Hunting Season

[Suninfrance]

12 posts since your's wen:  where are you - do you have no answer to any of them?

[Gardian]

Oh, and just another offering on the poison thing.

Some 10 yrs ago, one of our cats was found by friendly neighbours v early one morning.  She was close to death, they just alerted us and I rushed down to the vet with her.

The vet's best guess was that she'd 'nibbled' at a dead (poisoned') mouse / vole, hence her problem.  Ten days in hospital at the vet's, about £300 I seem to remember and a cat that took 6 months to get over it. She was lucky - thanks to our neighbours.

In this case, I'm sure that nobody meant any harm - mice around, put some stuff down, etc, etc.  But there's really no need - there are humane traps that you can use successfully and I've done so since. So no poison eh? 

Incidentally, 'Sammy' is now 18, going on 19, deaf as a post, and fully integrated in to the French way of life, i.e. mostly comatose and only emerges at mealtimes! 

 

 

[Rob Roy]

[quote user="Bugbear"]

[quote user="wen"]I have small children; I am ready for any of those savage dogs this year. I do not care if this hunting thing is a french tradition or not, the dogs must stay away from my property or else. And there most certainly will be an 'or else' this year. A few well placed baits and they wont be back thank god.[/quote]

I'm beginning to wonder if you should actually be living in rural france Wen.

You're gradually building up a comprehensive 'hate' list.

Tractors and tractor drivers,

Insurance companies,

Hunting dogs,

Forum members who express views that question yours.

(only added the last one as a pre-emptive)...............................

All you have to do is ask (nicely) the chasse to keep away from your land and they will more than likely agree.

Make no mistake, you will end up in a shed-load of trouble if you start poisoning hunting dogs.

 

[/quote]

You have forgotten the B & B guests that Wen doesn't like either[;-)]

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Not to mention the British.

[Jonzjob]

Wen seems to have gone AWOL (absent without leave). Perhaps you are having a rethink Wen?

If you have changed your mind please come back and let us know, we all say things in haste sometimes [:D]!

[londoneye]

And in fairness to Wen, albeit her postings can sometimes come across as a tad antagonistic, she is talking about her children here.   Whilst I don't have children, I only have to think about how I feel about my animals and then imagine those protective feelings enhanced by several hundred percents for children, and I would be a total emotional wreck for most of my life (and I am not inferring that Wen is by the way).   It is only natural that she is hugely concerned about the safety of her children, but albeit she has a responsibility and need to protect them, there is no reason why she should not be able to do so without resorting to the measures she originally hinted at.

[Iceni]

[quote user="Suninfrance"]

The dogs are not savage ..........

[/quote]

At approx 9.00 am Sunday before last we were awoken by the sound of a cow type bell. A little later I opened a door to allow our mutt out to p and spotted a hunting dog in our garden. Small dog went over to play (?) and large hunting dog ran away from him. 3 members of the chasse appeared and in a scene reminiscent of the Keystone Cops ran hither and thither until eventually capturing their prey.

Off now to put down some poisoned sweeties lest unwanted small children trespass onto my estate.

John

not

[londoneye]

My friend who has lived here for umpteen years, tells me that a lot of the chasse dogs get 'lost', primarily because they are more interested in going on a frolic of their own than in actually hunting with their master.   She assures me that its always good if you can get hold of one such lost dog, because you can then rely on a steady stream of free meat from the grateful owners, when you return dog.     I think she may even be kidnapping them these days, in order to ensure a constant supply of venison !!

[Suninfrance]

If I had children, I would want to protect them too, but not with such drastic measures.  Your children's safety would naturally come first, but putting poison down is not the answer.  Explain to your local Chasse that you are worried about your children and ASK them to be careful on or around your land.

Maybe you have been put off by some of the comments made about your intended actions on this thread, but you have disappeared with no comment in your defense or justification for why you want to take that kind of action in the first place,  I'm sure others would like to have a better understanding of why you feel the way you do.

