Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact
NitroExpress.com: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France

View recent messages : 24 hours | 48 hours | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days | 60 days | More Smilies


*** Enjoy NitroExpress.com? Participate and join in. ***

Hunting >> Hunting in Europe

Pages: 1
Louis
.375 member


Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France
      #314503 - 26/03/18 11:09 PM


Hunting in France usually starts on 1st June with roe buck summer stalking and ends on the last February day of the following year. There are in between distinct opening / closing dates by species and by regions.

Roe deer

I had not much time this year for summer hunting as I was called on international projects at several occasions; I was away most of the time in July and August during the roe deer rutting season as well as in all September, over the red deer one.

Anyway, I managed to get out at two occasions in late July and in mid-August, in the foothills of the north western Pyrénées mountains of France. The area is good roe deer country: rolling hills covered with oak and chestnut woods, scattered meadows intersected with edges, and some maize fields in the bottoms; average elevation ranges from 150 to 300 meters. Following very dry Winter and Spring, we had an extremely wet Summer; with the Atlantic Ocean being quite close the area is not known for being dry however it rained this summer much more than average and I was deeply soaked each time I went out. On the positive side, there were no dry leaves on the ground to make my move noisy!

I was hunting this year with a Mauser rifle manufactured in 1961 by Anschütz, in caliber 6,5x57 Mauser, shooting RWS ammunition (Kegelspitz-type; 8,2 grams/ 127 grains), and set with a Schmidt & Bender 1,5-6x42 riflescope. The combination of an extremely accurate rifle, good optics and perfect caliber for the game I was hunting was a real pleasure to shoot.

In late July, I did not manage to find the roe buck I was looking for and only spotted many does I was not interested in or young bucks not worth being harvested. In late afternoon one day, I spotted in the distance a buck that looked big, however it was 250-meter away and there was a hedge between us; it took me some time to get closer but by then the buck had gone back into the woods. I waited for it to return for almost one hour under heavy rain but it never came back.

By the end of the day a fox unfortunately crossed my path and I shot it at 100 meters; the below picture shows the exit wound of the 6,5x57 KS. I can’t remind of 6,5x57 damaging venison, however the fox is a small animal and the shooting distance was short.



I came back to the same location two weeks later, in mid-August, for an early morning stalk. The big roe buck previously spotted was still there, grazing in a meadow along with a doe; I spotted it at 220 meters, managed to get closer until 150 meters, and shot it at 0700AM. It ran away for circa ten meters after being hit and fell down; I noticed later that the shot was heart placed.

It was a massive roe buck for the area, sporting a much decent trophy, with already greying face hair, probably 5-year old or slightly over. I gutted it and field dressed it on the spot; I kept the head for the trophy, the two filets and the two hind legs, and payed my contribution to crows, foxes and wild boars with the remains.



The trophy is now ready for being mounted on a plaque.



I did not go back roe deer stalking in September and October as I was away on business over that period and, as the older roe bucks start shedding their antlers from mid to end October in southern France, they are not anymore worth being harvested after that time.

Red deer

I had a license for a red stag in the central Pyrénées mountains this year, however I missed the rutting season - around two weeks spanning between late September and early October, as I had to deploy overseas at the same time. I wish I will be luckier next year.

Isard

In mid-November 2017 I managed to get out for three days in the Ariège region of the central Pyrénées mountains for isard hunting, for which I had three licenses. We had had first snow in the week before and weather had been terrible until the day before I went out to the hunting area, when it turned to deep blue skies.

On day one the ascent to the hunting grounds started from a shepherd’s cabin located at an elevation of circa 900 meters that had been used as the base camp in the night before. The track went through a mixed beech and conifer forest; snow was quickly encountered, scattered first and subsequently thicker but firm on top, which made walking easy.

From circa 1300 meters hazel bushes replaced beech and from circa 1500 meters we were out in the white.



