Wild boar in france

mereside

Well-Known Member
As some of you know i had a trip booked with mark from Stalking in England on a one day boar trip well the trip has come and gone and would just like to post my experience.
a drive down to norfolk to meet the guys who were off on the trip and a few familiar names off sd it was nice to put a name to faces we all got loaded up and set off to pick the other chaps along the way. We got to the tunnel terminal in plenty of time and a painless first pass at customs ,I can honestly say it was an absolute doddle going with a bus and tunnel as we had no delays and everything was straight forward. we set off on french soil and we hadnt gone far and the groups of roe dotted about the countryside was a pleasant sight. closer to our destination we saw a small group of red hinds and the antisipation of what was instore set in.
We finally made it to our destination and we were met by our host with a few bottles of champers and hourderves and we all settled in to get to know one and another. as the champagne started to flow so did our stories of stalking back home and I can say that everyone on the trip were great to get on with and a pleasure to spend time away hunting.
the next morning we had a safety talk and a demo of the hunting horn and the different sounds we would here for each one of our quarry . after breakfast the nerves set in and we finally drew pegs and headed off to our posts.
I drew peg 14 and the sign of boar on the snow was a welcome sight. i got my self set up in readyness to the first horn to start the drive.
F10V2053_zps1b22dd4a.jpg

As the dogs got closer the air was electric the noise from the beaters and dogs and the sounds from animals running really got the heart pounding and my first glimps of things to come a small group of 5 mouflon stood 20 yrds from me staring straight at me wondering which way to run i stayed very still , these were on our list but only the females they started their charge and the rifle came up to gain the bead onto one and it was right on the boarder of my safe shooting so i let them pass as they moved over to david who shouldered his shotgun and fired but no horn so i assumed it was a miss.
the next thing the dogs ran through and two lovely fallow bucks charged passed to skid to a halt in front but as the bucks were not to be shot i stood in awe with my heart in my mouth.
A few guns down the line i saw magnus shoulder his shotgun and fired i couldnt see what he was aiming for but a second shot rang out and the sound of three blasts and a few pips a boar was down.
F10V2055_zps4f6ad4de.jpg

The first of the day a few more shots rang out and a few missed chances with people the drive ended we all walked up talking of what was seen and what people tried to shoot ,anybody reading this and thinking that it is a sure thing then you are very mistaked i was so impressed with the way the deer and boar were so switched on and the boar are so clever they run stop to listen and look and you can see them working out a plan of escape and they come so close it is unreal.
Onto our second drive and no sooner had i sat down a boar ran by with kids in tow off limits so had a chuckle to myself and then a mouflon slinked slowley by but keeping to the line were the beaters were i couldnt take the shot .
At this point a bigger group with a massive ram slowley made there way to me i kept my nerve and the last second the lead one got my scent she bolted as did the others unfortunately a little to my left and into the next gun who was i think asleep :doh: i shouted and as he swung round the ram at the back was the only one on for him and it was left to go by.
a red cautiousley moved closer to me but i couldnt see the head i stayed still it watched me for about ten minutes without moving and by this time my hand had gone numb.
It moved and i could tell it was a young switch he took a step forward tasting the air he knew i was close by but not sure where he came closer till around 5 feet away he spooked and jumped over the ride. boy i was very exited but need to see more boar as the beaters past by i thaught it was game over and then a large bore trotted up to me between the next gun i moved my hand to grab the rifle and he just stopped instantly shuffled round and trotted back towards the beaters .
I had been too eager and didnt wait for it to get past me and i fluffed my moment, this i think i will never forget as it was an absolute pleasure and if i had only waited a few steps more he would have been in a safe area to shoot.
soon after the horn sounded for th end of the drive and we headed off for lunch. Chablis and steaks with sausages on the barbi in the woods ,it doesnt get much better than that.
F10V2058_zpsd83c2f6d.jpg

F10V2059_zps2365e2a3.jpg

F10V2070_zps172c8a96.jpg

F10V2064_zpsceaf717a.jpg

I will add to this as i get some more pictures done and i am sure others off here will add to it also, atb wayne
F10V2057_zpsa63bbbd2.jpg
 
Last edited:
After the second drive the tally was two boar a red hind and another red hind but that hadnt been found as we headed off for our third drive.
we had been asked about fitness and who could walk/climb and seven guys picked to head out down the vally and up the other side this area did'nt get hunted and the conditions had been really difficult with the snow the boar didnt run like they normally would as the dogs lost them and they would lay down rather than running through.
well we set off and the downward slopes proved difficult but after the wine, champers and everything else the slope upto the top had be blowing abit we reached the top to get into position for the next drive.
As the horn sounded i loaded up and some mouflon broke cover between the next two guns but neither manage a shot these things can't half get a gallop on in such a short space of time.
the dogs got onto something as the changer in bark is really switched up when they are onto something the next thing the three blasts and boar had broken cover and were off, in all of the comotion shots rang out but away from me but no horns so i assumed again missed chances and as the drive switched and we moved positions a huge boar broke cover and ran through the line and then another the shot rang out and down slid a boar out of sight a few more shots rang out as we came to the end of the drive i had missed my chance opon reflecting my experience there is so much going on and silence and being very quite till they pass is of the upmost i really did enjoy the day .
The tally for the day ended on 5 boar one red and another boar to be found with a mouflon the conditions had made things very hard and we had really been looked after in every way ,la spectical was something to behold literally.
hunting this type of quarry in these situations i really underestimated how smart these animals are and was truly a pleasure to see i personally would love to do this again and will do in the future and hopefully get my first boar. I would like to thank mark and david as well as our french hosts , atb wayne hopefully others will post of their experience with more pictures
F10V2060_zps8669b031.jpg

