Hunting: bullets that whistle through the forest from June 1st onwards!
One Voice leads a nonviolent fight to defend animal rights and respect all life forms. The organization operates independently and is thus free to speak and act freely.
People generally believe that hunting is an autumn and winter activity, but hunters don’t see it that way. Hunters want to hunt as much as possible and for as long as possible. For a long time now, they have obtained the right to hunt deer as of June 1st! This is the period when there are the most people in natural and rural areas, but also when the deer are in the rutting season (mid-July to mid-August)! This makes hunting not only an ecological nonsense (more so when we talk about hunting …) but also an ethical nonsense as well (but hunters have for a long time now demonstrated their total lack of ethics!). Along with the ecological and ethical issues there is also the denial of other human activities that also take place outdoors.
photo : Pierre Athanaze
This
scandalous provision is far from being an act of “conservation”
as hunters like to claim. This measure allows them to draw from the
most beautiful male deer yearlings in order to decorate their chimney
breasts with their morbid trophies. As deer lose their antlers in
early fall, hunters are more likely to “harvest” their
“beautiful” trophies by slaughtering deer in the summer
during the breeding season!
The
summer shootings are decreed by the prefects at the request of the
departmental hunting federations. Requests which are almost
systematically followed by orders authorizing this ridiculous
activity. So, why would the hunters feel bothered or ashamed? And why
slaughter only deer? Hunting federations and managers of hunting
areas have asked the public authorities to allow the hunting of
fallow deer. More recently we have seen the demand to hunt wild boars
and of course, they won.
During
the summer season, bucks and fallow deer are hunted as they approach
or from lookouts (watchtowers). Wild boars are hunted by a driving
method. Every hunter who pursues this disgraceful activity is also
allowed to shoot foxes! This without any restrictions! Even after the
buck or fallow deer quota is reached, summer shooters will have the
right to continue hunting foxes, which is increasingly recognized as
assisting agricultural by the farmers themselves.
This
hunting period, which is added to the so-called general opening
period, allows hunters to hunt three and a half months longer! And
the holders of these hunting rights to earn even more money. One can
find at most organized private hunts offers of overnight
accommodation and hunts in various departments. Hunters, in need of
these bloodthirsty activities, can, with hard cash, quench their
deadly thirsts during these three and a half months of extended
season. This constitutes an additional financial windfall for those
who trade in death.
No,
hunting is not, as some people try to make us believe, an act of
“conservation” of the wild life, but purely a commercial
activity. Please sign our petition to obtain a radical reform of
hunting, and its ban during all weekends and school holidays! And
meet with us on October 5th for the 2nd united march against hunting.