Wildfires Rage: Should Hunting Be Banned to Give Wildlife a Break?

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Following recent wildfires, various animal rights groups are calling for a hunting moratorium in Fontainebleau, a move met with resistance from hunters unwilling to give up their pastime.

As the forests of Gironde are devastated by wildfires, the haunting images of disoriented deer trapped by fences as they attempt to escape the flames have circulated widely. Two weeks ago, similar scenes unfolded in another forest affected by fires in Fontainebleau. Since then, thousands have volunteered to aid in animal rescue efforts.

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Capitalizing on the public’s emotional response, several animal rights organizations have requested a temporary halt to hunting activities. Among them is , whose petition has garnered over 43,000 signatures, and the . “Animals have endured two significant crises: the heatwave and the subsequent fires. They need time to recover, reproduce, and regain their strength,” states Amadeus, founder and president of the Future Association. “Hunters claim to be lovers of nature and biodiversity. If they agree with the ban, they are consistent. If they oppose it, their actions contradict their words,” he adds.

The petitions are multiplying. One initiated by Bruno Valentin, who runs an animal sanctuary in Ardèche, has nearly reached its signature goal. Others have emerged on the National Assembly’s website, one of which has collected over 5,700 signatures.

This is not the first instance of animal rights advocates pushing for a halt on hunting following wildfires. In January 2026, a prefectural decree limited access to areas affected by a mega-fire in the Corbières in August 2025, where nearly .

“We were outraged that hunting could resume freely in these stricken areas. We met with the prefect of Aude to present our case,” explains Laure Gisie, a legal scholar and jurist at the Association for the Protection of Wild Animals (APAW). “Following our discussions, the prefect issued a decree to regulate species management actions that could damage crops. Hunters were only allowed to enter the burned areas to hunt boars and deer and were prohibited from entering wooded areas,” she continues.

In 2022, following a severe heatwave and multiple fires, APAW sent a letter to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and some prefectures, successfully postponing the hunting season in Aveyron, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Gironde for certain species.

To support their demands, the associations reference that allows the prefect to suspend hunting in the event of a “calamity,” including fires.

“This moratorium is to protect the surviving animals, some of which are highly vulnerable, to allow populations to rebuild by avoiding predation and additional stress. It will also facilitate scientific assessments of how nature is recovering. If hunting resumes, it will complicate monitoring the return of animals to these areas,” continues Laure Gisie of APAW.

However, hunters see it differently. Willy Schraen, president of their national federation, describes the moratorium in as “ridiculous” and “an ideological stance from clueless ecologists.”

“I see no benefit in this ban,” asserts Olivier Tournafond, president of the Fontainebleau forest and Seine valley conservation society. “There is an abundance of game in this forest. Boars even make their way into the city center. Hunters play a crucial role in regulating and monitoring the area. They were the ones who alerted the fire department at the start of the fire, saving valuable time,” he adds.

Matthieu Payet-Godel, master of the Fontainebleau hunting rally, notes that the forest covers nearly 25,000 hectares, with only the Trois Pignons area—about 2,200 hectares—severely damaged: “There are five sectors, and four were unaffected by the fire. The question of a moratorium does not apply to these areas.”

Regardless of whether the hunting season proceeds, it’s uncertain if the dogs from his pack can track deer, as the scent released by a gland between their hooves disappears in scorched soil.

“Today, we are reflecting and taking a step back in light of this tragic event,” explains Claude Seraud, deputy director of the Seine-et-Marne Hunters Federation, where Fontainebleau forest is located. On the National Forestry Office (NFO) website, the hunting season opening dates in the state forest, still closed to the public, . “First, the fire must be controlled, and the area secured before we can even consider hunting,” he states. His federation is in discussions with the NFO, which issues hunting quotas, to assess the situation.

From the NFO’s perspective, contacted by Decatur Metro, the issue of hunting restrictions is sensitive. Sophie David, environmental and public reception manager at the East Île-de-France NFO agency, questions the benefits of such a suspension, noting that “deer and roe deer love to eat young trees.” The institution aims for the forest to “regenerate,” especially for the cultivation of pine trees.