Who is Thibault Varenne, the new president of the Gironde hunting federation?
A farmer, entrepreneur, and hunter, the forty-year-old from the Médoc now carries the torch for the largest hunting department in France. He succeeds Henri Sabarot, who held the position for 28 years.
Thibault Varenne grew up near Hourtin, savoring nature at his fingertips. His father comes from Lot, his mother from Normandy. He always saw them hunting. "I've always lived in it. For me, hunting is part of life." He hunts, his sisters hunt.
The predatory instinct manifested itself from early childhood. "I caught birds with a slingshot or a bow," he says with a smile. He wanted to be like the grown-ups. As soon as he got home from school, he was already heading back into the wilderness. "With my cousins, we hid in the hides and made things."
“I’ve always lived in it. For me, hunting is part of life.”
He remembers counting down the days until his 16th birthday, the legal age to get his license and, finally, be free to hunt. With his first rifle, given to him by his paternal grandfather.
His studies at an agricultural high school and then in agronomy took him to Blanquefort, Angers and Montpellier. "I came home every weekend to be able to hunt, even if it meant taking the night train," he describes.
Thibault Varenne quickly learned the rule of "you kill, you prepare, there is no question of spoiling the game." He tried different hunting methods before finding his path: venery.
At the ton, he discovered the atmosphere of the cabins, the friends, the magic of a flock of ducks landing in front of him. "I'm a fan of it," he confides. Quite good at clay pigeon shooting, he did some sport shooting. But he quickly felt the need for a hunting aid: the dog.
His first pheasant, his first woodcock, his first duck with Javotte, his drahthaar, have left their mark on his memory. He remembers himself "running like crazy after her. It was fabulous to hear her meow while feeling flocks of ducks flying."
"It was my love of dogs that led me to hunting," explains the forty-year-old, who now has a small pack of Anglo-French dogs. "We unravel the path of the hunted animal for him. And I said to myself: 'I want to live it, I want to be the one who leads, the boss of the pack.'"
The Music of Dogs"It's easier to bring a wife and children. There are no weapons, it's less off-putting, and it's the closest thing to natural predation. The quest can last a long time. It's a challenge, a school of life. Three times out of four, the hunted animal wins. And the dogs' cry is something powerful, fabulous, melodious."
And, while he can't read music, he has a good ear. At age 6, he placed a hunting horn on his lips. The instrument is used by hunters to communicate with each other during the hunt and to play fanfares. "It's captivating, vibrant, magical."
Thibault Varenne has proven to be a natural leader. "Deeply attached to communal and grassroots hunting," it seemed obvious to him to get involved in the Hourtin Accredited Communal Hunting Association (ACCA) with the feeling of having something to contribute.
"It's easier to bring a wife and children hunting. There are no weapons, so it's less off-putting."
He cut his teeth taking care of the lake's fishing boats. Also a "fishing nut," he's been heavily involved in wetland management. "If you want to protect resources, you need a welcoming environment, so we restored and cleaned it up."
“When you love, you manage”With a true passion for the king of the forest, the deer, Thibault Varenne has worked to organize evenings to listen to the roar. "I was 5 years old when I picked up a deer antler, it was like a treasure." He learned that, "when you love, you manage."
In 2013, he joined the Departmental Federation of Hunters. A logical next step. It's not easy being the youngest administrator. "It's a big company, a war machine," he observed. But he knows how to do that.
A farmer, a man of challenge and an entrepreneur at heart, Thibault Varenne invested in 2010 in La Ferme de Lizan, in Naujac-sur-Mer, a local store specializing in animal nutrition, fishing, hunting, gardening, horse riding and local produce.
In 2018, he and a neighbor launched the methanization of agricultural waste with Biogaz. Thibault Varenne, who was involved in the zero-euro hunting license, the big game commission (his hobby), and communications, also rose through the ranks at the FDC33.
Until becoming first vice-president, then president. "Henri Sabarot came looking for me in 2013. He took me everywhere and introduced me to lots of people," says the new president. He enjoys the relational and somewhat political side of his role. He's not going to turn everything upside down, but he will know how to make his mark.
A real challenge, even a calling. "I don't lack activity, I'm not bored in life," he explains, "but I'm in the front row, I can do something. I want my children to hunt, I can't imagine a world without hunting."
> This article is from the editorial supplement “Opening of the hunt: a life-size passion” published in the editions of “Sud Ouest” of September 12 and 13, 2025 and available on newsstands at sudouest.fr
