Walk with your dog during the hunting season

FOR or AGAINST hunting: I don't care… that's not the subject of this article. I know that the subject of hunting unleashes passions in one camp as in the other but that is not the subject here.

I just want to draw your attention to this particular time of year when hunters and their dogs roam the countryside… Here are some recommendations to make your walks with your dog safe.

To find out the opening dates for hunting in your department, go to the ONCFS website, the national hunting and wildlife office. Note that the hunting season generally runs from mid-September to mid-February.

Hunting … how does it work? Hunters define a hunting area where they interact with their dogs and game for a few hours. This might also be the area where you were planning a walk… So we have to share the same hunting grounds. Keep in mind that hunters follow strict safety rules to avoid any danger, but as a precaution, it might be best to take your dog for a walk elsewhere…

At best, you will come across hunters, at worst a wild boar in panic which may not bother to avoid you in its path with hunting dogs on its heels.

Do you really want to walk around amid the whistles, gunshots and tinkling bells that hunting dogs wear around their necks?

Perhaps it is better to choose another walking area, it will also prevent your dog from running away behind the hunters' dogs or at the slightest gunshot if he is afraid of the sound of gunpowder... 

Do you like to walk in the countryside and in the forest to enjoy nature and have a good time with your dog? Nothing prevents you from doing so, but you will have to be extra careful to avoid trouble.

Here are some of the recommendations you can take during the hunting season…

• avoid hunting areas. When you arrived at your place of walk, did you come across signs "hunting / beating in progress"? I advise you to change the corner of the walk to avoid finding yourself in the middle of an area where gunshots can be fired.
• you have been away for several kilometers and you come across hunters? Inform them of your presence in the area, giving them precise directions and ask them about their hunting party's progress: where is the hunt taking place, are there other hunters around, are there there areas to avoid and until when? They will then be able to signal your presence to their hunting colleagues.
• absolutely stay on the trails if you are in a hunting area; do not venture into the undergrowth at the risk of being confused with game, you and your dog.
• equip your dog with a fluorescent safety vest for dogs, with neon leaves or a luminous necklace at a minimum. Thus, if you let him roam free, he will be more visible and easier to spot. Of course, this advice also applies to you.
• equip your dog with a bell or bell like hunting dogs. This will make it more easily spotted by hunters as well.
• keep your dog at heel or on a leash to prevent him from playing with the hunters' dogs. Let us remember here that these dogs are at “work” and that they are not always very inclined to play with your dog so to avoid conflicts, move on; especially since they are often in packs.

Upon your return, especially during this often damp season, remember to dry your dog thoroughly. Like us, our pets can catch a cold and get sick. A quick wipe with a microfiber towel will do them a world of good. And a dry coat prevents unpleasant wet dog odors. Also, remember to check your dog for ticks. While cold temperatures should normally limit their proliferation, this isn't always the case.

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On a walk, did you come across a lost hunting dog? or a dog has decided to join you to play with your companion and he has lost track of his pack?
Do not let this dog roam in the woods or in the countryside alone, do not abandon him to his sad fate. A hunting dog generally lives in a pack, isolated it will be completely lost. And like any abandoned dog, he will wander to find food and he will put himself in danger.

Some of you may not want to return the dog to his master to avoid him going hunting, but is it really a good idea...

Let's take an example to fully understand the situation of the dog: a sled dog condemned to become a lap dog will generally be as unhappy as the stones. He no longer has his “friends”, no more pack markers, no more “work”. It's a safe bet that it's the same for the hunting dog who also has a "job"...

It is also necessary to realize that a good hunting dog must be trained like any utility or working dog, that it requires time and energy and that therefore hunters care about their animals with whom they share an activity (whether we like it or not, it doesn't matter) and a real relationship of trust.

Even if I grant you, like everywhere, there are bound to be exceptions to this rule...

If you come across a stray hunting dog, here are some things you can do to try to help it:

• Generally, hunting dogs wear rather neon collars with their owner's number on them. This is the simplest case, all you have to do is call the hunter to come and collect your animal. If you still hear hunters in the area, go meet them with the animal. Last winter, we were walking with Musher in a hunting area and we came across a young beagle who was completely lost. She played with Musher and followed us to my car. As she was wearing a collar with a telephone number, I contacted the owner who joined us within a few minutes and warmly thanked me for helping her dog. He was super relieved to find her.
• contact the federation of hunters in your department to find out the name of the hunting society that hunted in the area where you found the dog; you will be able to find its owner more easily.
• go to your veterinarian with the dog to find out if it is chipped and thus be able to find its owner.
• entrust the animal to a shelter or a specialized association if you cannot take care of it for a few days while finding its owner.
• you can also post a photo of the pooch on social networks, on groups such as pet-alert

Have a great walk everyone! And be careful during hunting season… On the ONF website , you will find the hunting calendars for the various communal forests in France.

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