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‪Based on field research conducted primarily in Ariège, a department in south-west France, this article focuses on people, mainly couples or individuals, who come to the countryside seeking a space for social experimentation and alternative ways of life. Contrary to a number of larger collective projects, the people concerned are not trying to develop a true alternative society from a political or utopian point of view, but rather to create spaces for micro-autonomy in the gaps of our global society. To achieve this goal, between utopia and normative restrictions, many people use what Michel de Certeau termed “braconnages”: i.e., “diverting” or “appropriating” many numerous material and immaterial resources. This article seeks to chart different forms of “braconnage”, demonstrate how they are organised, in order to better understand what we can learn from these contemporary experiences. ‪