Hunting hares

At around six this evening, taking a breather after a day of clearing unwanted saplings in front of the house, I was startled by two huge bangs that reverberated around the surrounding hills. Then I had two seconds sight of a hare twenty metres away, literally running for its life, followed by two yelping dogs. The hunting season has started.
I ran out into the fields to see the two dogs frantically running this way and that in the distance, finally to lose the scent. The hare had escaped.

Coming back in the garden I met two jolly hunters, one of them our immediate neighbour (on the left in the picture). He told me they were each allowed to shoot three hares per season. Each time they killed a hare, they showed it to the townhall, and got a plastic bracelet to put on the hare, with a detachable sticker to go on their hunting permit. Quite proudly they said that with the French administration "c'est géré" - it's managed.

And when I told him we did rabbit with red wine and local Agen prunes, he immediately said he'd give me one next Sunday (Wednesdays and and Sundays are permitted shooting days).