A Hunting Weekend in the French Countryside
Tag along on a wild boar hunt with your partner's father, follow the safety rules and talk about hunting without picking a fight.
Hunting is still widespread in rural France, with around a million permis de chasser holders; the season runs roughly from September to February, and local hunting associations organise battues (driven hunts) for wild boar, whose numbers damage crops. On hunt days you'll see « Chasse en cours » signs on roads and paths, and everyone near the hunt wears fluorescent orange. The topic divides opinion, so tact helps; in-laws often invite you to use tu after a while.
- 1
Tu chasses tous les week-ends ?
Do you go hunting every weekend?
- 2
Il faut avoir le permis de chasser.
You need a hunting licence.
- 3
Demain, il y a une battue aux sangliers.
Tomorrow there's a wild boar drive.
- 4
Il y a trop de sangliers, ils ravagent les cultures.
There are too many boar, they wreck the crops.
- 5
Je peux venir sans chasser ?
Can I come along without hunting?
- 6
Il faut que tu portes un gilet orange.
You must wear an orange vest.
- 7
Reste derrière moi et fais pas de bruit.
Stay behind me and don't make any noise.
- 8
Le fusil est chargé ?
Is the gun loaded?
- 9
Tu le pointes jamais vers quelqu'un.
You never point it at anyone.
- 10
Les rabatteurs traversent le bois.
The beaters are coming through the woods.
- 11
T'as vu les traces ?
Did you see the tracks?
- 12
Le chevreuil s'est sauvé.
The roe deer got away.
- 13
Il l'a raté de peu !
He only just missed it!
- 14
Les jours de chasse, les promeneurs doivent faire attention aux panneaux.
On hunting days, walkers have to watch out for the signs.
- 15
Chez nous, la chasse, c'est une tradition.
In our family, hunting is a tradition.
- 16
Franchement, c'est pas trop mon truc.
Honestly, it's not really my thing.
- 17
Sur la chasse, les avis sont partagés.
Opinions on hunting are divided.
- 18
Après la battue, on mange tous ensemble au rendez-vous de chasse.
After the drive, we all eat together at the hunting lodge.
- 19
T'as déjà goûté le civet de sanglier ?
Have you ever tasted wild boar stew?
- 20
La viande est partagée entre les chasseurs.
The meat is shared out between the hunters.