"I told them, 'Look, by the time it gets in the pen to get weighed, it loses a lot of weight', " Mr. Gaede says.

WSJ: In Utah, a Town Digs Deep to Battle Prairie Dogs

To see how the FN can punch above its weight beyond its natural strongholds, take a closer look at Marine Le Pen's foot soldiers in Rochefort.

BBC: French far-right leader Le Pen looks west for votes