Boar in Herefordshire

[purplepig]

There seems an awful lot of sightings of boar in Herefordshire at the mo, right out to the west, I’m wondering if they have started to naturally spread out from the dean or If they are being dropped off, all sightings I’ve heard of are of lone boar..any body else heard of any seen?

 

[feno]

One seen in Watery Lane Hereford a few months ago, but as far as I know that was a lone sighting

 

[243varmint]

They normally don't make it far as they get shot as soon as they poke thier noses out of thier normal patches.

 

[rms364]

Amazing where they can go with the aid of Ifor Williams.....

 

[Jelen]

Amazing where they can go with the aid of Ifor Williams.....

A bit like the Muntjac in West Wales and N Ireland!

 

[pendle]

A bit like the Muntjac in West Wales and N Ireland!

Distributed by a well known Welsh man

 

[teyhan1]

Nah nothing to see here, move on!!

 

[Heym SR20]

Boar can and do move a long way. They can easily cover 30 to 40km in a night and will do so if under pressure from hunting or lack of food or water, or indeed flooding as has been happening down on the Wye.

Lone boar are likely to be young adults being kicked out of sounders by their mothers - and will happen when they get to 12 / 18 months old. They will spread out and look for new territories. Can also be due to the matriarchal sow having been shot so the natural group breaks up. I have told never to shoot the lead female as that causes the younger ones to run riot.

 

[.243 t3]

One seen in Watery Lane Hereford a few months ago, but as far as I know that was a lone sighting

Got shot them two

 

[springbok787]

They have spread up into South Herefordshire and also across the boarder into Monmouthshire. I didn’t used to have permissions with boar but now I seem to have two

 

[Penyard]

I have also recently heard of a few sightings further in to Herefordshire. Until recently I would have said that they are unlikely to spread in any direction where there isn't sufficient large areas of woodland but some of these sightings suggest either illegal movements or there have been some animals spreading in directions I would not have expected. I have shot 2 in the last 10 years 2-3 miles from their nearest known location (Linton Ridge area), both young males and both within 3 fields of each other but 3 years apart. I did see a dead young boar (well under 1 year old) on the central reservation of the M50 a few years ago that would suggest Dymock Woods as a likely next area to become inhabited but not heard of any sightings in that direction since although it is possible that FC dealt with them on arrival if the rest of the group did cross the motorway. As has already been said, most single animals turning up in odd places are likely to be young males that have been turfed out by the dominant boar who will not tolerate maturing males in female sounder groups when he turns up to serve any sows in oestrus. I know they have spread down the Wye Valley in to Monmouthshire which is no surprise given the habitat although I believe the local welcoming committee have given them a fair hiding!

 

[Scotty99]

There are absolutely no boar in Herefordshire, says Scotty99 from Herefordshire, while fitting his night vision to his 30-06.

 

[DaKu]

hmmm not to farr to Northamptonshire from Herefordshire have to charge my NV ,,, they may already be on my permision land ..

Hmm I remember them sausages we used to make ages ago when my dad was hunting forest pigs...

 

[Puds]

I was told by somebody during a shoot day lunch this season that they’d shot some in Madresfield. I’m not entirely sure as to the veracity of that claim, however!

 

[rms364]

I was told by somebody during a shoot day lunch this season that they’d shot some in Madresfield. I’m not entirely sure as to the veracity of that claim, however!

Yep true, same time they were decoying penguins!

 

[8x57]

I was told by somebody during a shoot day lunch this season that they’d shot some in Madresfield. I’m not entirely sure as to the veracity of that claim, however!

I don't know the area Puds but having looked at the map to find out where Madresfield is I wouldn't disbelieve them entirely. I'm saying that because two years ago I saw for myself boar in an area where none had been heard of before and many miles away from known boar areas. The blighters do seem to like to travel, mind you sometimes that is with human assistance.

 

[John Gryphon]

Pigs are easily evidenced in an area simply by the fact that they are continually rooting/digging wherever they go,even when travelling.
The pig rooting cant be confused with wombat (or badger) digging at all.

 

[thomas]

Pigs are easily evidenced in an area simply by the fact that they are continually rooting/digging wherever they go,even when travelling.
The pig rooting cant be confused with wombat (or badger) digging at all.

Absolutely!

 

[muntjacmad]

Definately boar in the Hereford area.... I'd say they have been helped there to be honest. How long they will last remains to be seen

 

[Bryan H]

I have also recently heard of a few sightings further in to Herefordshire. Until recently I would have said that they are unlikely to spread in any direction where there isn't sufficient large areas of woodland but some of these sightings suggest either illegal movements or there have been some animals spreading in directions I would not have expected. I have shot 2 in the last 10 years 2-3 miles from their nearest known location (Linton Ridge area), both young males and both within 3 fields of each other but 3 years apart. I did see a dead young boar (well under 1 year old) on the central reservation of the M50 a few years ago that would suggest Dymock Woods as a likely next area to become inhabited but not heard of any sightings in that direction since although it is possible that FC dealt with them on arrival if the rest of the group did cross the motorway. As has already been said, most single animals turning up in odd places are likely to be young males that have been turfed out by the dominant boar who will not tolerate maturing males in female sounder groups when he turns up to serve any sows in oestrus. I know they have spread down the Wye Valley in to Monmouthshire which is no surprise given the habitat although I believe the local welcoming committee have given them a fair hiding!

There is a large amount of wold boar in the Ross on wye area, in particular, the woods to the south/east of A40. large open are where they ravage the ground before heading back into the woods.