Wild Boar population.

[Bavarianbrit]

Imagine an upside down 45 degree triangle (or the growth of UKIP?) as a guide to the breeding potential.
Having to get a special condition on your FAC for boar will be the blocker to realistic control measures as any local stalker cannot react fast enough to boar pressure without breaking the law.
If a stalker is good enough for deer that should suffice realistically also for boar (muzzle awareness, backstop awareness etc) or are we talking about starting up a BSC1 course?
martin

 

[8x57]

Hunting pressure is holding the spread of wild boar back, and its is certainly holding back significant population growth in most areas.

Or is it actually helping to disperse the boar over a wider area I wonder? With everyman and his dog having a pop at the boar with often totally unsuitable firearms and even crossbows in the FoD they seem to have spread over a much wider area in a relatively short period of time.

Bavarianbrit the need for a special condition no longer seems relevant as many seem to be taking advantage of AOLQ or should that read abusing the condition and shooting boar with anything from a .223r to a .243w or even number 6 shot. I can see it all ending in tears when it suddenly goes wrong.

 

[timbrayford]

Being native or non-native really does not matter from a crop damage standpoint. Wild boar were extirpated from the UK for hundreds of years as you note and folks have gotten used to not having their gardens plowed unreasonably by boar over that time. Without proper management and because of the lack of natural predators in the UK (also extirpated/extinct in that range), hog certainly may find it fairly easy for their populations to grow unchecked, except for humans, like in Texas.

Even if the Boar had not escaped from captivity into the wild the Conventions on Biological Diversity, EU Habitats Directive and The Biodiversity Duty ("Conserving biodiversity includes restoring and enhancing species populations and habitats, as well as protecting them")would have obliged the public authorities to reintroduce the Boar anyway. I agree that proper management is essential to mitigate damage to agriculture and domestic gardens, however inexpert random culling could potentially make matters worse, particularly if it disperses the Boar to areas where they are not welcome.

atb Tim

 

[8x57]

"inexpert random culling could potentially make matters worse, particularly if it disperses the Boar to areas where they are not welcome."

I think that this may have already happened in some areas Tim.

 

[megsjockey]

Is anyone, like BASC for instance, actually campaigning to have Boar recognised as 'wild' animals in the UK?

 

[8x57]

Is anyone, like BASC for instance, actually campaigning to have Boar recognised as 'wild' animals in the UK?

Not quite sure what you mean by "wild animals", but if you mean is anyone asking for wild boar to have a closed season and legislation rather than just guidance on the firearms and ammunition that can be used to shoot boar (similar to the various deer acts), then I believe the answer is yes submissions have been made by some individuals to the relevant bodies.

 

[megsjockey]

Not quite sure what you mean by "wild animals", but if you mean is anyone asking for wild boar to have a closed season and legislation rather than just guidance on the firearms and ammunition that can be used to shoot boar (similar to the various deer acts), then I believe the answer is yes submissions have been made by some individuals to the relevant bodies.

They are not classed as part of the natural fauna of the UK, they are thus not covered by Wildlife Legislation. They're just feral domestic animals. Give them 'wild' status and not only will law start to protect them management practice can aim for a framework to operate within. Right now there's all sorts going on. Heck, there's even currently guys feeding released boar and charging dumb punters to put a pill in their ear, so I'm told. Then again I've also heard that some people pay to shoot farm animals actually on the farm too.

 

[8x57]

So you meant the legal status under such legislation as the Wildlife & Countryside Act. I am informed that this legislation is currently under scrutiny for review so there is a possibility that things will become clearer "very shortly".

Just thinking aloud here and possibly with a fuzzy head and unclear thinking, but from a legal point of view how can boar be covered by AOLQ if they have no status as game/quarry in law??

 

[megsjockey]

So you meant the legal status under such legislation as the Wildlife & Countryside Act. I am informed that this legislation is currently under scrutiny for review so there is a possibility that things will become clearer "very shortly".

Just thinking aloud here and possibly with a fuzzy head and unclear thinking, but from a legal point of view how can boar be covered by AOLQ if they have no status as game/quarry in law??

