This is an announcement that is making a lot of noise on the part of the Federation of Hunters of the Oise. The Council of State has just ratified a municipal decree against hunting with dogs near a town in Hauts-de-France. The end of a long battle between mayor and hunters.
In 2018, a municipal decree in Pont-Sainte-Maxence banned hunting within 300 meters of homes, or even 400 meters in the very busy Terriers and Fond Robin districts. A measure in line with several incidents that have occurred in the city, including the pursuit of a deer in the city center, in February of the same year, or the slaughter of a deer in a private garden, in 2017.
This measure, designed to protect the inhabitants from the dangers of shooting, had been seized by the Oise Hunting Federation. She believes that the mayor of a municipality cannot restrict hunting with dogs in part of the forest, even near houses. But in the end the verdict came: the Council of State has just ratified the municipal decree of Pont-Sainte-Maxence.
“The legal provisions governing the hunting police are not intended and cannot have the effect of depriving the mayor of the ability to use general police powers in response to local circumstances. »
the council of state
A decision welcomed by Arnaud Dumontier, departmental councilor of the canton of Pont-Sainte-Maxence, quoted by the Parisian : “It’s easier to respect the law than to break it and that goes for everyone. »
This commune of Hauts-de-France has, it seems, set an example. Indeed, in 2021, 120 mayors of Oise issued a hunting ban without specifying distance from homes.
So an example to follow.