Not only the hunters I now have to worry about!!

As many of you will know hunting is a passion amongst many French people, the difference being that in most cases it is something for the pot and has moved on quite a long way since the French reportedly shot anything that moved, still admittedly for the pot, but multiple quantities of the required two dozen blackbirds needed to bake in a pie, had in the past denuded the countryside of much of its wildlife.  Now there are strict rules about what can be hunted, where and when you can open fire and strictly enforced quotas for each hunt, although sanglier or wild boar seem to be very successful and are in parts of France, like the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, wreaking havoc, and rules have been relaxed in the hunting of said beasts.  Apparently allowing night time hunting of sanglier, a previous definite no no for any hunting.  As it is afternoon hunting has its concerns, as part of the game seems to be frequent liquid toasts to the day, with more during lunch, so add to that a whole afternoon of toasts and wine with dinner, it could be problematic to say the least!

But, back to hunting in general, again not all is rosy and there is growing opposition to hunting, not least because of the “power” of the hunting lobby and their authorization to hunt every day, seven days a week, although I must say around us it seems to be most common on Thursdays and Sundays, so I take extra care walking Fergus on those days, as well as other days when gunfire is close by, particularly after lunch.  But tensions continue to grow between the different factions, particularly with the anti-hunting lobby pressing for a Sunday ban, arguing that this should be a family day for other countryside pursuits. 

However, it was not my intention here to discuss the merits or otherwise of the hunt, or La chasse as I should call it, but rather to bring up another potentially worrying issue, for me, which might lead to me being falsely arrested!!  On the main hunt days, or as I said on those days where gunfire, as well as lots of shouting, horn blowing and dog barking is obvious – which I find far more evident than the actual firing of guns, as often an hour or two of frantic activity can occur before any shots are fired!! – I take sensible precautions, namely; tend to walk in the opposite direction to the noise, keep to roads or wide tracks avoiding woodlands or isolated tracks, keep Fergus on the lead if at all concerned about the closeness of any shots not that the noise seems to bother him, make a lot of noise myself, whistling or calling the dog rather than wandering around singing at the top of my voice or talking loudly to myself, causing a few shouts of l'anglais fou (the mad English – I get enough of those without trying !!), and above all I wear loud clothing, including during the cold weather a rather fetching bright red polatec fleece hat, great as it also keeps the ears warm, and making me look a little like Father Smurf, as opposed to Grandfather Smurf, the caption that appeared together with a picture on my daughter’s Facebook!!

And herein lies the problem.  France has over the years had a disastrous road safety reputation, not least because of things like the toasts that take place frequently at hunts and elsewhere, and although it might seem as though I digress, please bear with me!  Well, various Presidents and governments have taken it upon themselves to try a make a significant impact on this carriageway carnage, one of the strategies involving the proliferation of speed cameras, traditionally marked and with a sign placed about 3 or 4 hundred metres before warning of frequent speed traps, followed by a reminder of the correct speed, all in good time for motorists to make the necessary and often temporary adjustments to their driving so they pass the yellow marked cameras as good law abiding citizens.  So, with maybe financial concerns foremost in this time of severe constraints, as the system above would seem to me to have the desired effect of slowing people down in know accident black spots, it has become more clandestine, with the camera markings becoming much less obvious and a proliferation of other methods such as; unmarked camera cars, roving mobile cameras with long leads so the operators can hide in their cars behind trees, houses, bridges or the like,  and handheld cameras operated by the local constabulary again often hiding in the shadows.  These, together with many other measures seen as an attack on the humble motorist, has led to a group of individual forming a vigilante-style group, who have amongst other direct actions, been setting fire to the fixed camera.  The group is known as Les Bonnets Rouges, as part of their disguise in addition to masks over their faces, is a red hat (bonnet) very similar in design to my own that I use as hunt safety clothing.  So now, whilst out walking in the countryside not only do I have to be vigilant about the hunt, but I also need to keep an eye out for passing gendarmes, and then have the dilemma of whether to keep it on or hastily remove said hat, hoping the passing gendarmes don’t see me suspiciously removing the anarchist badge.  Perhaps in hindsight, I will have to start wearing a green hat and singing loudly, but then it might be another van that I’m bundled into and a different secure institution I’m taken to!!!  And, having just got a new dog I don’t have the option of staying safely at home!