The hunting market - France (2023)

1.2 Global market

At both global and European level, data on the hunting sector is patchy and dated. However, we do know that the United States, with its relatively flexible gun-licensing laws in most states, is a major player in this sector. It therefore seems interesting to examine the evolution of the number of ...

1.3 A national market suffering from declining volumes

A good indicator of the size of the French hunting market is the number of hunting licenses validated each season:

Evolution of the number of hunting licenses France, ****-****, in millions of permits Source: ****

This has been falling steadily since its peak in ****. In ** years, the annual number of new hunters ...

1.4 France, a net importer of shotguns

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, or Harmonized System (***), is an international nomenclature developed by the world's customs organization to classify products traded internationally. Three different codes cover the shotgun sector:

******** - Shotguns and rifles for hunting or sporting purposes, smooth-bore (***) ******** - Shotguns and rifles for hunting or sporting ...

2.1 Typical hunter profile

age

Hunters by gender France, ****, in Source: ****

The overwhelming majority of hunters are male, with women representing just *.*% of licensees in ****. However, this figure has been rising sharply over the past decade. In ****, women accounted for *.*% of licensees.

age

Breakdown of hunters by age France, ****, in Source: ****

**% of hunters are ...

2.2 Hunters' expenses

Hunter's personal expenses

Average expenditure by item France, ****, in Source: ****

The majority of expenditure is devoted to the purchase of a vehicle for hunting, which accounts for **% of total expenditure. Equipment is the second largest expenditure item at **%, followed by hunting access fees and territory maintenance at **%. Expenditure on transport, accommodation ...

2.3 Public opinion is generally anti-hunting

A large proportion of French people consider this activity to be problematic, particularly for safety reasons:

Do you personally feel safe walking in nature during hunting season? France, ****, in Source: ****

One of the reasons why the French are unfavorable to hunting stems from the sense of insecurity they feel when walking ...

2.4 Hunters' motivations

Hunters' primary motivation is the privileged contact with nature that this activity provides.

Hunters' main motivations France, ****, in Source: ****

Conviviality and contact with one's dog are the other two main motivations. But hunters also emphasize the benefits of eating their own game:

"What are your two main motivations for eating ...

3.1 Hunting industry value chain

Source: ****

3.2 French hunting companies threatened by deindustrialization and foreign competition

Firearms:

The weakness of French shotgun exports (***) has been exacerbated over the past ** years by the closure of the famous Manufacture Française d'Armes et de Cycles de Saint-Etienne, better known as Manufrance, whose famous "Robust" shotgun has delighted generations of hunters. The shotgun market was fueled by demand from a ...

3.3 Hunting: a major revenue generator for local communities

The French hunting industry generates annual sales of *.* billion euros, contributing *.* billion euros in added value to the national economy (***). [***]

Hunting sales by region (***)

Source: ****

Share of hunting in regional GDP (***)

Source: ****

A comparison of the above maps is rich in lessons. While the regions in which the hunting market generates ...

4.1 Hunting typologies

Types of hunting

Free-range hunting: the hunter is often alone or with two guns, sometimes accompanied by a tracker, but above all with his dog Hunting with hounds: this hunting method is mainly used for battues with trackers. It accounts for most of the roe deer and wild boar hunted in ...

4.2 A market in constant innovation

Although the hunting market has a rather traditional image, it is not immune to innovation. This mainly concerns hunting weapons, where numerous technological advances are made every year.

The high-end segment is, quite logically, the one where innovation is most prevalent. In particular, hunting optics are constantly being improved, with ever ...

5.1 A strictly regulated market

Hunting opening and closing dates

Hunting season opens by ministerial decree, from the *st Sunday in September to the *th Sunday in September, depending on the department.

Hunting closes on the last day of February.

Hunting hours

As the notion of day is vague, the law specifies that the day begins ...

5.2 Hunting permits

The vast majority of French hunters hold departmental licenses (***). National and temporary licenses account for only **% of the total. The national license authorizes the holder to hunt in the various regions of France, while the departmental license limits hunting to the borders of the department in question. Finally, the temporary license ...

6.1 Segmentation of the hunting industry in France

• Beretta
• Kalashnikov Concern (Baïkal)
• Benelli Armi
• Chapuis Armes
• Verney Carron (Cybergun groupe)
• Jumfil
• CI LVC Club Interchasse
• Gibovendée
• Le-Chasseur
• Chasseur Français
• Armurerie du Moulin
• Armurerie Auxerre
• Armurerie Loisir (SD Equipements)
• Chasse Market
• Chasse Nature Passion
• Hourvari
• Naturabuy
• Solognac
• Rivolier
• Inédis