A hunt logbook PDF is only valid if it follows your departmental federation’s template. The requirement to keep this logbook comes not from national law, but from the SDGC (schema departemental de gestion cynegetique, the departmental hunting management plan)2. It records the driven hunt leader, the signatories who participated, the instructions given, the stands and the harvest.
Sunday morning, 7.30 am, car park by the village hall. Hunters are arriving, the briefing is about to start and nobody has printed the logbook. Someone types “hunt logbook PDF” on their phone and downloads the first template that comes up. Complete and free, but it may not be the one your federation expects.
The hunt logbook is the document that proves the driven hunt was properly organised: who was there, who was in charge, what instructions were given. Depending on the department, it is required, supplied by the federation or simply recommended. This guide explains where the requirement comes from, how to spot a good PDF, what to write in the logbook and when, and how to choose between paper, spreadsheet and app. It draws on the Environmental Code articles on departmental plans and on the public pages of three federations.
Is a hunt logbook compulsory?
The hunt logbook is compulsory when the SDGC of your department requires it, not under any national text. The order published in the Journal officiel (Official Gazette) on 5 October 2020 makes three things mandatory: high-visibility clothing for big game collective hunting, signposting of hunts on public roads and safety training every 10 years1. The logbook does not appear on this list. A hunting management software publisher reaches the same conclusion: no article of the Environmental Code requires, at national level, a register or hunt logbook6.
The Environmental Code does, however, give departments the power to require it. The SDGC must include measures relating to the safety of hunters and non-hunters. It is binding on hunters and on hunting societies, groups and associations in the department. Breaches are punished by fines from the first to the fourth class2. A rule set out in the SDGC therefore has binding force on your territory.
Federations use this power. In the Gard, the federation writes that the SDGC makes it compulsory to comply with the rules for organising big game or fox driven hunts, including keeping the hunt logbook3. In the Pyrenees-Atlantiques, the federation specifies that the logbook “must be filled in and signed by all participants”4.
The approach is straightforward. Open the safety chapter of the SDGC in force in your department, or ask your federation. If the logbook is mentioned, keeping it is an obligation. If it is not, keeping one is still the best way to show that the driven hunt was properly run.
Is a hunt logbook PDF found online valid?
A hunt logbook PDF is only valid if it follows the template required by your federation, for the current season. The public pages of three federations show why.
| Federation | The document | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Gard (FDC 30), page dated 2 October 2017 | Logbook issued at the start of each season by the federation to the hunting rights holder3 | Returned to the federation as soon as the season closes |
| Pyrenees-Atlantiques (FDC 64) | Logbook filled in and signed by all participants, according to the federation’s template4 | SDGC 2026-2032 instructions and attendance sheet to read and sign at the start of the season |
| Charente (FDC 16) | Big game and fox logbook, valid for the 2026-2027 season, with a detachable centre section5 | The stalking and stand hunting logbook has a separate page |
The table shows what free templates miss. The template belongs to the federation: the Pyrenees-Atlantiques federation requires its own, the Charente federation publishes its own. The logbook has a season: a PDF from last year does not count for 2026-2027. It also travels: the federation issues it at the start of the season and, in the Gard, collects it at the close.
The Gard page dates from 2017. The SDGC may have been revised since, so it is worth checking the current rule with the federation. The other two pages are for the current season.
Before printing a PDF, carry out this four-point check:
- The document bears the name of the federation for your department.
- The season shown is the current season.
- It covers your type of hunting: big game, fox, or stalking and stand hunting, which has a separate logbook in the Charente5.
- You know who issues it and to whom it should be returned at the end of the season.
A generic PDF still has a use. It helps prepare the day (list of stands, beaters, harvest tally). It does not replace the official logbook in a department that requires its own template.
What should a hunt logbook for big game contain?
A hunt logbook PDF for big game should contain at least the driven hunt leader, the list of participants, the safety instructions given, and signatures. The detail depends on the SDGC, but the federations’ pages all converge on this core.
In the Gard, the driven hunt leader records the list of participants in the logbook before the start, after checking they have the documents required to hunt. A hunter who is not registered before the driven hunt cannot take part3. The same federation requires standard instructions to be given before the driven hunt3:
- do not load your firearm until you reach your stand and after the start signal;
- do not shoot without identifying the game;
- do not leave your stand without the driven hunt leader’s permission;
- shoot downwards and respect the 30-degree angle towards any person;
- do not shoot into the drive, or beyond 150 metres unless specifically instructed for a stand;
- place temporary signs on access routes to the hunting zone and remove them afterwards.
For the detail of these rules, see our driven hunt safety instructions. In the logbook, remember that they must have been given and that each participant confirms this.
A useful logbook covers these sections, in the order the day unfolds:
- the date, location and territory hunted;
- the driven hunt leader, named;
- the participants, with their role (on a stand, beater, hound handler) and their signature;
- the stands allocated;
- the instructions given and the times of the start and end signals;
- the harvest by species, with tag numbers where a harvest plan requires them6;
- incidents, even if not serious.
