You will certainly come across hunters this Sunday, February 13 if you walk around around Vieux-Charmont, Nommay, or the Savoureuse nature reserve. From sunrise until late morninga wild boar hunt is organized in the north of the Pays de Montbéliard conurbation.
According to an estimate by hunters, a hundred animals have settled in this large unhunted sector and are causing road accidents and damage to agricultural plots. “It is absolutely necessary to reduce this level of population in the sector”, estimates Jean-Maurice Boillon, the president of the federation of hunters of Doubs.
100,000 euros disbursed by the Doubs federation
When wild boars cause damage to farmers, the law obliges hunters to compensate them. As a result, the Doubs federation has spent 100,000 euros over the past five years, including 45,000 in the 2019-2020 season alone. It is therefore in agreement with the Prefecture that two drives are organized on Sundays 13 and 27 February.
These wild boar hunts are organized jointly by the Agglomeration, the hunters, the Prefecture or even the municipalities. If the hunters are in charge of extracting the animals, the agglomeration must carry out land clearing : “the Agglomeration will have put 15,000 euros in the case”according to Charles Demouge, the president of the Pays de Montbéliard.
Enhanced security
The town halls are responsible for communicating around these two drives. The two mornings concerned, many signs will be installed to prevent ongoing fights. Hunters will wear fluorescent vests, they say, and “when [ils] will be close to homes [ils] will be unarmed”.