Criminal inquiry after farmer killed during wild boar hunt in France
Hunters were called to reenact the positions they were at the time the fatal shot was fired
The man was killed during a wild boar hunt in western France
Maksim Safaniuk/Shutterstock
A criminal investigation has been opened after a man was fatally shot in the head while he took part in a wild boar hunt in western France at the weekend.
An inquiry into involuntary homicide has been opened.
The victim was a 42-year-old farmer in Pommiers-en-Forez (Loire). He was killed instantly when shot, early gendarmerie investigations found. This was later confirmed by the Saint-Etienne prosecutor.
The shooter has not yet been identified.
Read more: Man, 72, shot dead while hunting boar in France
Site investigations
The gendarmerie on the scene in Bussy-Albieux (Loire, Pays de la Loire) used a helicopter to photograph the site of the incident from the air.
They also had each of the hunting participants return to the place where they were when a series of shots were fired. The participants were questioned by investigators on Sunday, September 29 after the death the day before.
Two wild boar were also killed by the same series of shots.
Read also: Hunter, 43, dies after being shot during boar hunt in Normandy
Read also: How often do hunting accidents happen in France?
Rules on hunting in France
There are a host of rules governing hunting in France (although campaigners regularly call for more).
Read also: Hunting season set to open in France: key information and calendar
Regulations currently require participants to hold valid gun licences, be 100% sober when hunting, wear hi-vis vests and put out signs indicating “Chasse en cours (Hunt in progress)” to warn people that a hunt is underway. There are also rules on the angles, heights and types of targets at which you can shoot.
Nonetheless, a number of fatal hunting accidents happen over the course of each hunting season, some of which are inevitably firearm-related.
In 2023-24, there were six fatal and 97 non-fatal hunting accidents.
While the vast majority of victims are the hunters themselves, some are bystanders. In particular, this was the case of Morgan Keane, a 25-year-old Franco-British man who was shot dead while chopping wood in his own garden in 2020.
Read also: How to keep hunters out of your garden in France
