Wildlife photographers are mourning the loss of four stags killed in the forests of Compiègne and Laigue between October and November 2024. This follows previous controversies over hunting practices, including the deaths of two stags in 2021. Despite high hunting numbers, deer populations are reportedly declining in certain areas, raising concerns among conservationists and photographers. The National Forestry Office maintains that deer populations are stable, but critics argue that management strategies are harming species rather than preserving them.
‘The Indian’, ‘Fantômas’, ‘Passe-Partout’, and ‘the Redhead’—these are the names given by wildlife photographers to four notable stags that were tragically killed in the forests of Compiègne and Laigue, located in Oise, within a span of six weeks during October and November 2024. This is not the first time such incidents have sparked outrage; in autumn 2021, the hunting deaths of two exceptional stags also ignited heated debates among both hunting advocates and opponents. In a similar vein, four mature red deer, aged over ten years, were hunted down in the Fontainebleau state forest (Seine-et-Marne) on January 15, 2024.
Rising Numbers of Deer Harvested
The hunting community in Oise reported a staggering total of 11,068 wild boars and 1,028 red deer harvested during the 2023-2024 hunting season. Despite this high number, the deer population in the region is reportedly on the decline, as noted by Marc Morgand in remarks made to Le Parisien last April. He expressed concern about the future of large deer, stating, ‘We are perplexed about the large deer for the next season. There is a very marked decrease in the Halatte forest and also in the Chantilly forest’. Wildlife preservation group ‘For a Living Forest’ also echoed these concerns, lamenting the alarming decrease in large animal populations.
While some local areas are experiencing a decline in deer numbers, national trends tell a different story. According to the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), deer populations have been on the rise since 1977, especially gaining ground in the early 2000s. By 2019, deer occupied over 49% of wooded areas compared to just 25% in 1985. During the 2022-2023 hunting season, a record 81,758 deer were harvested, exceeding 80,000 for the first time, as detailed by the OFB.
The current 2023-2024 season follows this upward trajectory with 121,733 allocations and 87,802 deer harvested, marking a 7.4% increase compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the environmental police caution that these statistics rely on data provided by local hunting federations, which sometimes necessitate extrapolations based on their own assessments.
Local Disparities in Deer Populations
In the previous season, nine departments reported harvests exceeding 2,500 deer, with Indre-et-Loire leading at 4,007. Although some areas, like Deux-Sèvres and Var, saw significant increases in harvest numbers, others, including Ille-et-Vilaine and Loiret, recorded declines. When questioned about the potential drop in deer and overall biodiversity in the Fontainebleau massif, the National Forestry Office (ONF) refuted such claims, asserting that their data reflects a stable deer population.
The ONF points out that, legally, there are no restrictions preventing the harvest of red deer, with quotas established by local prefects. As long as hunters secure the necessary tags, they are permitted to hunt these animals. In Oise, a ‘moral commitment’ from the hunting federation limits the harvest of large stags to no more than 20%, as reported by Le Parisien.
Despite the ONF’s claims of a stable deer population, wildlife photographers and conservationists argue that their observations suggest otherwise, calling attention to a lack of transparency in population data. Michaël Noirot, a wildlife photographer, criticizes the current management strategies, claiming, ‘We are no longer in management, but in the destruction of a species.’ He argues that the deer have become scapegoats for ineffective resource management.