Yes I've been a couple of times pre covid. It was down in the Loire, cant remember exactly where. Definitely worth a visit to see how they do things over there and how countrysports are such a big part of their lives. Quite a big emphasis on hunting with hounds. Would go back when the kids are a bit older.
Nimrod if you do go you need to understand that the French game fair is quite unlike game fairs in the U.K.
Friday is usually quite quiet. On Saturday the stall holders all seem to have a gourmet stew and hot pot picnic early evening before the show in the main event ring. The show goes on to late and culminates in a huge firework display.
On Sunday morning there is a church service to celebrate St Hubert and also a large shooter's jumble sale.
Time your travel carefully as the game fair often coincides with an event at Le Mans so ferries can be busy with British petrol heads who race to and from the ports giving the French police a grand opportunity to fill their speeding ticket quota for the year.
Been there done that! There's also a Game Fair held in Paris on a racecourse, that's good as well, the French seem to have different (better) attitude to all field sports.
There's a lot...and I do mean a lot...of stands selling hunting in Francophone Africa. Particularly Senegal and a number of stands selling game shooting in the UK at these French fairs. I last went to a small one (not the Loire Valley) at Mantes la Jolie near Paris.
This is where I tried the Sauer 100 and 400 with plastic bullet 7x64 on a running boar layout. Mantes la Jolie can be accessed from Paris by public transport almost door to door.
So it could be done on a Eurostar and book an inexpensive hotel near Gare du Nord as a base as French public transport is excellent.
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