Boar population south east

Boarboy

Well-Known Member
I was just wondering how those regular managers of boar in the south east see the numbers situation at the moment? Declining/rising/ stabilising? All shot out?!
 
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!!
 
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!!

Yes I thought that was the case. I did see, some years back, 2 juveniles that looked like they had been displaced. Shot mother? It's a shame that there are knowledgeable managers out there who's efforts are offset by let's say some less knowledgeable individuals.
 
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
 
The effect of a ramped up FC cull in the Forest of Dean is that the boar are extending their range well outside the main forest. OK it might have happened anyway but they are certainly spreading, including across the Wye into Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.
 
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.
 
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

Hmm I think it was more to do with the wood being shot over by another organisation for feathered game :rolleyes: and the fact that there are some 15 high seats spread around the outside of the wood itself by various locals and the local travelling community making a big impact with poaching more than one individual wiping them out. The Boar are still there, Mr McCartney will I am sure agree, but they are no where near the numbers that they were some 15 years back.

Like I said it is a pity the government did not put a season on them, hopefully it would afford some protection for sows with piglets being shot. I would also add that I doubt very much if 10% were ever checked for disease before being sold through the back doors of pubs etc in the East Sussex and borders of Kent area.
 
As someone asked me the other day, have boar made it to Ashdown forest area yet? I thought if they have or do in the future then it'd give them a fairly large safe haven (barring poachers of course) for the time being.
 
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
 
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.
 
I know a few lads in East Sussex who shoot boar and put them into the food chain
they use these free test kits before doing so, cheers Geoff

The trichinella testing kit is available free to anyone involved in wild boar management that wishes to participate.
Kits can be acquired by emailing wildgameguidance@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk.
or telephoning: 0207 276 8384
 
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.


Well it looks like the first layer of soil has been turned over, not really deep but deep enough to look like considerable damage, I have seen boar damage on the continent before and it looks similar. Some of it is new lay some is quite old pasture with a lot of weeds in it. It also doesn't seem to happen on a regular basis it seems that one field will get hammered then there will be no damage anywhere for a while maybe a matter of weeks or even months then it will all happen again?
 
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

Sounds very similar to a spot I was on over the winter. Is the landowner called Richard by any chance?

novice
 
For a number of years there have been rumours of Boar in the area you mentioned. As I manage and stalk a large area not too far from Crawley I have a keen interest in gathering information on Boar activity. Up until about two years ago, it was just rumours, however it was with some surprise that a local farm I manage reported seeing a Boar in the early afternoon on a field near the farmers house.
This was confirmed about 2 days later when it was photographed about 1 mile away on a small pheasant shoot near a feed bin. Since this report it has been quiet and no more have been seen. It was more than likely a young male pushed out by a bigger boar as it was just coming up to Christmas, which is about when boar rut.

I have yet to see one on the main estate I manage, but I am hopeful that sooner rather than later we might have a population that can be managed.
 
Has anyone got photos of the damage Boar can do to the land ? Am curious as I am working in the areas described and see a lot of damage to fields that is put down to Badgers. Just curious if anyone has any information on what I should look for.
 
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