These sections form a core: your federation’s template takes precedence. A logbook or an app does not add any safety on its own. Mes Chasses is an information tool, and the decision to shoot remains the shooter’s.
How do you fill in your hunt logbook step by step?
A hunt logbook, whether PDF or paper, is filled in two stages: the driven hunt leader notes the participants and instructions before stands are allocated, then records the harvest and incidents just after the drive6. Here are the steps, in order.
- Get the season’s logbook from the federation or its website. Slip it into a plastic wallet with a pen that writes in the rain.
- Appoint the driven hunt leader before the day. In the Gard, they are appointed by the hunting society chairman or by the hunting rights holder, and they must have completed the driven hunt leader training course3.
- Register the participants before the start. Check each person’s validated licence and insurance at the same time.
- Give the instructions out loud, then have each participant sign opposite their name. This is the rule in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques4.
- Note the stands allocated and the times of the start and end signals.
- After the drive, fill in the harvest tally (species, number, tag numbers) and incidents. Do this on the spot, when memories are fresh and the game is in front of you.
- Put the logbook away. If your federation requires it, return it at the close of hunting as in the Gard3. In all cases, take a photo of the completed pages.
Three omissions undermine a logbook: a missing signature, an illegible name, a page filled in from memory the next day. The driven hunt leader can delegate the writing to a hunt secretary. Responsibility for the logbook remains theirs6.
Prepare the page before the day: note in advance the territory, date, driven hunt leader and planned stands. The morning briefing is then simply about confirming and signing.
Paper, PDF, spreadsheet or app: which format should you choose?
The right format is the one your federation accepts for the official logbook, supplemented by the tool that saves you time in the field.
| Format | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Federation paper logbook | Follows the required template, handwritten signatures | Does not like rain, gets lost, has to be re-entered for the summary |
| PDF to print | Free, immediate, useful for preparing the day | Only valid if it follows the federation’s template |
| Spreadsheet | Easy totals and summaries | No signature in the field, entered in the evening |
| App | Entered on the spot, data kept from season to season | The document’s validity depends on your federation’s agreement |
The two approaches complement each other. The official logbook remains the reference where the SDGC requires it. The digital tool prepares the driven hunt and keeps the data.
Mes Chasses offers a driven hunt sheet and register to print as a PDF, free and without an account: stands, beaters, driven hunt leader, harvest tally, then each participant’s licence, insurance, validation and signature box. This template helps prepare the driven hunt and keep a record. It does not replace the logbook required by your SDGC. In the app, the big game hunt logbook is generated from the driven hunt events, which avoids re-entry.
The validity of an electronic signature on a hunt logbook is a separate question. Our overview of electronic signatures for hunt logbooks covers what exists. To go further on connected tools, also read our article on digital hunting and driven hunts.
Conclusion
A hunt logbook PDF is only as good as its template: the one from your federation, for the current season. The requirement to keep it comes from the SDGC of your department, which is binding on hunters and hunting societies. Filling it in is done in two stages, before the start and just after the drive, with the signatures of all participants where the federation requires it.
Before your next big driven hunt, do three things. Open the safety chapter of your SDGC and note what it says about the logbook. Ask your federation for the current season’s template. Then prepare the day with the free driven hunt sheet from Mes Chasses: print it, fill it in the night before and take it with the official logbook.
A driven hunt leader who arrives with an up-to-date logbook, a list of participants already written and instructions ready saves ten minutes in the morning. If asked to prove the driven hunt was properly run, they bring out the logbook.
References
- 1. Fédération nationale des chasseurs. “La securite : une priorite absolue pour les chasseurs.” Chasseurs de France, accessed 7 October 2026. https://www.chasseurdefrance.com/pratiquer/chasser-en-securite-2/
- 2. Federation des chasseurs des Alpes-Maritimes. “SDGC : ce que disent les textes” (articles L. 425-1 to L. 425-3-1 of the Environmental Code). FDC 06, accessed 7 October 2026. https://www.fdc06.fr/connaitre/la-reglementation/sdgc-schema-departemental-de-gestion-cynegetique/sdgc-ce-que-disent-les-textes/
- 3. Federation departementale des chasseurs du Gard. “Securite a la chasse.” FDC 30, 2 October 2017. https://www.fdc30.fr/actualite-a-la-une-detail.php?id=85
- 4. Federation departementale des chasseurs des Pyrenees-Atlantiques. “Regles de securite pour les battues.” FDC 64, accessed 7 October 2026. https://chasseurs64.com/regles-de-securite-pour-les-battues/
- 5. Federation departementale des chasseurs de la Charente. “Carnet de battue.” FDC 16, 2026-2027 season, accessed 7 October 2026. https://www.fdc16.com/page/170/carnet-de-battue
- 6. Pouliquen, Ronan. “Registre de battue : ce que dit la reglementation.” EventMigo, 22 August 2026. https://eventmigo.com/ressources/registre-de-battue/
