Wild Boar Hunting in California and Worldwide

Some Stale News About Unruly Boar

noreply@blogger.com (PJJ) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:51:46 PST

Old news – maybe. But it could have happened today. In fact, similar events happen basically every day somewhere in the world.

These reports were published in a German magazine for hunters aptly named “Jagderlebnis”, that is Hunting Experience.

Police kill thirteen boar in a garage – Animal rights activists press charges against the cops.

A sounder of thirteen wild boar fled from a battue (drive hunt) into nearby commercial area in Wuerzburg (Bavaria) where they found a garage in the work yard of a stonemason. Fearing for their safety workers locked the animals into the garage. Then they called police.

The well equipped cops arrived in force. Together with hastily summoned hunters they opened the garage doors and 'invited' the boar to leave.

The boar stubbornly refused to accept the offer. After some lengthy discussion among themselves the sows decided instead that a garage in a commercial district is a safer place for themselves and their young than a forest during a battue. Even when police stopped freeway traffic and opened a safe corridor for the boar to retreat out of town into an adjacent habitat without a hunting drive in progress the sows doggedly refused the well meant offer.

At which point the police determined that because of safety concerns the wild boar needed to be shot. All thirteen animals were killed.

Animal rights activists from nearby Wuerzburg promptly pressed charges against police. They argued that authorities could have kept the garage locked till nightfall and then opened it to allow the boar to flee. German law forbids the killing of vertebrates 'without reasonable cause'.

The Bavarian prosecutor dismissed all charges as expected.

Comment: Hunters in German, as in many other European countries, are threatened by ever increasing attempts to outlaw hunting totally. Currently battues are under attack because of the great number of automobile accidents that occur in areas where such a drive is taking place and because of the high percentage of badly injured animals. The German law regulating hunting and hunters was written and became law during the Nazi regime.

Wild Sow Devastates Living Room

Retired police officer Heinz K. was cleaning his fireplace when he noticed a fully grown sow right in his living room. The sow was as startled as the policeman and attempted to run back out again. In the process she knocked over chairs, ripped the curtains while trying to jump out of the window, splattered potted plants and their containers all over the floor and finally, on the second round of escape attempts, ran through the closed glass door right next to the open patio door. She finally disappeared in the near forest.

Heinz K. now is sitting on a substantial repair bill for damages to the living room and the furniture. His insurance company argues that his household insurance does not cover damage caused by wild boar.

Hunter Shoots Hunter

During a drive on wild boar a 61 year old hunter shot at and missed a fleeing boar. He followed up with a second shot but apparently swung too far and hit his 71 year old neighbor instead. He was stationed about 85 yards away on a line with the first hunter. The 71 year old died at the scene.

Woman Kills Ten Boar In One Fell Swoop

A 30 year old woman was driving her Opel Corsa on a highway near a small town in Bavaria when a sounder of 25 boar crossed right in front of her. Ten boar were killed. The driver was not injured. Damage to the vehicle mounted to 3,000 Euro.

According to law the dead animals belong to the owner of the local hunting lease. He collected the dead animals but did not have reimburse the driver for the damage to her car.

Enough for today. As you can see wild boar are up to much mischief even without the outbreak of trichinosis in certain parts of the country.

PJJ

Boar In The News – January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (PJJ) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:28:54 PST

Boar In The News

January 2012 did not produce very many news article about wild boar. I guess the boar are still busy making more boar or raising early litters.

In Australia a dead boar made news because of the way his body was disposed and where it occurred.
At the Australia Zoo a huge saltwater crocodile and a wild boar (actually a feral pig) together became the main attraction of Steve Erwin Day 2011.
The article appeared in January 2012. It follows here in full.
“Charlie pigs out in the Crocoseum

A massive summer school holidays was topped off this week with Charlie the 12ft saltwater crocodile being fed a whole wild boar carcass in the Crocoseum!
Terri, Bindi and Robert watched in awe as Wes tossed Charlie the boar on a rope, and after several minutes of tugging and death-rolling, Charlie won the day.
It was the very first time we have ever showcased a whole animal feed in the Crocoseum, and the packed stands were enthralled for almost half an hour while Charlie dismantled his lunch.
Because the pig was too large for Charlie to swallow whole, he first needed to loosen it up with his immense teeth and jaw pressure. After that, all it took was a few headshakes, and voilà! Charlie must have thought it was Christmas all over again.
Feeding our crocs whole carcasses is really important to keep them active and stimulated, as it mimics their natural behaviour and is how they would feed in the wild.
Charlie, who weighs around 350kg, was rescued from a facility north of Australia Zoo in 2002 by Steve, Terri, Wes and the croc crew. He and Steve later perfected the tail-walk demonstration, prompting Steve to choose Charlie to appear in many scenes of his movie Collision Course.”

