An insight into the training of the 350 new hunters of Wallonia in Verlaine

This weekend in Oudoumont, in the municipality of Verlaine, 350 candidate hunters followed a training course to pass their hunting exam. During this training, the various safety measures are taught. That is why accidents are so rare in our country.

350 candidate hunters were trained this weekend in Verlaine by 45 specialized instructors. Since 1977, the Royal Saint-Hubert Club of Belgium has been organizing these practical and theoretical courses to pass the exams of the Walloon Region. “To be a hunter, you have to meet many conditions. You have to pay taxes, show a criminal record extract… But above all, you must present a certificate showing that you have passed a theory exam and 2 sub-exams of a practical exam. These exams are very demanding in terms of safety,” says Benoît Petit, president of the Royal Saint-Hubert Club of Belgium.

The first theoretical exam has already taken place. To succeed, the candidates had to study a 250-page manual to learn everything about hunting in Wallonia. Of the 800 candidates, only 350 were selected. Among them was Charlotte, from Liège, who we followed during her training in Verlaine. Charlotte could use the advice of her trainers to perfect her skills during a morning.

After the theoretical exam, Charlotte, like the others, will take the two sub-exams of the practical exam to join the 18,000 hunters in Wallonia. In recent years, the number of hunting permits issued has risen slightly. The exams for obtaining a hunting license in Wallonia are held only once a year and require a real investment to pass. Thanks to this strictness, the sector significantly reduces the number of hunting accidents, unlike our French neighbours. Little data is available, but by way of example, between 2005 and 2015 there was only one fatal accident in Belgium. (P.J.)

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