France Records Its Lowest-Ever Hunting Death Toll

France ended the 2025–2026 hunting season with four fatal hunting accidents, down from 11 during the previous season. The figure represents a fall of around 64% and the lowest death toll ever recorded by the French Biodiversity Agency, the Office français de la biodiversité (OFB), which publishes the country’s annual hunting accident report.

All four people killed were hunters. Two accidents occurred during big-game hunting and two during small-game hunting. Three of the deaths were self-inflicted accidents in which hunters were struck by their own firearms.

Total accident numbers remain stable

The sharp reduction in fatalities was not matched by an equivalent fall in the overall number of accidents. The OFB recorded 92 accidents involving personal injury, a figure it considers stable within the range of 80 to 100 cases reported in each of the past six seasons.

Over the longer term, however, the French agency reports a clear downward trend. The total number of accidents has fallen by 49% since 2006. The number of victims who were not taking part in hunting also declined from 16 to 10 in a single season. Four suffered serious injuries and six sustained minor injuries.

Self-inflicted accidents accounted for 39% of all cases. The OFB has therefore renewed its emphasis on safe firearm handling during hunting, while travelling and when weapons are stored after use.

Ungulate hunts accounted for 66% of all accidents. In incidents involving other people, failure to respect the 30-degree safety angle remained the leading cause.

Safety remains a public responsibility

The report also recorded 122 incidents involving property damage but no injuries, compared with 135 during the previous season. These mainly involved shots striking homes, vehicles or domestic animals.

Direct impacts accounted for 87% of these incidents, reinforcing the importance of correctly identifying the target, understanding the surrounding area and choosing a safe shooting direction.

France attributes the long-term improvement to a combination of licensing examinations, regular training, instruction for driven-hunt organisers, field inspections and administrative enforcement.

During the latest season, the OFB temporarily suspended 39 hunting licences in connection with serious accidents or situations that could have endangered other people.