Where have all the hunters gone?

This is another one of those position markers that we see nailed to trees and posts along the vineyard road out back. They are used by hunters when they take up positions in a battue (an organized hunt). But, even though we're in the middle of hunting season, there have been very few battues in the woods and vineyards around us so far. Like, maybe one.

Hunters wait at these spots for the game to be driven toward them.

I'm not sure why this is. It could be that the populations of roe deer, fox, and wild boar are not large enough to need culling. Maybe their populations are more concentrated further away from us and the hunts are happening there. There is more and more development in our area that may be chasing the wild things out.

The rules of the hunting season are complicated as to what can be hunted and when. From what I can tell for this season, individual hunting for wild hare and partridge is already over. Pheasants and ducks can still be hunted in our area until the end of January. As for bigger game, like deer and boar, the season lasts through February, but I believe that those animals can only be taken in organized hunts, not by individuals.