| Shooting as a method of controlling wild boar | Wild boar and gun laws | Large wild boar in Britain | Code of practice |
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In Britain, wild boar shooting is on a par with deer stalking. To comply with current legislation the landowner has to give their permission, the police have to clear the land for the use of a firearm, and confirm the presence of boar. The hunter has to have a suitable rifle to ensure a clean kill, and this too has to have been cleared by the police specifically for use on wild boar.
The Police Firearms Licensing branches typically require that wild boar are specifically listed on an individual's firearms certificate (FAC) before they may use a rifle to shoot wild boar. They consider wild boar to be outside the scope of usual types of game or vermin, and the term "other vermin", which often appears on FACs to permit the culling of species such as foxes, is not considered to include wild boar.
The internal organs of a wild
boar
The most suitable type of firearm for shooting wild boar is a centre-fire rifle comparable with those permitted for deer culling. However, the minimum calibre permitted for deer is considered to be inadequate to ensure a clean kill for wild boar. Police Firearms Licensing guidance suggests a calibre .270, .30-06, .308, or greater for wild boar (see Home Office; Firearms Law: Guidance to the Police, 2002). Police guidance also advises that the use of solid slug ammunition for shot guns should normally be authorised only for staff on wild boar farms.
The majority of wild boar on private land in Britain are now shot at night because current populations have learnt to become largely nocturnal as a result of hunting pressure during the day. Although not illegal as wild boar have no specific legal status, this obviously raises safety issues, although shooting often only takes place under, or close to, a full moon so that light conditions are improved. The wild boar can then be studied with a good pair of binoculars or through a good telescopic sight, and the target animal chosen. Amongst more responsible hunters there is an unwritten code of practice that no sow that is clearly lactating or has dependent young will be shot. Stalkers should target the yearling boars and sows as they provide the best meat, but others will be taken if the landowner is suffering crop or ground damage.
Wild boar shooting is also carried out from high seats, often over a bait, but boar are also being stalked on foot and at night using a powerful lamp to illuminate the target animal before a shot is taken (lamping). However, with reference to deer shooting, it should be pointed out that under Section 3 of the Deer Act 1991 it is an offence to kill or take deer at night (one hour after and one hour before sunset); a ruling that law abiding deer shooters, as opposed to poachers, strictly adhere to. Maybe, for safety reasons, similar legislation is now required for wild boar?
Surprisingly, wild boar do not always disperse in panic at the sound of a shot, even from an un-moderated rifle. Their typical behaviour pattern when startled is too run a short distance away into cover, after a warning bark is given by one of the animals, and wait for the perceived danger to pass. If it does, they often will venture out again offering other shooting chances within a short time. But if startled for a second time, a second warning bark will send them father into cover and not to return again that evening, but they may do so the following night. Sound moderators that substantially reduce the sound of the shot may even prevent the group from running away at all.
When stalking boar whilst on foot using a lamp, the technique is to stalk quietly along the edge of a wood that is adjacent to fields being used by the boar. When lamping use a red lens cover on the lamp as the boar are not so receptive to this colour and do not take fright so fast giving more time for the shot to be taken. There should always be least two people involved, one with the rifle and the other the lamp. Under a fullish moon it should be possible to see the animals as they leave the wood and as they are spotted they should be examined with binoculars to assess age and whether it is a lactating sow or has dependent young at foot. Responsible stalkers will also avoid shooting the largest sow in a group as the boar have a matriarchal society and the loss of a matriarch will be damaging to the social order of the group. If the stalker is happy that the animal might be one that can be shot he will tell the "rifle" to get ready and will then illuminate the animal with his lamp. If the boar does not immediately bolt (sometimes they do) he will make a quick check that his assessment was correct, that there is a safe background, that no other boar are in the line of fire and will then tell the rifle to take the shot. The maximum range will be about 150 yards but shots should preferably taken at less than 50 yards. After the shot the rifle will be immediately reloaded and the stalker will advise whether another shot is required or that the animal is dead.
If shooting in woodland a high seat is usually used as it can be very difficult to approach a boar on foot without frightening it before a shot can be taken. Shots taken from high seats or towers should be 100% safe as they are angled down into the ground.
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Only when it is clear that the animal is dead and there are no other boar in the immediate area should the animal be approached. A check is made to ensure that it is dead, usually touching an eyeball and watching for a reaction, and if the animal is indeed dead it is gutted and the carcass left to drain. Hunting either continues or a vehicle is bought up to carry the animal away to be prepared for the food chain. Usually game dealers prefer to take animals 'in the skin' and this is how they are delivered to the game dealer.
We thank the anonymous stalkers for providing a lot of the information on this page, if anyone else would like to express a view, please do email British Wild Boar.
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Shooting tower used for wild boar in Poland
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