[Tony F Dordogne]

Chasse dogs on your land Wen - why not fence the land better and keep them out?  Perhaps they're owned by the tractor driver or his children and this is just another part of that argument - or what seems to be your increasing disenchantment with French rural life.  The French hunt in rural areas and use dogs to do so, isn't that something your factored in when deciding to live where you do?

If you poisoned a dog round here and the owner worked it out that you were responsible, I'd imagine that your reputation locally would be nil, that the gendarmes may be wanting a word with you and you may even end up in Court.

Just approach the local Chasse, explain to them that you don't want the dogs on your land, put up the appropriate signs and live with it - at least then you will have some recourse rather than suggesting poison is the right way to deal with the dogs.

And from what I've seen with the dogs of the local chasse, they're more likely to lick you to death than savage you, when they're around here they seem more frightened of our cats than anything else and apart from pinching the cat's water, they just want to be made a fuss of.

Anybody know the statistics on how many children are attackled by hunting dogs rather than are attacked by domestic pet dogs in urban areas - perhaps that would inform Wen's views a little better?

Edit: just looked at Wen's web site - 'little slice of Eden in South of France' doesn't sound that idyllic to me the way things are going and as for taking advice on moving to France - like insurance companies, tractors and now chasse dogs ................. 

[Rob Roy]

Our neighbour's chasse dogs are real softies. I feed them for him when they manage to go away for a few days holiday (which is rare as he is a farmer), and they love having a fuss made of them. Chasse dogs sound bloodthirsty when they are on the scent and start baying, but are usually quite timid around people.  Our neighbour regularly loses his dogs as they just take off and go when he has them out (like a lot of them do!) and one of the chasse members always stays behind to wait for them to return, he then rings around for the owners to come and collect their own dog!

[dave]

I would make this plea to anyone considering putting poison down anywhere. Please don't.  

I had a beautiful 4 year old springer spaniel - mad as a hatter - always picking up odd bones, or carcasses from the fields during his walks.  He thought it was amusing.  One day he chose the one baited for foxes by the local farmer.  He never ate or drank again and died within the week despite visiting the vet on a daily basis for injections.  It was a very nasty death,  please don't cause that in any other animal.

Regards  Dave

[Christine Animal]

Shame on you Wen.

 

[cooperlola]

I too have had a dog poisoned in this way - happily he recovered.  One of our cats, however, was not so lucky.

If this really is the huge problem which you believe it to be, Wen, then consider an electric fence (not the horse type but one adapted for dogs) around your land.  I assume that you already have "Chasse Interdit" notices. 

[Christine Animal]

Already two chasseurs dead the first weekend, one killed by another chasseur, the second killed himself when his rifle got caught in barbed wire !

 

"Déjà deux morts des chasseurs, l'un en Gironde, l'autre en Haute Saône !

Le premier a été tué par des tirs d'un autre chasseur.

Il a été atteint à deux reprises, samedi,  lors d'une battue organisée par une association locale de chasse et autorisée alors que la chasse n'ouvre que dimanche matin. L'auteur des coups de feu mortels a été placé en garde à vue à la gendarmerie.  Tiens  ! tiens ! 

Le chasseur de la Haute Saône s'est tué lui-même, son fusil s'étant accroché dans des fils barbelés."

 

[Jonzjob]

Sounds like a normal start to the season! SNAFU = Situation Normal All French and Usual??

In the first 2 weeks the usual bag is hunters and dogs that are with them. I still love to see the full camoflage and the bright yellow jacket or hat! Do they really think that the hunted can't see the bright colours through the camoflage?

As a matter of interest I am not against La Chasse. It is a way of French country life and at least they don't chase the animals to death on horse back and then let the dogs have their fun tearing them to bits...

Where is Wen?[8-)]

[Suninfrance]

OMG.

My sympathies to their families.  How awful.

[Suninfrance]

"Where is Wen" - I'm surprised she's not been back defending her plans.