We hunted the northern side of a small range, at an elevation ranging from 2000 to 2300 meters and isards were spotted in the distance. By 0930 AM a not such distant herd was spotted and I managed to get into firing position within the next half hour. The isard herd, three bucks, a dozen of goats and some young ones were located on a ridge at a 300-meter distance and 150 to 200 meters above in elevation, constantly moving as bucks were either fighting among themselves or pestering goats. I aimed at what looked to be the bigger buck, waited for him to get closer as he was constantly changing places, shot when he was at 270 meters and missed, probably too high a shot!

The herd scattered out of view but I didn’t move as after an initial run isards often come back in order to try to identify what the danger was. As expected isards came back within minutes, the herd reformed almost at the same place but the big buck always stayed on top of the ridge where he was not shootable because of a cliff on the far side (if hit it may have been lost) before vanishing for good after a short while. I then selected another buck within the herd, which was doing his best to take advantage of the absence of the big buck. I took a slightly lower aim and took an uphill shot (270 meters & +30°); the buck sprang, fell almost on the spot and, because of the iced snow started to slide quickly downhill in a small gully that ended at 50 meters of the place I was. Thanks to that it was delivered to me by the mountain and this spared me another uphill walk to the place it had been hit.

The horns had not been broken during the downhill slide and upon further inspection I realized with surprise that my isard had tits instead of having balls; in the heat of action, I had shoot what we call in French a ‘brehaigne’ female (either an adult female that does not mate or an older one that has mated but is now sterile), which usually have a male behavior within herds! Anyway, this had no importance for me as the hunt since this early morning had been really good and as the trophy was nice.



The 8-year-old goat had been hit in the heart; I skinned and gutted it on the spot and packed the two filets, the two hind legs and the head. Then we had a quick lunch on site before starting the downhill journey as the hunt was over for the day.



On day two we started again before sunset from the same location than the previous day but hunted the south-facing slopes – where snow had now melted below an altitude of 1600 meters, of the same mountain range.



Some isard bucks were spotted during the morning but were either too distant or too young to be harvested. In very early afternoon a herd of circa 15 goats were spotted downhill, dozing in the sun at a distance of circa 300 meters. If goats were there, bucks should not be far away as we were in the peak of the rutting season. I found a good shooting position on top of a flat rock and waited; 45 minutes later, goats slowly started standing and feeding one after each other; within minutes, two good bucks were with the herd and started chasing each other.
I selected the one that looked to sport the best trophy, waited for it to stop briefly and shot downhill (275 meters & -37°); the buck was visibly hit, sprang, ran for about 15 meters and fell.
I waited in firing position for another 5 minutes, then packed and moved downhill to the place where the buck had fallen; there was quite a long detour to do between both firing and anschuss locations as there was a small cliff in-between. Almost upon arrival to the place where the buck had been hit, a goat was spotted standing on a rock at a mere 100-meter distance; upon glassing the goat was apparently extremely old and, as the French Forestry Commission on whose land I was hunting had requested to harvest some old isards, I shot it. It was a 19-year old goat, with horns almost worn-out, much erased teeth and a fur that looked to have been mothballed; due to its poor condition there was no meat to take. The buck was found as expected at the anschuss location; it was a nice 9-year-old sporting a decent trophy that had been hit by a lung shot; as per usual, I skinned it, field gutted it and packed the filets, both hind legs and the head.



Isard hunt was now over for this year as I had used the three licenses I had been granted.
Trophies, from left to right: buck, goat mistaken for a buck, and old goat:




Mouflon

The hunting season in France closes on 28 February at the end of the day and I had managed to book two stalking days on 27 and 28 February 2018 for mouflon ram, in the mountains of Haut Languedoc in southern France.

This area houses a good mouflon population since the 1950’s. Landscape is Mediterranean-type, not much elevated (600 to 1000 meters), dry and rocky, hot in summer and cold in winter.

On 27 February temperature remained well below 0°C all day, thanks to a harsh wind that was blowing from the North; water was frozen in water bottles in the rucksacks. I had for the occasion taken with me my ‘old’ Mauser 66 in 7x64 (1972). The area I hunted, one main valley intersected with ravines, was planted with chestnut trees as well as with some firs in the bottoms and with scrubs on the sides, ridges were rocks only.



