| Shooting as a method of controlling wild boar | Wild boar and gun laws | Large wild boar in Britain | Code of practice |
| Communications to the web site | Census information | How not to do it! | Trichinella |
Dear Sirs,
I would love to see these beasts back in our woods, they add a complete new dimension to all our wildlife. I have been a keen shooting man all my life, and have run some large shoots in my area (Berkshire) and I have no doubt that game shooting and Wild Boar can both be a complementary asset to any estate. I traveled to the Loire last year to shoot driven Wild Boar, and found it quite the most exciting for of shooting I have ever taken part in. There the boar are flushed with hounds, very similar in looks to our Fox Hounds. The handlers select which boar is to be hunted and put the hounds onto the selected animal, which when it presents a safe shot is then shot with a very big rifle, I use a .375 H&H Magnum. I found this a most humane form of shooting, and also very selective. The French estate we were on also had a Pheasant and Partridge shoot, and it all seemed to work quite well together.
I feel that if we are going to have these animals back in the wild we should use the proven French methods of selective control. They would then be seen as a very valuable sporting asset, and be cared for, rather than be exterminated by over zealous game keepers, who would shoot them on sight out of ignorance.
Regards
Hugh
Dear Sirs,
Personally I believe that the reintroduction of the wild boar is a good thing, as they were an original species unlike the grey squirrel, and mink that do such damage to our eco system due to its inability to deal with those foreign species.
That said control methods need to be accepted and put in place for the boar. They are prodigious breeders and as with the deer of this country have no natural predators other than man, as I can’t see such a small country as Britain re-introducing wolves.
With regards to hunting / controlling the boar, since it has been 300 years since we last did this then we should take advice from the countries that did not exterminate the species and hunt them today. That means we must look to the likes of mainland Europe and the USA. Europe almost exclusively employs the driven hunt method to good effect, but this would necessitate large areas of woodland being beaten and flushed by dogs and me towards a string of hunters in line waiting for the spooked boar to run past, also resulting in shots taken on the move that frequently require a follow up shot to down the beast. I see nothing wrong with this method and it is the accepted norm in Europe, however it is designed for large areas of land with large numbers of boar in civilisations that accept hunting as part of their culture, and large heard sometimes 50 – 100 need controlling. In the USA it is more frequent for small parties of men 2 – 4 men sometimes using dogs to track. They will frequently approach the boar from downwind and get close (Due in no small part to their poor eye sight) and take the beasts from ranges of 15 – 75 yds. This is a lot more low impact form of hunting and results in the choice of beast rather than what happens to be running by.
With these methods in mind we then need to look to the equipment required. The recommendation of .300 plus calibres with bullet weights of 180 plus is reasonable but that should be employed for lone hunters taking beasts at ranges of 75 – 150 Metres. As we have seen the boar in the UK can frequently be approached by un-trained individuals to within inches rather than long rage. This could also be accomplished by hunters who could approach to within 25 Metres to ensure clean kills of appropriate beasts. At this rage the large calibre slower velocity rounds are and accepted norm within the USA, 45-70 Gov, 450 Marlin ,444 Marlin & 44 Magnum being the favoured choices. This coupled with open sights or red dot sights and lever actions ensures quick follow-up shots if needed resulting no few lost beast that need tracking as can happen with long distance and running shots.
Below is an attachment from a Texas site regarding the preferred calibres, and I believe we should not limit ourselves to our traditional hunting calibres as they are intended for Deer at medium to long range not wild boar at close to medium range.
Once again I thank you for an open minded resourceful site.
Guy Thomas
Dear Sirs,
(On the subject of people getting accidently shot out in the wilds)
Seeing deer or boar stalkers in the field is often rarer than seeing your chosen wildlife. If you really want to know about a creature why not ask the man who studies it in the field the most? This contributor knows for a fact of one boar watcher who has fed, this winter [2008] gone, over 4 tons of scrumptious rolled oats to keep a sounder of wild boar happy and healthy.The other benefactors being deer, badger and woodland wild birds.
Bear in mind also that a Boar Manager may have spent the last 6 hours sitting motionless in the frost or sleet waiting to put out of its suffering a badly injured animal from a recent car crash. Thus they might seem a bit peeved about people taking a shortcut where they should not be, and scaring off some poor beast that the Boar Manager has finally located, which may have been in agony for days. There are enough shooter tales over the years to fill a book regarding strange encounters in the wilds. Rutting small deer in the bushes have sometimes been found to be rutting horizontal humans.
The boar are a wonderful addition to our woodland wildlife and it is up to all of us to be sensible to ensure their rightful place here. Would it be too much to ask for a Close Season for them? I cannot find one person so far who would object to this. Are you really prepared, as is the case right now March 2008, to let sows that are just about to farrow be lawfully shot and thus have four or five fully formed piglets die in the womb? For heavens sake this is the UK 2008 and these highly intelligent creatures deserve better than pre-historic savagery. I note and applaud Charles's comments below - the boar need more people like him.
I am sure there are similarly thoughtfull folk out there but we tend to watch and just read -dont we?? - rather than actually spend half an hour typing with one finger to let the world know we care. If a muppet like me can get printed on this site I am sure you the reader can also help out with your views -they do count. DEFRA has recently seemingly stepped back from the debate and left the welfare of the boar in our local park so to speak.
Power to the Porkers.................but they need your help to write or type.
Regards, Gunter
Dear Sirs,
I feel that it is a great shame that people are that stupid as to shoot wild boar with shotguns, unless using solid slug, which is by the way subject to Police authorisation.