Mind you with a couple of chassuers mort, no doubt she is even more worried about her kids now which I can quite understand, but if you are going to live in France, you must accept the French way of life, even if it doesn't agree with your principles or opinions.

[Bugsy]

I've only had one altercation in five years of living in France and that was with a hunter. He was standing in the road and fired his high powered rifle in the general direction of our property at a group of Boar that were running across the field.

I confronted him and told him, in pure english (my french was not very good at that time) that if he fired again I would take his rifle and shove it straight up his ****. He understood but protested that he 'had a licence'. I said you may have a licence but not to discharge a weapon on a public highway and not to fire at a bolting animal where the risk of wounding is high. Other members of the chaisse arrived and, apologising profusely, took the fool away.

I subsequently received a letter of apology from the secretary of our local chaisse.

We have both Boar and Deer in our wood and I advised the chaisse that I would prefer them to be left alone, a request that they both agreed to and have honoured thus far.

On a lighter note our hunters can regularly be seen in the village square on the weekend putting their dayglo orange tabards on, then pulling their barbour jackets on over the top.[:)]

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Suninfrance"]"Where is Wen" - I'm surprised she's not been back defending her plans.

[/quote]

Be afraid, be very afraid. [:-))]

Pretty much the first time I encountered a Wen post, she was explaining her payback method for intransigent or merely incompetent immos... or maybe it was notaires... don't quite remember now. It involved faecal matter (the contents of nappies may have featured) stuffed into envelopes, addressed and mailed...[+o(]

Edit - in the interests of accuracy - Wen actually said:

"This is what I would do. Send these cretins a card, thanking them for

their willingness, but not  committment, to do 'business'. DONT sign

your signature. As this is France, and anything 'doggy' is welcome

here, simply attach a fingerprint dipped in 'whatever' you feel you can

bring yourself to do. Me, myself, I have a baby and can avail myself of

certain 'matter' whenever I change a nappy. THIS is what my fingerprint

would bear on the bottom of that card.  Send similar to your trusty

Notaire."

[Tony F Dordogne]

That is really gross.

And he/she purports to give advice to people wishing to move to France ................. 

[Suninfrance]

I am not afraid of people who come out with such **** then disappear of the face of the earth.  "Hiding their head in the sand" comes to mind.  If you cannot take responsibility for your actions (or opinions), then don't comment is my motto.  I was always taught to take responsibility for my actions and I do.  If I've done something wrong then I will apologise.  So if I have offended anyone, then I'm sorry, but I find Wens comments disappointing and lack of appearance to account for them, well ................................. !!!

[Jonzjob]

Oh dear Catalpa, after reading the post and copy of yours from the lovely Wen I think that it may well be an idea that she just sink in her 'matter' and not darken the doors of this forum again.

I did try to think the best and that she may just be in a state of over protection, but now I am totally unsure. I almost always give folks the 'benifit of the doubt', but in this case it may be better that she just sinks in the meerde that she wishes on others????

[Just Katie]

Yes Catalpa I remember that comment too. I just wish Wen would stop trying to be a bit of a hard nut, talking about kicking people in stilletto heels.  It just comes across as being a bit cringy from a woman.

Hey Wen, get your act together girl, stop the hate mail crap and show us more of your nice side.  You must have one somewhere.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="Just Katie"]

Yes Catalpa I remember that comment too. I just wish Wen would stop trying to be a bit of a hard nut, talking about kicking people in stilletto heels.  It just comes across as being a bit cringy from a woman.

Hey Wen, get your act together girl, stop the hate mail crap and show us more of your nice side.  You must have one somewhere.

[/quote]

Yes I will agree with that. What shook your boat and gave you the idea to kick the world Wen. Lighten up a bit and join the rest of us, you may just like it? If something major really shook your world try to share it with us. You never know, it may just make it a bit lighter?

What a load of c r a p , but I believe in it! Try it?