I saw almost 30 mouflon ewes over the day as well as some young males, but not the full circle ram I had a license for.
By the end of the day, circa one hour before sunset, I glassed one big ram in the distance; it was almost 500 meters away and there was a deep ravine planted with dense scrub between us. As it was definitely too late for the day, I planned to hunt the area where I had spotted it on the following day.

In early evening we had a weather forecast warning about snow falls all over southern France from the following morning, on 28 February. As snow in Southern Europe usually creates havoc on roads and as I did not want to get trapped in the area for several days, I cancelled my second mouflon stalking day and drove back home during the night. Snow started to fall in the early morning as planned, just when I reached destination; it created havoc as expected and some people were blocked for two days in their cars on highways; I had therefore made the right decision!

The 2017-2018 hunting season is now over and I have started to plan for the 2018-2019 one, hopefully roe deer and isard if Diana, Artemis and Saint Hubertus are kind with me, and if really lucky, red deer and mouflon in addition. The Mauser Anschütz in 6,5x57 should stay on the rack and I plan to take out to the field kipplaufs in 6,5x57R (Sauer & Sohn Mod. IX - Eckenförde – 1957) and 7x65R (Winkler Benedikt – Ferlach – 1971).

Louis

--------------------
"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Waidmannsheil
.400 member


Reged: 19/04/13
Posts: 2363
Loc: Melbourne Australia
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Louis]
      #314516 - 27/03/18 07:09 AM

Great story Louis, thank you for posting. Very beautiful scenery, fantastic mountains and great trophies. I bet some very nice meals were had at the end of the day as well. Good on you and well done. Nice rifles as well.

Waidmannsheil.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 3954
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #314526 - 27/03/18 09:07 AM

Beautiful area you hunt in Louis!
Certainly a memorable year for you, you certainly made the right decision getting out when you did. I hope you get your mouflon next year, & yes any of your rifles will certainly do the job I reckon!
Great write up, well done!


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Louis
.375 member


Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: 93x64mm]
      #314606 - 28/03/18 07:31 PM

Waidmannsheil & 9,3x64, glad you liked the post.
Yes the harvest provided with some good barbecues and there is still some meat left in the freezer in order to bridge with the next summer stalking!
Louis

--------------------
"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26413
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Louis]
      #314607 - 28/03/18 07:53 PM

Nice work on the goats. Didn't leave much unspoiled meat to eat on the foxes front end.
Just kidding - well done.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DORLEAC
.333 member


Reged: 22/01/12
Posts: 464
Loc: Perpignan, France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DarylS]
      #314630 - 29/03/18 05:30 AM

Nice report and a nice place...I know !
Hope to hunt with you on our beloved Canigou mount the incoming season my friend !

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Vladymere
.300 member


Reged: 11/08/15
Posts: 187
Loc: North Carolina, USA
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DORLEAC]
      #314652 - 29/03/18 01:56 PM

Thank you for posting of your hunting experience.

Vlad


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Louis
.375 member


Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Vladymere]
      #314660 - 29/03/18 06:04 PM

Dear Daryl, Dorléac and Vlad, thank you for your kind words.
Dear Dorléac, I also really look forward to hunting next Fall with you in the Canigou Mountain of Southern Pyrénées.
Louis

--------------------
"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DORLEAC
.333 member


Reged: 22/01/12
Posts: 464
Loc: Perpignan, France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Louis]
      #314671 - 29/03/18 10:41 PM


Here are my two best gold medal isards shot end of January.
I had the pleasure to hunt with my friend Christelle, a top notch huntress.
She carries a 7RM Sako while, poor old man, I use an ultra light 6.5 Creedmoor D&D rifle !
"La femme est l'avenir de l'homme…"

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com













Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Louis
.375 member


Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DORLEAC]
      #314745 - 30/03/18 08:16 PM

Dorléac, sincere congratulations on your big bucks as harvesting such trophies is the height of mountain hunting and every mountain hunter's dream !
Louis

--------------------
"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
HistoricBore
.300 member


Reged: 28/09/11
Posts: 224
Loc: United Kingdom
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Louis]
      #314766 - 31/03/18 12:39 AM

Always good to see the Pyrenees on this forum. I 'hunt' in the Ariege area for Alpine flowers every May and June above Ax-les-Thermes and Vicdessos. Whereabouts in the Ariege was your hunt, roughly?

