Verdun

Had the chance to join a St.Hubert mass before a boar shoot at Verdun in France. The Forest of Verdun is a huge forest where the battle took place during WW1. The area was planted where the land could simply not be used again. Whole villages were turned into no more than a smear on the French countryside. We had asked to join the shooting party as part of our quest to secure the finest hunting in France, we had already visited in the spring. As with all our hunts we want to know all we can before taking clients. The visit was planned together with viewing a number of hotels and restaurants and visiting the Fort at Douaumont.

We arrived the night before and viewed 2 hotels in the area before checking in at the 3rd , this 3rd one ended up being our choice for trips as it is superb. After a wonderful meal we retired and awoke the next morning for a drive to the shoot where we met up with the Guard de Chasse and followed him into Verdun where the Tromp de Chasse was played at 7.30 on a Sunday morning. This was outside the town hall. We then went to the Forest and we ended up at one of the Churches in the Forest. Well all that's left of the church in fact, a few column's and the alter. The rest of the church has gone and the village is no more than dust. The mass was very moving, to be in such a place, with the sun shining through the tree tops, the tromp being played and the priest blessing the hunting dogs that would be used that day. Around 200 people came to the mass. Once the last tune was played we went back to the forest lodge where we prepared for the hunt.

This hunt was more about the mass than the hunting and a respect for the game and the hunters than the amount of game shot, we only did 2 drives and a leisurely lunch but still ended the day with 4 Boar 2 Reds and 1 Roe which shows the potential that this open forest shoot has to offer.

We moved hotels that night and the next day visited another hotel and restaurant as well as a Champagne cellar in Reims. before heading back to Calais. We also spent a couple of hours visiting the fort which was very sobering.

All in all a very moving experience for us and an honour to be welcomed and made part of. This will become one of our shooting destinations for next year so if you feel this would interest you please keep an eye on our website or our facebook group page.

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I visited that area 10yrs ago, mainly to stock up on the champagne and visit friends but there certainly was an abundance of boar in that area. I also did a tour of the Moet et Chandon underground cellars in Epernay, which are 17 miles long.........incredible. A great place to visit, whatever the reason.
 
Your right and the shooting is only part of the day its the French way and its a different pace of life. So much history and pride in the traditions of the countryside.
 
Mark it's spelt: Garde Chasse :D

You forgot to say, that Verdun has been for the past 35 years a reference in France for the boar shooting.

The ex manager of the forest has been the first person in France studying will boar behaviour in the wild. We've met him that day and he explain us how he has caught and tagged over 4000 boar in his life, to study them, watch them. He wrote many book about it and even now than he is retired, he is and stay a reference about it.

Patterdale, you're right saying that they're no shortage of them in that beautiful open forest. But it is a 35 years work and management to deliver that quality of shooting.

Yes on a wild shoot you can't guaranty any quantity of bag. I've heard of so many shoot, where you spend days seen nothing and where the bag is poor at the end of the day.
But in the national Forest of Montmorency where we go they shoot an average of 20 animals per day. In the National Forest of Verdun they shoot an average of 12 animals per day. When you travel that type of distance, you want to be sure that the shoot will deliver.
On top of that, as you've said Mark, the food and accommodation in France is great.:D and only 3 hours from Calais.
 
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