Barely parked in front of the Barrette pond, Léo gives some professional instructions over the phone and quickly, quickly, exchanges his city sneakers and slim pants for walking shoes and visibly new camouflage clothing.
After the traffic jams to get out of the capital and a 2 hour drive due north, the 24-year-old engineer offered himself a night "in the hut".
No matter the cold, no matter the rain, being in nature all night is “his personal pleasure”.
He found this traditional hunting offer, very present in the Somme, on the specialized site Jourdechasse.com, a sort of Airbnb for gun enthusiasts.
Loïc, in the civil aviation worker and especially president of the local association of waterfowl hunters which welcomes him.
Wheelbarrow in hand to transport rifle, ammunition, but also the delicious homemade dinner ... the two new best friends take a small path on the surface of the water to reach the "hut", making it a comfortable construction with beds, window to aim, small kitchen and even a hydroalcoholic gel dispenser.
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At 24 years old, Leo does not have the typical profile of a hunter, 53% are over 55 years old and especially the 16-25 year olds represent only 5% according to the figures of the national federation.
Holder of a permit since February, he knows full well that hunting is not politically correct.
“More than a hobby, it's a passion, which takes me a lot of time, it sometimes makes my girlfriend cringe a little” smiles the young man who grew up in Brittany.
The love he has for his brand new rifle, a 20 caliber Verney-Carron, is not at all a family heirloom: “My father is very athletic, he does trail running, extreme hiking.
He is a fan of nature and animals, but he could never shoot a deer ”laughs Léo who started hunting him in business school by following“ friends ”, hunters from generation to generation.
A hunter 2.0
Ban on glue hunting, video in pheasant farms intended to be shot, spat with ecologists ... Leo knows the latest controversies on the fingertips and has fun: “In brunches and in dinners, I often find myself justifying myself in front of vegan friends, as long as the debate is polite, it's pretty cool, ”he says.
This 2.0 hunter who posts these hunting parties on social networks confides that he "adores" Willy Schraen, the explosive and more traditional boss of the hunting federation.
For Léo, if there was fuss around his idol's book, “A hunter in the countryside” (Albin Michel), “it is because of the shocking formulas of the introduction signed by the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti ”, he defends with the faith of the convert.
For the young man, vigorously supported by Loïc, this year they are shooting their passion on sight because the anti-Chasses lobbies are very active: with the popular initiative referendum on animals (which includes articles against the use of running dogs for the beatings), the videos of L214 ...
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His pet peeve, the journalist Hugo Clément, whom he renamed “Ego clément”, because he notably used his notoriety to help finance reserves prohibited with the gun.
Regarding the deer surrounded by a pack in Compiègne which moved public opinion, Léo kicks in touch: "The hunt with hounds I do not know".
This new follower, on the other hand, has already hunted in a hut, on the lookout, on approach, including deer ... Without Covid, this winter he should have gone "to shoot warthogs" in Senegal with friends.
Nature lovers ... but who kill
For this funny hunt, Leo helps his host to set up "the callers": a choir of ducks of all kinds attached to small rafts to attract their wild fellows within gun range.
Willingly lyrical, Loïc, “the elder” as well as his “apprentice” describe hunters who love nature.
From this camouflaged hut on an islet, you quickly fall under the spell of the pond and the landscape.
The local of the stage is an encyclopedia and perfectly imitates the song of the chipeau or teal ducks.
Léo practices hut hunting on a pond in Corbie in the Somme./LP / Philippe de Poulpiquet
Suddenly Loïc signals with a gesture of his chin "To the right, he goes straight for him".
No time to see who goes straight to whom… a big “Bam” sounded across the pond.
A bird falls into the water.
Loïc goes to retrieve the bird in the boat. "A young wood pigeon, Leo can cook it in a casserole dish with peas" smiles the hunter, polishing the feathers of the little lifeless body.
Rifle broken on the shoulder, balaclava which hides his face, the shooter returns from the hunting post where he was hiding to examine his catch. How does it feel to kill an animal like this? "It's a part of the hunt, but that's not all," replies Léo. Look in the hut, there are a lot of set-ups. And ultimately, the goal is the plate, we eat these animals like all those who eat meat. It is not a video game, we do not try to shoot everything that moves, on the contrary. "