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DORLEAC
.333 member


Reged: 22/01/12
Posts: 464
Loc: Perpignan, France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: HistoricBore]
      #314776 - 31/03/18 05:08 AM

Quote:

Whereabouts in the Ariege was your hunt, roughly?




Louis hunts Mount Vallier in Ariege and I mainly Canigou Massif and Carança in the Pyrénées-Orientales, south and last place at west of the Pyrenean chain.

Kind regards.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
93x64mm
.416 member


Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 3954
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DORLEAC]
      #314781 - 31/03/18 08:50 AM

Quote:


Here are my two best gold medal isards shot end of January.
I had the pleasure to hunt with my friend Christelle, a top notch huntress.
She carries a 7RM Sako while, poor old man, I use an ultra light 6.5 Creedmoor D&D rifle !
"La femme est l'avenir de l'homme…"




Well I don't know any French Mr D, but that young lass certainly can shoot alright!
With mountains that steep, even at moderate ranges you must be able to judge the distance extremely well with such small (& tasty) game; the error margin must be very small indeed.
You must be justly proud of her too, what a lovely shooting companion to have on any hunt & hopefully many more of them together in the future.
It is really great to see you getting out of the shop (as much as it is your passion) & enjoy life a bit more.
Oh by the way...there's no flies on you either mate in the shooting department!


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26413
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: 93x64mm]
      #314783 - 31/03/18 09:38 AM

Indeed - that young lady is quite lovely - & a hunter!



--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39055
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Louis]
      #314786 - 31/03/18 04:03 PM

Thanks for the post Louis.

Enjoyed reading about your hunts, what you hunt, how and with what. And the little stories on the harvesting of the animals.

Also the pictures to illustrate your words.

All very interesting.

The countryside you hunt is different from that I have seen in France which is usually the settled country, the vineyards and farms. And the forests of central and Northern France.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39055
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DORLEAC]
      #314787 - 31/03/18 04:05 PM

Joel, wonderful trophy examples you display there. And as for your hunting partner, she is certainly different from the crusty old men I usualy hunt with.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26413
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: NitroX]
      #314789 - 31/03/18 04:12 PM

Quote:

Joel, wonderful trophy examples you display there. And as for your hunting partner, she is certainly different from the crusty old men I usually hunt with.




LOL - you too, John?

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DORLEAC
.333 member


Reged: 22/01/12
Posts: 464
Loc: Perpignan, France
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DarylS]
      #314802 - 31/03/18 10:44 PM

For those who are interested….
Some photos taken this season to give you a better idea of our favorite playground, the one where we exercise our passion for hunting isard, superb but very difficult game !
Hope you will enjoy.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com


















Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Waidmannsheil
.400 member


Reged: 19/04/13
Posts: 2363
Loc: Melbourne Australia
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: DORLEAC]
      #314872 - 02/04/18 10:44 AM

Fantastic photos Joel, thanks for posting. Beautiful scenery, very wild and isolated.

Waidmannsheil.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39055
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: My 2017 – 2018 Hunting Season in France [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #325068 - 23/02/19 02:40 PM

Iyts good to look at these photos to feel cool. It is starting to heat up here again. We had a wonderful period of cool summer weather after a terrible heat wave. Summer is not over yet though.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Pages: 1



Extra information
0 registered and 9 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator:   

Print Topic

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Rating:
Topic views: 6142

Rate this topic

Jump to

Contact Us NitroExpress.com

Powered by UBB.threads™ 6.5.5


Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact


Copyright 2003 to 2011 - all rights reserved