From September to February, the paths you share with your dog also become hunting grounds. Every autumn, the same question comes up at veterinary clinics: should we stop going to the forest? No. But the hunting season brings several combined risks, some of which are very little known to owners: accidental shooting, of course, but also the dog getting lost, encountering a wounded wild boar, a deadly disease transmitted by that same boar, and nightfall arriving earlier. Here is what the data says, and what you can do in practical terms.
What the figures really say
The French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) publishes a report on hunting accidents every year. For the 2023-2024 season, it recorded 6 deaths, a historically low level, and 97 non-fatal accidents, 12 of which affected non-hunters. The 2024-2025 season saw an increase, with 11 hunters killed. Serious accidents therefore remain rare on the scale of the millions of walks taken each autumn.
However, no national statistics track pets injured or killed during hunting activities. Yet rural veterinarians see them every season: pellets lodged under the skin, gunshot wounds, wild boar bites. The absence of figures does not mean an absence of risk.
Regarding regulations, the Environmental Code requires hunters participating in collective big game hunts to wear fluorescent clothing, and some departmental schemes extend this to other hunts. Walkers have no national obligation, despite the false information that circulates regularly. Some municipalities have issued local decrees: check with your town hall.
Why neon orange works… for humans
The choice of neon orange is not for aesthetic reasons. The human eye has three types of cones and distinguishes this color very well from the green and brown of the forest. Roe deer and wild boar only have two types of cones: orange does not alert them any more than khaki clothing, which explains why hunters adopted it without hindering their hunt.
The dog is also dichromatic. The work of Neitz and his colleagues (1989) showed that it mainly perceives blue and yellow, and confuses red, orange, and green. An orange vest therefore does not help your dog see you: it helps the hunter spot your dog. This is exactly what we are looking for, because a dog moving through the thickets has the size, color, and sometimes the gait of a roe deer or a young wild boar.
To be effective, visibility equipment must cover the back and sides—that is, what a stationed shooter sees. A simple orange collar is not enough on a medium-sized dog that rummages through bushes. A neon orange visibility vest, supplemented by a high-visibility dog light attached to the harness, covers both day and twilight.
The danger no one talks about: Aujeszky’s disease
This is probably the most important information in this article, and the least known. Aujeszky’s disease, also called “pseudo-rabies,” is caused by a herpesvirus that circulates in wild boars in France. Pigs and wild boars survive it. For dogs, it is fatal in almost all cases.
The dog becomes infected by biting a wild boar, licking its blood, or eating raw offal. In the autumn and winter of 2025, several cases were confirmed in hunting dogs in Côte-d'Or and Haute-Saône after biting a wounded wild boar. The symptoms appear in 2 to 6 days: sudden change in behavior, intense itching of the head to the point where the animal mutilates itself, heavy salivation, difficulty swallowing, then paralysis. Death generally occurs within 48 hours. There is no treatment. A vaccine is available under temporary authorization, but vaccinated dogs have still been affected.
For a pet dog, prevention comes down to two rules:
- never let your dog approach a wild boar, alive, wounded, or dead, nor a carcass or remains left at the edge of the woods;
- never give it offal or raw wild boar meat, even if offered by a hunting neighbor.
If your dog has had contact with a wild boar and shows abnormal behavior or frantically scratches its head in the following days, consult a vet urgently and report the contact.
Wounded boar, dog in danger
Apart from any disease, the wild boar remains the most dangerous wild animal in our forests for a dog. During hunting drives, wounded or stressed animals leave hunting areas and cross paths. A dog that chases one is exposed to defensive blows: the wounds, often deep in the chest, abdomen, or inner thighs, can reach major blood vessels. Even a wound that seems small must be seen by a veterinarian, because the skin often hides detachment and significant contamination.
The forgotten factor: light
On the last Sunday of October, the switch to winter time abruptly advances nightfall by an hour. Late-day walks then slip into twilight, at the very moment when game is most active and motorists are most surprised by an animal crossing.
In these conditions, color is no longer enough: only a light source or reflective material is visible. A flashing LED light can be seen from afar, even when the dog is a few meters in front of you in the undergrowth. It also allows you to keep an eye on him without constantly calling him back. Find our solutions in the dog visibility selection.
Walking at nightfall also means walking at the hour when the forest wakes up. Roe deer, stags, wild boars, foxes, and badgers are most active at dusk and dawn. The risk of encountering a wild animal is therefore much higher at the end of the day than in the middle of the afternoon, and a dog that flushes a roe deer or a sounder of wild boars can disappear in seconds.
The good news is that most wild animals seek to avoid the encounter. However, they must spot you in time. Light and noise are your best allies: a flashing light on the harness, a headlamp, a bell on the collar, or simply a normal-volume conversation signal your arrival from afar and give animals time to move away. Conversely, a silent pair moving through the twilight risks surprising an animal at close range, which is the most dangerous situation, especially when facing a sow with her piglets. At these times, keep your dog on a long leash and stay on the paths.
Lost dog during hunting season: an underestimated risk
Gunfire and the passing of a pack scare away many dogs, including the most obedient ones. A fleeing dog can cover several kilometers, cross roads, and end up in a hunting drive zone.
Three reflexes limit the consequences:
- Verify that your dog's identification (microchip) is up to date, with your current phone number in the national I-CAD file.
- Add a tag to the collar: the person who finds it does not always have a microchip reader. Engrave only your phone number, possibly accompanied by the mention "dog identified." Do not write its name: a malicious person who calls it by its first name immediately gains its trust, can take it away more easily, and pass themselves off as its owner. Do not put your address either, which would indicate to a stranger where you live, and perhaps that the house is empty while you are looking for your dog. Your number is enough: it is what allows you to be reached.
- During hunting days, keep your dog on a long leash rather than letting it roam free. A 5m long leash gives it freedom while keeping you in control of the situation.
Organizing your outings during the season
A few habits significantly reduce exposure:
- Check the hunting days. The dates vary by department and territory. In national forests, the ONF publishes them on its website. Departmental hunting federations and some town halls also distribute the calendars.
- Respect the "hunts in progress" signs. They are purely informative, but they signal a drive nearby. Change your route.
- Signal your presence. Talk, stay on the paths, and equip your dog with a bell if you let it off-leash outside of hunting days.
- Favor the middle of the day. Animals are less active and the light is better.
- Dress up too. Brightly colored clothing makes you visible, and makes your dog visible by association.
What about ticks?
We often forget: autumn is not a tick-free season. Dermacentor reticulatus, the tick that transmits piroplasmosis (babesiosis) to dogs, is particularly active in autumn and spring. Walks on the edge of forests and in tall grass, typical of the season, directly expose your dog. Continue the antiparasitic protection prescribed by your veterinarian, inspect your dog after each outing, and remove ticks quickly with a tick remover. Fever, lethargy, or dark urine in the days following an outing should lead you to consult a vet the same day.
Key takeaways
The hunting season should not deprive you of the forest, but it requires you to adapt your habits. Make your dog visible with orange equipment that covers its back and a light for twilight. Keep it on a long leash on hunting days. Never let it come into contact with a wild boar or its remains: Aujeszky’s disease is unforgiving. And keep up tick protection until winter.
This article is for informational purposes and does not replace the advice of your veterinarian.
Sources: OFB hunting accident reports (2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons); Ministry of Ecological Transition, rules on wearing fluorescent clothing; GTV Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, cases of Aujeszky’s disease in hunting dogs (January 2026); Neitz J., Geist T., Jacobs G.H. (1989), Color vision in the dog, Visual Neuroscience; ESCCAP France, dog ticks.