central province of Lozere.
