Wild Boar and Gun Laws




Just released! - the 'official' England and Wales Best Practice Guide for the legislation relevant to wild boar



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In a nutshell

Wild boar fall outside the scope of usual types of game or 'vermin' - having 'vermin' on your firearms certificate does not entitle you to shoot wild boar.

It is illegal to shoot wild boar in Britain without having a firearms certificate that specifically states 'wild boar' on it.

A certificate to shoot wild boar is only granted for .308 .270 and 30/06 calibre weapons. Note that solid slug ammunition for use in a 12 bore also has to be on a firearms certificate.

Before a certificate is issued, the land on which the applicant is applying to shoot wild boar on, will be surveyed for signs of wild boar.

Persons applying for FACs will have to satisfy the Enquiry Officer that they are genuine and experienced in many aspects of shootng.

Fire Arms Certificate


Wild boar stipulated on a FAC





        Advice from the Home Office to all Police Forces concerning Firearm Laws are contained in the booklet Firearms Law - Guidance to the Police. The pages where wild boar are mentined are noted below:

Page 68, section 13.25 - Other Animals: "Authority may be requested to shoot animals which fall outside the scope of usual types of game or vermin, for example feral goat or wild boar. The type of rifle authorised should be appropriate to the quarry species, for example .270, .30-06 or.308 or greater for wild boar. Hunting potentially dangerous animals with larger calibre rifles requires particular skill, and applicants should generally have experience of firearms. Applicants should put forward specific named land and a request or authority from the owner/occupier to shoot the species concerned".

Page 70, section 13.36 - Humane Killing: "The use of solid slug ammunition for shot guns should normally be authorised only for staff on wild boar farms or other farming establishments".

Page 71, section 13.38 - Slaughtering: "The slaughter of animals for human consumption will often be carried out using captive-bolt instruments that are not considered “firearms” for legal purposes. However, authorisation to possess and acquire a free-bullet slaughtering instrument may normally be granted to proprietors of slaughterhouses, knackermen, deer and wild boar farmers, master butchers, and farmers, smallholders and crofters who need to slaughter their own animals. Expanding ammunition should also be authorised for this purpose".

Just for interest, I note that the Home Office (page 77) in the section 'Good Reason to Possess a Firearm', wild boar are classed as "Larger Quarry" along with feral goat, deer, and other similar sized quarry and not as "Dangerous Game" which are lion, elephant, buffalo, bear etc. - maybe wild boar are not so dangerous after all!

boar skeleton


The bone structure of a wild boar



If you have any views on this topic or other information to add, we would be delighted to add it to this page. Site email address: British Wild Boar.

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