F10V2059_zps2365e2a3.jpg

F10V2072_zpsf2655bfa.jpg

F10V2073_zps6845f61c.jpg
 
Nice one Wayne glad you enjoyed the experience and wetted my appetite in the process I may have to have a go next year great pics as always .
cheers doug
 
Thanks doug it was exellent although i didnt want to snap the wildlife for fear of scaring them and not getting a shot but but all were around the 10-30 yrd mark very close indeed it gave the heart a right pumping well worth the trip and the others in the pipeline sound very good indeed, atb wayne
 
It was a pleasure to meet you mate. I will hopefully be carrying a gun on my next visit. Glad you got back the rest of the way safe and sound. All the best, Luke.
 
likewise mate i got back at 5.30 this morning as it was abit of a mare getting home, yes get the rifle out but you must have had a great time beating ,atb wayne
 
Cracking time mate, seeing both sides as i was the one at times blowing the horn that i knew would be getting your ticker going! That was a rough old journey then!
 
Nice write up Wayne! Nice to see some photos, I reiterate some! The very last photo could have stayed in the family album!!!!!!!!
 
Spent today working on the next trip with David. Get the mini bus ready tomorrow and fuel for the trip on Wednesday and then get over to france again with a team for a 2 day shooting 4 day trip. Also setting dates for next year this afternoon so all go.
 
good luck with the trip Mark, on the last photo it was only the half moon shot i put in the other is abit disturbing ,atb wayne
 
no but i think he had some muddy rope for a g string:thumb: and he also had a big electric saw so kept my distance,wayne
 
It really was a great weekend, the whole experience from the journey, to the food the host was fantastic,and of course the company of like minded folk always helps.
As mentioned by wayne, these boar were really switched on,and a few memorable experiences to say the least,having seen my first boar no more than 10 feet away and having a group of 8 stop, and just look around, then along the line of the guns.
The last drive i saw what can only be described as a silver back ran like the clappers, no shot for me but what a sight.
View attachment 23777View attachment 23778View attachment 23779View attachment 23780View attachment 23781View attachment 23782

A big thank you to all concerned and really to to have met all of you.im sure I'll be back.
 
Excellent write up Wayne and some excellent pics on this thread, sorry I haven't got any of my own but I left my camera at home :(, all I do have is some video of me missing and I am not sure I want to post that :)

I throughly enjoyed the whole weekend and was good to spend it in the company of so many like minded people, would have been good to have come back having shot my first boar but having missed out it means that I will just have to go back.

Many thanks to Mark and David they really KNOW how to look after a team of guns and did really well to get us back under some seriously adverse driving conditions.
 
Excellent write up Wayne and some excellent pics on this thread, sorry I haven't got any of my own but I left my camera at home :(, all I do have is some video of me missing and I am not sure I want to post that :)

I throughly enjoyed the whole weekend and was good to spend it in the company of so many like minded people, would have been good to have come back having shot my first boar but having missed out it means that I will just have to go back.

Many thanks to Mark and David they really KNOW how to look after a team of guns and did really well to get us back under some seriously adverse driving conditions.

That is very kind of you, the driving was a little testing to say the least and by the time I had got home, dropped David off and cleaned my guns it was 2 in the morning. Not over keen to get up this morning but had to start on the next trips planning.

As said David and I enjoyed the groups company a great deal and would be very pleased to see you all back at some point. That first boar will come ;)


Mark
 
Anthony it was good to meet ,come on dont be shy lets see the footage im sure its cracking ,all the best wayne
 
Thanks Wayne for posting this so quickly - not sure who are the ugliest - the boar or the Guns! Thanks too to Mark and David from Stalking in England for excelent organisation and tireless good spirits, plus getting us all home despite the best attempts by the weather and French snow ploughs on their motorways to thwart the journey .

As for the shooting, it was certainly an experience I shall never forget and so different to any other I've had - driven, walked up or otherwise. Much more challenging to shoot running animals with a rifle than I expected, despite the size of boar and especialy the reds. I shouldn't have watched all those videos of Frans Alprecht Ottingen Spielberg (or however he spells his name) - it just isn't that easy and there aren't that many beasts!! Wonderful fun all the same.

We had a discussion in the bus on the way home on whether a shotgun with rifled slugs or a rifle with open sights would be the preference for those who are used to shotguns but are 'virgins' on driven boar. The slugs certainly drop the animals straight in their tracks! Although I haven't used open sights for 45 years (since I used to shoot sparrows as a lad with a BSA Meteor), I liked using a rifle with open sights as it gave a very easy sight picture. Maybe that novices to running boar are better starting with some form of open sight system (whether shot gun or rifle) and move on to low power scopes as experience develops? I have to confess I cheated a bit - resting my rifle on my arm supported against a tree and picking a point where I anticipated the the animal would run - and then pulling the trigger when it got there. Having both eyes open is key to this as you need to watch the animal as it starts its charge and adjust aim accordingly...and before the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse descend upon me, I can accept it wouldn't work in many situations!

The hospitality and geniality of our Fench hosts was equally memorable and the whole experience has given me much to mull over in those moments when I need something nice to think about as I nod off to sleep.
 
Back
Top