«Everyone has in his life a time whose memories, sad or happy, remain indelible; those who, for me, are attached to our meetings at Chateau d’Espeyran, at Frederic Sabatier d’Espeyran, are all having the rosé color.
Every year, at the time of the hunts, we entered under this hospitable roof, and we left at the door our preoccupations and our sad ideas. Childhood friends of the chatelain, we proved our affection by employing fifteen or sixteen hours to fish, hunt, ride, play billiards or trictrac, to talk madly or seriously, but by banishing from our interviews the politics and religion. Unlimited freedom of action doubled the charm of our days so well employed, with pantagruel dinners crowned with dignity; we were all young, full of energy and verve, without serious sorrow: it was a good time! »
« Souvenirs of hunting and fishing in the south of France », by Vicomte Louis de Dax. 1860.
Espeyran is an exceptional territory for nature and hunting enthusiasts
Pope Paul III himself ordained on 17 August 1538 the protection and conservation of the Great Wood of Espeyran …
Sabatier d’Espeyran, a great hunter, also selected the site for its landscapes and biodiversity in 1791.
Today, the estate has preserved this ancestral tradition to the delight of hunters who enjoy one of the most beautiful playgrounds in the South of France.
Swamp, little wood, plain … splendid landscapes parade under their eyes during unforgettable days. Flamingos, bulls and horses … offer an irresistible picture to all those who recharge their batteries in contact with the spectacle of wild nature.
The mild climate and the abundance of water, the aquatic birdlife make it a paradise for migratory birds.
The area is home to many small and large game in the vastness of space including the large wood which is the first shelter that migrants find between the plain of Crau and the hinterland of Montpellier. The diversity of the environment and the richness of the flora are also the promises of unforgettable hunting parties.
A day hunting at Espeyran
The day starts in the early morning. Still plunged in the freshness of the night, the hunters have first happiness to meet and attend the awakening of Mother Nature.
None can resist the sublime sunrise on the marshes where we prepare to shelter the agachons for the past ducks, geese and other wild teals.
Follow a hunt in the front accompanied by dogs to raise and shoot the game in the large wood and its paths lined with pines, oaks or white oaks, arbutus century.
We find the pheasant on the edge of the woods, in the covered area and tall grass where it is found in the tranquillity of the place, the hares in the plains or the companies of partridges in the vineyards.
In winter, hunting enthusiasts stop by the abundance of woodcock sheltered in the woods.
Wild boar hunts invite to an exciting hunt for a hound. Hunters find in the woods or in the highlands an exceptional stalking place.
You must have heard the dogs giving voice in an autumn golden landscape, have inhaled the wet perfumes of the undergrowth, have observed the traces of the presence of the beast, spotted the tide, must wait and watch. The game appears in a flash on the presumed place of its passage to understand all the charm of this hunt.
In the evening, in the marsh, the day ends with the sound of whistling ducks. The hunters are then on the lookout, with a unique sunset in the background on the Camargue and the feeling of having lived a day in the moment, to have flirted with the beauty of eternity …
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