While searching for articles about boar in the news worldwide, I stumbled on this story published by WCYB.com in Bristol, VA. It is noteworthy because it shows how motherly instincts can transcend the limits of species. I re-publish it here in full length.

Frenchie Adopts Wild Boar Piglets

"Six abandoned wild boar piglets have found a new home with a bulldog at an animal sanctuary in Germany.
The French bulldog named Baby took to the piglets right away when they were brought in last weekend, shivering from the cold after being abandoned in a forest, officials at the Lehnitz animal sanctuary outside Berlin told The Associated Press.When the striped piglets were brought in, Baby ran over and started snuggling them and keeping them warm, sanctuary worker Norbert Damm told the AP."She thinks they're her own babies," he said.

The piglets, whose mother was likely killed by a hunter, weighed less than 2 pounds when they were brought to the sanctuary, but are being bottle-fed and growing well, Damm said.They won't be released into the wild, but could be set free in a nature reserve in about three months if they continue to thrive, he said."
WCYB.com 02/16/2012

Back in England there is good news for boar in the Forest of Dean according to an article published in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review on January 25, 2012.

At last, good news for the boar!

“The Forestry Commission has suspended the cull of wild boar until September, a move welcomed by many, including myself.

Campaigning for a closed season on the culling of this animal has been high on my agenda for a few years now. This is a fantastic day for everyone who cares about the welfare of our wildlife in the Forest of Dean.
The suspension of the cull does not mean that we will see wild boar roaming our streets and overrunning our forest. In fact, if given time, it will prove to be the opposite as the boars will be able to breed and wean their young without the threat of being hunted. This in turn will help sustain and stabilise a healthy population, reducing the risk of disease, which comes hand in hand with the over culling of most kinds of animals.
The vast majority of wild boar births happen in the spring after a gestation period of four months; after birth the young are weaned for between three and four months, so September is the correct time to manage them, if this proves necessary.
What numbers can our Forest naturally sustain? The answer to this has to be based on scientific data, not numbers plucked out of the sky, or a number which sounds right.
One thing is for sure; they are here and while they are here they should be treated properly, not persecuted. . .” Rob Ward, January 2012

Centuries ago original wild boar became extinct in England and adjacent countries mainly due to overhunting. Only recently have escapees from boar ranches reestablished a wild boar population in England. Now the first wild boar were also spotted in Ireland. The 'newcomers' face a somewhat mixed welcome.
“The animal is renowned for uprooting native flora and spreading disease amongst farm animals. I think it is a serious concern for agriculture and also there is potential for spreading disease,” states Barry Coad, wildlife manager of Coillte Ireland's forests and nature reserves, quickly adding “"quite widespread throughout the country".

Now the Irish Wildlife Trust has come out in favor of the boar.

Irish wild boar population 'not invasive'

“The Irish Wildlife Trust says it objects to the current classification of wild boar as an invasive species in Ireland.
It follows a number of sightings of the animal in Ireland in recent years.
These are thought to have been illegally released, possibly for the purpose of hunting.
Last month, a wild boar was reported to have been trapped and killed in the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Wild boar became extinct in Ireland in pre-historic times, due to overhunting and deforestation.
The IWT says the animal's current invasive classification "does not fit the definition of an invasive species as laid out by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)".
"We feel that this move confuses members of the public about what an invasive species actually is, making it more difficult to raise awareness about the threats from actual invasives, such as grey squirrel, rhododendron and zebra mussel," the group said.
Invasive Species Ireland lists wild boar as one of its "most unwanted" invasive species, as they are "known to damage crops, gardens, amenity areas as well as potentially spreading disease".
The IWT says if a population of wild boar is now established in Ireland, then it would like a study to be conducted on the "purity of animals", genetic origin, disease status and habitat availability for such a population.”
RTE News/Ireland January 11, 2012.

More from Ireland.

Extinct wild boar returns to Ireland
“Biodiversity Ireland has received numerous reported sightings of wild boars this year in Ireland – despite the fact that the animal has been extinct in Ireland since the Middle Ages.. .

Speaking to the Irish Times, Invasive Species Ireland expressed their concern that the boar could "expand unchallenged" in Ireland.