I have been stalking wild boar in Germany and here in the UK and I hold a German hunting licence (Jagdschein). In all my experience the boar once aware that they are being hunted become very shy and even the click of the safety catch on a rifle can be just enough to send them running for cover. I find the idea of lamping any animal wrong as there is no clear backdrop.
I on the other hand have adopted a German management programme, whereby I never shoot females unless they are yearlings and where there numbers are many, only then would I shoot a smaller female within the group, I would never ever shoot a leading female. In the summer months I shoot yearling males and mature boar and leave the cull of all females until well into October.
I have found that the boar in general in this country are reacting just like those in Europe and are no longer available at any time of day, the females tend to move at dusk while the mature males only move once the sun has gone down. This I think will cause a management problem in itself.
In Europe the management of boar is carried out through drives, which here in the UK will never find favour (I hope) or, which is the norm, from high seats or towers. I only use tower or ladder seats from where a safe shot can be taken at very close range, no more than 50 yards.
The whole management problem rests, not only from a general lack of knowledge, but also that of how to best shoot and to do so safely! In Europe the majority of hunters go out at full moon and shoot boar, I also do this, but I use very expensive night vision equipment so that although I shoot at night, it is in every respect no different to daylight shooting. I believe that if we do not allow some sort of regulated night shooting we will not achieve the cull figures that will keep a very robust animal under control and at manageable numbers.
I urge the following:
1. That no calibre is used under .308.
2. That all shooting must be from high seats.
3. No lamping of boar.
4. That the animal be given a close season.
5. That night shooting from high seats be allowed, provided that this is done at or very near to full
moon.
6. That the use of night vision equipment is encouraged and that "5" above be subject to the use of
NV sights.
In this way a proper management system can be implemented and control of this magnificent animal be conducted in a safe, responsible and above all tried and tested method, as is done throughout Europe.
I must say that I feel that it is a pity that DEFRA do not introduce a hunting licence like in Europe for which a proper national examination is taken, and this should include rifle and shotgun proficiency. Rather drastic maybe, but we have a duty of care and a need in the face of political pressure from anti gun and shooting groups to become highly educated, skilled in the welfare, management of wild animals and their habitat.
Best regards
Charles
Dear Sirs,
Regarding the discourse below by the gentlemen on
correct calibres for wild boar:-
both writers are probably correct. It would appear that a minimum Muzzle Energy of 2,400 ft/lbs is the
guidance at the time of writing (April 2007).
This figure is derived from the weight of the bullet multiplied by is muzzle velocity [squared] divided
by the acceleration of gravity [450,400]. For example, and using the minimum calibre generally accepted,
a .270 Winchester firing a 150 grain bullet at 2,800 feet per second would give figures of: 150 X 2,800 X
2,800 divided by 450,400 which gives 2611 ft/lbs.
Trying not to nit-pick here but there may be an anomoly regarding bullet type whereby old Big Game Hunters are adamant that only a Full Metal Jacket [FMJ] should be used on really large boar as opposed to only the expanding ammunition presently recommended.
Now a harsh reality; Evidence appears to exist in March 2007 of a badly wounded wild boar that had to be culled having been shot and only wounded with a smaller than allowed calibre bullet, resulting in days of unneccessary suffering and sadly the loss of the six fully formed piglets that she was carrying. There is apparently an ongoing investigation into this incident by the Police. The RSPCA were contacted but showed no interest 'Have not got the resources' is a pathetic response. DEFRA were informed but apparently to-date have not even responded to a request for a statement regarding the present situation regarding wild boar - that is a terrible.
Nice to see our charitable donations and taxes building large plush offices that appear to be lacking any initiative or genuine care for these magnificent creatures.
Dear Sirs,
As far as I know most of the Firearms Certificates
granted to shoot Wild Boar in Sussex are conditioned that they are to be shot from a high seat thus
ensuring maximum safety and use of backdrop. A 'Land Suitability Report' is compiled by the Firearms
Licencing Enquiry Officer for the specific details of each application and every piece of land that they
are shot on. Recommendations are put on the report as to directions of fire, whether high seats are
essential, care with footpaths, bridleways, roads, buildings, stock, etc.
It is, quite rightly, the shooters responsibility at the end of the day as to whether a shot is safe to take.
The licenced boar shooters in Sussex are to be commended for their professionalism and the largely unseen and subtle service they provide free of charge in their management of the boar. Particularly in dealing with the ones injured by cars and occasionally the odd one who gets somewhere where he should not be - such as someones domestic pig pen or allotment. Without their efforts perhaps the boar would be seen as an ever increasing nuisance rather than them having their place in the wilder parts of the countryside. The odd Keeper usually has a bit of a sense of humour about all his pheasant feeding bins being severely bashed and emptied all in one go.
Dear Sirs,
It might be worth pointing out that the calibres
referred to in Graham's notes must be just those that the East Sussex police approve. I have shot boar
with a .458 approved by West Mercia Police and there are a number of other larger calibres that the
police might approve.
Current Home Office Guidelines to Firearms Officers recommend that only rifles of .270 calibre or larger are certificated to include boar and I think that there is also a minimum bullet weight recommendation. There is no mention of any specific calibre apart from that.
I think that the .308, .270 and .30-06 might be identified by the Sussex police because they are calibres likely to be in use by local deerstalkers and approving these would not involve licencing a new weapon just for boar. I think that 6 x 55, 6 x 57, 7 x 57, .375 and .275 would all be suitable ballistically and larger than the guidelines recommendation of a minimum calibre.
|
|