Not fuzzy thinking more a case of misunderstanding the question. Quarry just means object of the hunt and no doubt they could be lawfully hunted, as are sheep and goats. That's not the same as saying they are 'wild' animals protected by wildlife legislation, even though 'wild boar' they do live as wild animals. It's probably just very confusing that they are named wild boar in this country. If they were called cinghiale or sangliers or keilers or something the presupposition wouldn't arise. Like feral goats and feral sheep we'd call them feral keilers or whatever. Mind you, what constitutes feral? I have heard of one place up the M6-M74 where they let you shoot old black-faced rams on the hill. The farmer gets more for them that way than taking them to market.

But thanks for your answer anyway. I look forward to seeing what becomes clear.

 

[Orion]

If they were called cinghiale or sangliers or keilers or something the presupposition wouldn't arise.

Wildschwein.

(Not too far off Wild Boar)

Agree with you that irrespective of whether they are classified as wild, feral or whatever, as it is not 'unlawful' to shoot them the converse must applicable.

 

[Jagare]

Wildschwein.

(Not too far off Wild Boar)

Agree with you that irrespective of whether they are classified as wild, feral or whatever, as it is not 'unlawful' to shoot them the converse must applicable.

We have Vildsvin. Galt= mature male boar. Sugga= sow. Kulting= piglet. Årsgris = yearling, also called brungris= brown pigs

Wild boar are wild boar even if somewhere in their Dna the have a bit of domestic pig. Feral pigs Are domestic pigs gone wild. If a tiger escapes from the zoo does it then become a feral tiger?

 

[8x57]

Would a feral tiger be regarded as lawful quarry?

 

[megsjockey]

Ok. A wild boar is a wild boar is a wild boar. No question there, except maybe where it's a hybrid. I should have used the word 'indigenous' a lot in the above. I did say they aren't regarded by our laws as 'wild' creatures belonging to our fauna in the UK and that is true. If they were then they might be regarded more like our indigenous deer, which I for one would welcome. Right now the laws relating to free living sus scrofa in the UK vary from shambolic to mostly non-existent.

 

[megsjockey]

Would a feral tiger be regarded as lawful quarry?

Likely to be regarded an escaped, licensed, wild/exotic and dangerous animal and someone's property. If it's your property and you want to have at it with a rifle good luck, you're probably going to still be testing some law or other but that's your problem not mine.

 

[8x57]

Hell I test the law every day when I take the car out.

 

[timbrayford]

Likely to be regarded an escaped, licensed, wild/exotic and dangerous animal and someone's property. If it's your property and you want to have at it with a rifle good luck, you're probably going to still be testing some law or other but that's your problem not mine.

Shoot it without the owners permission= Criminal Damage, keep the carcass= Theft

 

[Boarboy]

Ok. A wild boar is a wild boar is a wild boar. No question there, except maybe where it's a hybrid. I should have used the word 'indigenous' a lot in the above. I did say they aren't regarded by our laws as 'wild' creatures belonging to our fauna in the UK and that is true. If they were then they might be regarded more like our indigenous deer, which I for one would welcome. Right now the laws relating to free living sus scrofa in the UK vary from shambolic to mostly non-existent.

Are our deer indigenous though? Fallow were introduced by the Normans in the 11th century, and they have the protection served by close seasons. How far do we go back? Wild boar "sus scrofa" were part of our indigenous fauna, until eradicated. I think from memory when I was in the Forest of Dean the signs read " do not feed the feral wild boar", covers all bases I guess!

 

[Jagare]

Would a feral tiger be regarded as lawful quarry?

Only if you have a 9.3x74R

 

[meles meles]

Are our deer indigenous though? Fallow were introduced by the Normans in the 11th century, and they have the protection served by close seasons. How far do we go back? Wild boar "sus scrofa" were part of our indigenous fauna, until eradicated. I think from memory when I was in the Forest of Dean the signs read " do not feed the feral wild boar", covers all bases I guess!

To be honest ooman, we think the same argument applies to you bald monkeys. In the grand scheme of things you lot are recent immigrants and probably lawful quarry to us...

 

[giliesrule]

Never seen a wild boar in my life (UK)