Since 1998, the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife (Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage; ONCFS) conducts a yearly investigation into hunting accidents. These account for an average of 170 per year, among which about twenty are deadly.
About 95% of accidents occur during the act of hunting, while the remaining 5% take place during connected tasks (gun cleaning, etc.). 86% of these accidents happen to hunters and their companions, whilst 14% affect non-hunters. In 75% of cases, they take place during group hunts, such as boar hunt searches for example.
The vast majority of accidents happen on Sundays, when non-hunters are also present.
These numbers do not include deaths occurring a long while after as a consequence of the accident : the latter are wrongly categorised in the wounded category, which number is 10 times superior to the number of deaths.
Also, and most gravely, domestic accidents caused by a hunting weapon are not accounted for in these statistics, despite their incredibly large quantity and the vast number of feminicides involved.
Baudoin de Menten, who unfortunately passed away, had a blog called « La buvette des alpages », wherein he would keep track of all hunting accidents.
The consequences of the insecurity hunting causes in the countryside goes far beyond these numbers with millions of peaceful users (walkers, mountain bikers, hikers, joggers, etc.) restricting their outings for fear of being shot by a stray bullet. Also, numerous touristic activities drop during the hunting seasons and as the baffling hunting situation in France gains coverage. Bed and breakfasts are highly penalised by hunting, as tourists do not want to risk their lives.
Hunting is the only pastime, which kills people who do not practice or even attend the pastime that causes them to die.
Number of deaths due to hunting
Below you will find the official numbers of the last years:
2000-2001 : 186 hunting accidents, among which 23 deaths
2001-2002 : 167 hunting accidents, among which 40 deaths
2002-2003 : 181 hunting accidents, among which 29 deaths
2003-2004 : 201 hunting accidents, among which 29 deaths
2004-2005 : 167 hunting accidents, among which 26 deaths
2005-2006 : 169 hunting accidents, among which 24 deaths
2006-2007 : 179 hunting accidents, among which 24 deaths
2007-2008 : 163 hunting accidents, among which 15 deaths
2008-2009 : 146 hunting accidents, among which 22 deaths
2009-2010 : 174 hunting accidents, among which 19 deaths
2010-2011 : 131 hunting accidents, among which 18 deaths
2011-2012 : 143 hunting accidents, among which 16 deaths
2012-2013 : 179 hunting accidents, among which 21 deaths
2013-2014 : 114 hunting accidents, among which 16 deaths
2014-2015 : 122 hunting accidents, among which 14 deaths
2015-2016 : 146 hunting accidents, among which 10 deaths
2016-2017 : 143 hunting accidents, among which 16 deaths among which 2 victims who had nothing to do with hunting
2017-2018 : 113 hunting accidents, among which 13 deaths among which 3 victims who had nothing to do with hunting
2018-2019 : 131 hunting accidents, among which 7 deaths
2020-2021 : 80 hunting accidents, among which 7 deaths among which 1 victims who had nothing to do with hunting
2021-2022 : 90 hunting accidents, among which 8 deaths among which 2 victims who had nothing to do with hunting
2022-2023 : 78 hunting accidents, among which 6 deaths
The ONCFS states that out of 122 reported accidents, 22 victims had nothing to do with hunting.
CoRAC 