Do boar numbers in the UK need to be controlled?

[TomDeer]

This article would seem to suggest the answer to be yes. I appreciate it isn't from the most accurate 'paper of record' in the land!

I can almost understand why the Forestry Commission may not be rushing to reply to the school (as referenced in the penultimate paragraph of the article). If they reply saying they're doing nothing they're in trouble. If they respond saying they will be culling the boar the same newspaper would probably be screaming about the barbarity of the FC in killing wild boar and the dangers of putting 'snipers with high powered rifles' (or some similar exaggeration) near a school.

 

[nun_hunter]

In the UK you can't talk about boar numbers in general as there is no even spread. The FOD is an entity all on its own with a micrclimate for boar numbers not really seen elsewhere. In Sussex/Kent for example there have been wild boar living free for almost 30 years but there is no single large stronghold like the FOD for numbers to expand with little threat. Hence numbers are low and a few tiny isolated pockets that get shot out quickly and the boar move on.

 

[TomDeer]

Fair point nun_hunter. I suppose FOD just provides the right environment in terms of climate, food and cover for a significant population to develop.

Round where I am, I would be waiting a very very long time to see a boar!

 

[JTO]

Better ask Ben Fogle what to do!

 

[reloader54]

Is it just me,,, but the article makes several references to visual sightings of wild boar/feral pigs even to the point of knowing exactly how many [12]pigs are alleged to be responsible, but not one photo. pigs digging up bodies in the local graveyard,,, not one photo? pigs in the car park when dropping kids off,,, but no photos, you would have thought in an age where people can't eat a meal without posting it on social media, there would be more photographic evidence than you could shake a stick at.

 

[Ray7756]

Is it just me,,, but the article makes several references to visual sightings of wild boar/feral pigs even to the point of knowing exactly how many [12]pigs are alleged to be responsible, but not one photo. pigs digging up bodies in the local graveyard,,, not one photo? pigs in the car park when dropping kids off,,, but no photos, you would have thought in an age where people can't eat a meal without posting it on social media, there would be more photographic evidence than you could shake a stick at.

Very good point im sure that all the selfie obsessed people out there would have provided loads of pics by now
but there is nothing there ????
I wonder why
Ray

 

[reloader54]

Very good point im sure that all the selfie obsessed people out there would have provided loads of pics by now
but there is nothing there ????
I wonder why
Ray

big cats ate them all,

 

[Ray7756]

big cats ate them all,

never thought of that best not to try and get a selfie with you AND the big cat

Ray

 

[mudman]

As already mentioned, and as I believe, only the FOD boar population is really thriving.

All the others are very restricted if not declining, the great predicted population explosion has not happened, in fact the opposite. You only need to look on here how many people want to kill one to see why. Nightvision, thermal, feed points and high seats and those that use them are doing a fantastic job at reducing the other wild boar populations....Hopefully there are exceptions.

 

[MartinN]

Let the local landowner decide.

 

[Alantoo]

This article would seem to suggest the answer to be yes. I appreciate it isn't from the most accurate 'paper of record' in the land!

I can almost understand why the Forestry Commission may not be rushing to reply to the school (as referenced in the penultimate paragraph of the article). If they reply saying they're doing nothing they're in trouble. If they respond saying they will be culling the boar the same newspaper would probably be screaming about the barbarity of the FC in killing wild boar and the dangers of putting 'snipers with high powered rifles' (or some similar exaggeration) near a school.

In Sussex they were controlled to zero by poachers in the wood I have permission to shoot.

Curious that the journalists called them a pack of boar rather than a sounder.

Odd that the headmistress had not heard back from the FC, they are in constant public debate regarding the boar, not hiding from it.

Alan

 

[nun_hunter]

Not sure if it's just this area in East Sussex but I hear a lot of poachers targeting wild boar. Even sadder is I know of someone who is very knowledgeable about boar but his permissions get poached so he is now of the mindset of "I'd better shoot them or get clients to before the poachers get them". Sad state of affairs.

 

[basil]

Not sure if it's just this area in East Sussex but I hear a lot of poachers targeting wild boar. Even sadder is I know of someone who is very knowledgeable about boar but his permissions get poached so he is now of the mindset of "I'd better shoot them or get clients to before the poachers get them". Sad state of affairs.

Those taking clients out can quickly drop the Boar population.
I know of one area (another of our members knows where this is) where there was a healthy Boar population.
The wood had three stalkers on land bordering the wood, one was recreational, two were taking clients out. Those taking clients out absolutely hammered it and took the `If it moves shoot it` attitude. There`s practically no Boar left there now. If you keep shooting Sows with a litter of piglets in tow you`re only destroying you`re own future sport.

 

[BearStalker]

I would think that, if there was a want/need to improve the boar population, the same, unwritten, law for hunters in Germany, would be adopted here "one never leaves orphans in the wild". What that means, for those who are not able to follow what I am saying is, if a sow has little ones, you start by shooting them; then you take the sow. You never take a sow with little ones. I, for one, would love to see the population of Wild Boar increase and thrive in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

 

[nun_hunter]

Like you I too would love to have boar roaming all over the UK but I don't own any land so my opinion isn't really that important. I'd bet most if not all landowners would view them as a pest and not want them due to the damage and financial ruin they would cause.

 

[teyhan1]

Like you I too would love to have boar roaming all over the UK but I don't own any land so my opinion isn't really that important. I'd bet most if not all landowners would view them as a pest and not want them due to the damage and financial ruin they would cause.

Doubt if any would want

 

[nun_hunter]

East Sussex is covered in woodland but not really large singular tracts of woodland. Percentage wise there is a lot of woodland but it is interspersed amongst arable and farm. So although boar would be good for healthy woodland it's all the other land that they'd cause issues on.