I keep in irregular contact with a friend who recently produced a book called "Wild Boar in the UK the story so far". He has studied the spread of Wild Boar across the UK since they first escaped, especially in the area you refer to. I also live reasonably near to the area.
The main area has been over shot the last time I asked, and numbers are no where near what they were. A mixture of too many highseats and shooting all year round and poaching has pushed the numbers down and the Boar out. However he is of the mind that there are now Boar in every southern county of the UK. But not in the numbers where one would know they were there.
It is about time the government realised that there is an issue, and applied a sensible season on them. But alas as usual I fear it will be a long time coming!!
On my ground i would say its been on the up the last 3 year but i in force my on close season witch is the same as fallow and i limt the amount i shoot. Or tho i know of a well known magazine columnist who wiped them out on his ground and then just droped the ground
Just came across this thread and although it's been inactive for a while I thought I'd post onto the end of it.
i live in West Sussex not far from Crawley, I have recently started spending a bit of time on a farm I sadly don't have the rights on but there are vast areas of grass fields that have been turned over, the farmer said that he has been told it's badgers of which there are a lot on the farm but someone else locally mentioned that someone else is convinced there are boar in the area this farm is literally on the side of the A23 if anyone knows the area between Crawley and warninglid. Any info anyone has on any kind of sightings or wild boar being shot near that area or even wether badgers are capable of turning over large areas of grass would be interesting. There is a massive block of woodland on the back of the farm that makes the idea of it being bore potentially realistic and the farm has a huge population of fallow deer.
cheers
I live and farm not too far from the area you mention. Yes, it may well be boar but I've had huge areas turned over by badgers that you be forgiven at first thinking it was a boar! Are the diggings fairly shallow, or much deeper. Is it very old pasture or new leys. Badgers will go for the worms on very old pastures or older uncultivated soils more like scrapings, scratching, which on a large scale look horrific. I will try and get some photos.
Just came across this thread and although it's been inactive for a while I thought I'd post onto the end of it.
i live in West Sussex not far from Crawley, I have recently started spending a bit of time on a farm I sadly don't have the rights on but there are vast areas of grass fields that have been turned over, the farmer said that he has been told it's badgers of which there are a lot on the farm but someone else locally mentioned that someone else is convinced there are boar in the area this farm is literally on the side of the A23 if anyone knows the area between Crawley and warninglid. Any info anyone has on any kind of sightings or wild boar being shot near that area or even wether badgers are capable of turning over large areas of grass would be interesting. There is a massive block of woodland on the back of the farm that makes the idea of it being bore potentially realistic and the farm has a huge population of fallow deer.
cheers
Was it on the pavement then?Last year I saw a young one just strolling down the main road outside Pembury hospital around lunchtime. Didn't seem bothered by all the traffic etc.