Let’s say it straight away: a shotgun loaded with a shotgun cartridge is very rarely lethal to humans. There may be fatal accidents but, over a very long period, they are counted on the fingers of one hand. It is the owner of the weapon who kills himself, the hunter who has not unloaded his rifle and who triggers the shot by passing a fence; the same in a car or taking the gun out of its holster. As soon as the distance exceeds twenty meters, the accident can be mutilating, but is no longer fatal. On the other hand, the bullet kills. And it kills at a great distance. However, it is quite obvious that we do not see what is happening at this distance. Besides, very clever who could detect a walker more than two hundred meters away. In addition, and contrary to weapons of war, the hunting bullet mushrooms or fragments, thus causing multiple attacks. The war bullet is made to put out of action, the hunting bullet to kill.
Bullet shooting is therefore a particularly dangerous shot. For it to be harmless, it must be “fichant” ie the ball is fired from top to bottom. If it misses its target, it will hit the ground. This is usually what happens when you shoot an animal within thirty yards. By carrying the weapon on the shoulder at this distance, we obtain the famous fichant shot. But the more the distance increases, the closer the shot approaches the horizontal. If we miss the target, the ball flies in nature. And, in driven hunting, it happens that some drop the ball at a great distance by virtue of the adage ” the boar risks more than me “. A silly behavior, but which has not completely disappeared.
Approach Safety
When you hunt with the approach, the weapon well wedged on a foot, and that you aim through a scope, the shot becomes extremely precise. We also have plenty of time to observe the lay of the land and see if the security conditions are met.
In driven, on the other hand, one draws very quickly. The animal often passes the balloons thoroughly. He skips the layon. There is less time to ensure his shot. It’s true for the “old timers”, it’s even more true for the younger ones moved and excited at the idea of shooting their first big game.
The rifle has the advantage of being effective at great distances. And the downside of this advantage. Should its use be banned? Replace it with the shotgun loaded with bullets? The ball intended for the smoothbores certainly carries less far, but its trajectory is less precise. Also, it ricochets. It would be necessary to refine the statistics and see, by analyzing the fatal accidents of the last twenty years, which weapon caused them. It is also very curious that no study has been published. *
Reserving the use of the rifle for stalking alone is not necessarily a stupid idea, but it would be very badly perceived in the hunting community. There are more and more big game and, when hunters buy a rifle, it is to use it. However, the beat remains the most popular technique for hunting deer and wild boar.
The “sea serpent” of buckshot…
Marking the territory with “hunting in progress” banners is, in principle, effective. Still it is necessary, on the one hand, that the hikers respect them; on the other hand that we tag sufficiently wide. For a very long time, big game was hunted by driving with lead shot for roe deer and buckshot for wild boar. But, for the sake of ethics – too many animals injured – shooting with bullets has been made compulsory. “Ethics” is fine, but respect for human life could also weigh in the debate. We have had, in recent months, two fatal accidents on non-hunters due to stray bullets. It’s too much.
According to the ministerial decree published on 1is August 1986, animals of the following species: deer, fallow deer, mouflon, chamois or izard, roe deer and wild boar can only be shot with bullets or with a hunting bow […] “. Nevertheless, the Minister responsible for hunting may set by three-year decree the conditions under which the use of buckshot is authorized, only for the shooting of wild boar in collective beats in departments with plant formations such as scrubland or maquis. .
This is how the prefects of the two Corsican departments proposed to continue authorizing, by ministerial decree, the use of buckshot for the next three years. It is done. The ammunition is therefore authorized only in the context of collective boar beats involving at least seven participants.
To soften the use of buckshot in driven action? It is a recurring “sea serpent”. The debate will be (very) lively but may be worth re-opening… The number of hunting accidents has certainly decreased in recent seasons, but the multiplication of wild boars, beaten and therefore bullets fired in the nature encourages us to look into the matter.
* To the question concerning the fatal accident: “Was it a rifle or a smooth-bore shotgun? “, the Federation of Cantal limits itself to answering” that it does not communicate “.
