In order to characterize the technical and economic behaviour of Palaeolithic populations, it is essential to know which behaviours are the result of constraint and which are deliberate choices. Only then is it possible to recognise specific characteristics that apply only within a limited area or time period. Furthermore, the inferences drawn from analysis of Palaeolithic behaviour will vary depending on the spatial and temporal frameworks chosen. Large-scale studies of the European Palaeolithic generally group together assemblages that formed in very different contexts and were excavated at different periods during the development of our discipline. The heterogeneity of data often means that only very general characteristics can be deduced. To avoid this pitfall, smaller time and space windows are used in order to select only precise characteristics that are uniform for each assemblage. Our study concerns part of south-west France, on the eastern edge of the Aquitaine basin. We take the Last Glacial Maximum to be the maximum extent of the icecaps, excluding the H1 and H2 events (Clarke et al. 2009; MARGO Project 2009; Mix et al. 2001). Our analysis, which consists of the examination of hunting strategies and the exploitation of prey, is combined with an investigation of the faunal context in which these choices were made. We compare the faunal spectra of the archaeological sites with faunal remains that accumulated without human intervention. These natural traps indeed provide an insight into the environment that has hitherto been undervalued. Revision of the biological and geomorphological framework of prehistoric populations allows us to examine the choices made by hunters. How far were the technical practices (i.e. techniques and hunting equipment) of these groups dependent on external constraints or cultural tradition? Although this paper is essentially zooarchaeological in approach, interdisciplinary studies are currently underway to shed more light on technical (lithic and bone industries) and symbolic (ornaments, etc.) production.