The Irish wolf was traditionally the boar’s natural predator, but with its absence in the natural habitat, the boar is free to roam the green fields of Ireland...
A 396 lb boar was shot just beside a school playground in South Tipperary this year. Coad personally captured nine boars in Kilkenny and Wicklow. According to Coad, the boar poses a threat to Ireland's agriculture...
The wild boar features prominently in several Ancient Irish myths. Fionn Mac Cumhaill was a legendary Celtic warrior, and it is said that he lured his enemy Diarmuid Ua Duibhne to a gory death by a wild boar.”
Donal Thornton,IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Let us leave January boar alone before we get too deeply immersed in Irish lore.
PJJ

More Funds For Environmental Improvement and Acquisition Projects

noreply@blogger.com (PJJ) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:08:48 PST

February 23, 2012 DFG release
At its Feb. 23 quarterly meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved $17.9 million in grants funding to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California. Some of the 13 funded projects will provide benefits to fish and wildlife species, including some endangered species, and others will provide public access opportunities to important natural resources. .. The funds … these projects come from recent bond initiatives approved by the voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources.
Some of the funded projects include:

A $263,000 grant to Watsonville Wetlands Watch for a cooperative project with the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the City of Watsonville and the Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District to restore approximately six acres of riparian habitat located along Struve Slough, West Struve Slough and Hanson Slough in Santa Cruz County.

A $2.4 million grant to the Pit Resource Conservation District for a cooperative project with DFG to restore approximately 1,500 acres, protecting approximately 1,085 intact wetlands from increased head-cutting, and integrating the water delivery system to meet downstream water rights and management of seasonal wetlands on DFG’s Ash Creek Wildlife Area in Lassen and Modoc counties.

A $1.2 million grant to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 1,622 acres of diverse native forests and riparian areas which include Port Orford cedar and Douglas fir habitat corridor linkages within the Willow Creek watershed, a salmonid stream and tributary to the Trinity River, in Humboldt County.

A $5.5 million grant to the River Partners for a cooperative project with the California Natural Resources Agency, Department of Water Resources, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Public Utility Commission and Tuolumne River Preservation Trust to acquire in fee approximately 1,603 acres of valley floodplain and riverine habitat for the protection of habitat for special status species including Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and riparian brush rabbits, and to provide future wildlife-oriented public use and recreational opportunities in Stanislaus County. “

Funding wildlife habitat restoration and preservation and related projects is great news for most of us. However, I wonder when we will see some projects in Southern California. We have nature lovers, hikers and people interested in wildlife in this part of California as well. Don't you think so?
PJJ

Wild Pig Hunting Clinic in Monterey County

noreply@blogger.com (PJJ) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:33:36 PST

April 21,2012 in King City

The California Department of Fish and Game in cooperation with the Advanced Hunter Education Program will hold a one day hunting clinic at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Like all other advanced hunting clinics this seminar will also cover “. . . pig biology, hunting techniques and requirements, methods for locating wild pigs, locations to hunt, and field dressing and care of game.”
The class size is limited. Young hunters of 16 years of age or under can participate for free provided they are accompanied by an adult. The clinic costs $ 45.00.
Class materials will be made available upon registration or before the clinic. Ten dollars will buy you a wild pig BBQ lunch.
Registration forms are here: www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/index.aspx.
PJJ

PS: Remember the three upcoming clinics in March.
Wild turkey March 3, 2012
Wilderness Survival Clinic March3 and 4, 2012
Orienteering Clinic March 18, 2012

See details in my reports posted in this publication or go directly to the DFG website.

An Important Reminder For Book Buyers

noreply@blogger.com (PJJ) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:10:17 PST

This publication and much of my other work related to wild pig and boar hunting is sustained through the sale of my books. I thank you for each and any book ordered. It helps defray the cost of maintaining our sites.

We want you to receive the book(s) you ordered as soon as possible. It takes about 24 hours to send the books to you via e-mail. If all goes well and there is no holiday weekend in between. Most of the time we beat the clock hands down. But once in a while a case makes our life hard and drives me mad. They usually involve a flawed e-mail address or unreasonable expectations.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks we have experienced a flurry of more or less imperfect orders. I have therefore posted a reminder on our main website wildboarbook.com listing again the most frequent reasons for delayed or impossible order execution.

Summing it up briefly:
1. Books are delivered as .pdf files or mp3 files for audio versions by e-mail.
2. You MUST give us a valid e-mail address or we cannot deliver any book to you.
3. You MUST make sure that there are no restrictions on your e-mail account, such as size limitations for attachments or no attachments at all, (especially if you still use an AOL e-mail account).

This does NOT apply to books ordered from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. They are delivered directly in a format that is specific to their digital readers - Kindle or NOOK.

Go to wildboarbook.com if you want to read about some windmills we had to fight recently.
Sorry about the rant. It was necessary.
PJJ