French group offers 鈧�500 reward for 鈥榖est foxhunter鈥�
Hunters in the Charente-Maritime (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) have sparked controversy after promising a financial reward for any member who kills the most foxes in the department this hunting season.
The departmental branch of hunting association La F茅d茅ration des Chasseurs, which counts 19,000 members nationwide, a 鈧�500 reward for the 鈥渂est foxhunter of the year鈥� in the region.
In an email to its members that , it said: 鈥淗unters that bring in at least 35 fox tails to a partner supplier store鈥� would receive the reward.
The hunting group said it sees foxes as predators, and that there are 鈥渘umerous studies鈥� that show that the breed creates a negative impact in the wild.
Christophe Bouyer, president of La F茅d茅ration des Chasseurs,: 鈥淔oxes are predators, and we wish to regulate them. Regulation is not the same as extermination.鈥�
But Patrick Picaud, president of the environmental association Nature Environnement 17, said the hunting federation鈥檚 claims were 鈥渇alse鈥�.
He : 鈥淸This] is totally irresponsible. Hunters call themselves the biggest protectors of nature [yet] this intolerance [of foxes] is unacceptable.鈥�
Hunting has already seen controversy over its methods and permits this season, after British man and French resident Marc Sutton was accidentally killed by a hunter this month, while riding his mountain bike, prompting some to call for tighter controls on the sport.
