Chasseurs

Chasseurs is the French term for hunters. In everyday use it designates people who hunt wild animals, either for food, wildlife management, or sport. The word derives from the French verb chasser, meaning “to hunt,” and has long been used to describe both professional and amateur hunters as well as hunting practitioners and communities.

In hunting culture, chasseurs may belong to clubs or associations and participate in organized hunts, with activities often governed by regional laws on game species, seasons, and licenses. The term can also be employed more broadly to describe skills associated with hunting, such as tracking, stalking, dog handling, and fieldcraft, which have historically passed into other rural and military traditions.

In military contexts, the word has a long tradition in France and other francophone countries. Historically, chasseurs referred to light infantry or light cavalry units chosen for mobility, reconnaissance, and rapid action. In France, the distinctions include chasseurs à pied (foot infantry), chasseurs à cheval (light cavalry), and chasseurs alpins (mountain infantry), all of which have played prominent roles in the organization of French armed forces since the early modern period. In the modern era, the designation persists in several regiments and formations, and similar traditions exist in other states, such as Belgium’s Chasseurs Ardennais, a noted light infantry unit.

Today, chasseurs commonly denotes both practical hunting activity and traditional military designations, reflecting the word’s dual heritage as a craft practiced in the field and as a term for mobile, expeditionary troops in national defense.