Wild Hogs in the UK?

[jakunen]

Me, I run for the nearest climbable tree if they charge.

Erm, RA, have you seen the speed those things can achieve? Myself and Womble have adopted some Kuni-Kuni, and they have a surprising turn of speed. There were reports from the middle ages of a hunt in the Black Forest IIRC, where a number of pages were killed during a hunt and a sow was injured protecting her litter. They pages ran for trees and got litteraly run down and gored to death....

Personally I'm PRO boar, and wolf.

IIRC they did try introducing wolves to one of the Sottish islands. They swam to the mainland, were captured and returned to the island, swam to the mainland, were captured... after a few relocations I think they gave up and sent them to a country estate somewhere, Longleat?

 

[RovingArcher]

Jakunen, Oh yeah, The run for a tree was expressed more tongue in cheek than anything else. However, one of the tips I learned early is that while stalking with a bow, I should have a ready escape route by keeping a tree close that is easily climbed.

I've witnessed many hogs running full out. Boar get up to speed quickly and can easily run a man down when traveling straight line. However, and this is from visual experience only, as I've never studied this, but hogs seem to have trouble making hard/sharp turns while running full out. It seems that they make sweeping turns or stop their charge and then adjust to the new line and start their charge again, or lose interest and go about their business. Perhaps someone else can chime in that has more experience or better knowledge on this and help us out here.

 

[Snufkin]

Not wanting to mislead anyone, I have looked up section11 and have copied it here:
Section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended by Schedule 12 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 create the offences of setting self-locking snares and snares that cause bodily injury to any wild animals that come into contact with them, or using bows, crossbows or explosives to kill or capture them; using as decoys any live mammal or bird or knowingly cause or permit any of these offences to be carried out, and failing to inspect snares which have been set on a daily basis. It states:-
11(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, if any person:-

(a) sets in position any self-locking snare which is of such a nature and so placed as to be calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild animal coming into contact therewith;
(b) uses for the purpose of killing or taking any wild animal any self-locking snare, whether or not of such a nature or so placed as aforesaid, any bow or crossbow or any explosive other than ammunition for a firearm;
(c) uses as a decoy, for the purpose of killing or taking any wild animal, any live mammal or bird whatever; or
(d) knowingly causes or permits to be done an act which is mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this subsection,

he shall be guilty of an offence.

11(3) Subject to the provisions of this Part, if any person:-

(a) sets in position or knowingly causes or permits to be set in position any snare which is of such a nature and so placed as to be calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild animal coming into contact therewith; and
(b) while the snare remains in position fails, without reasonable excuse, to inspect it, or cause it to be inspected, at least once every day,

he shall be guilty of an offence.

11(4) The Secretary of State may, for the purpose of complying with an international obligation, by order, either generally or in relation to any kind of wild animal specified in the order, amend subsection (1) by adding any method of killing or taking wild animals or by omitting any such method as is mentioned in that subsection.

11(5) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1)(b) or (c) and in any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1)(d) relating to an act which is mentioned in any of those paragraphs, the animal in question shall be presumed to have been a wild animal unless the contrary is shown.

Hmmm, interesting, so you can hunt with an atlatl in the UK (except for deer, it would fall under arrow, spear or similar missile). Very interesting indeed.

 

[RovingArcher]

Hmmm, interesting, so you can hunt with an atlatl in the UK (except for deer, it would fall under arrow, spear or similar missile). Very interesting indeed.

That thought had crossed my mind as well. But figured that the atlatl fell under section 11(4), which seems to leave it completely open ended for the Secretary of State to name any weapon illegal as circumstances dictate. Or, am I misunderstanding what it says?

 

[tomtom]

Personally, I like the idea of the boar returning back to England. My dream is to see the wolf return to our countryside, does anyone else agree? Bearing in mind the uninformed bad press the poor wolf has had. :Thinkingo

you guys might want to see this then http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=3624&page=3

did wild boars ever actually disappear completely in britian? i thought it was just that their numbers are on the up, due to farming them??

and as far as bow hunting goes there was a cop at my old archery club who reckoned that if you shot anything that is alive in the UK with a bow its illegal!

 

[Ed]

and as far as bow hunting goes there was a cop at my old archery club who reckoned that if you shot anything that is alive in the UK with a bow its illegal!

Yep that is quite correct.... The laws are posted in this thread above ;-)

Ed

 

[Realgar]

boar were totaly wiped out about 400 years ago along with the wolf, the beaver ( ok that was more like 900 years ago ) and the dear old bear ( how come noone ever wants those reintroduced ). The only problem with the reintroduction is sheer size - our native strain was a lot smaller than the ones now roaming which came from Polish stock.

Realgar

 

[leon-1]

and the dear old bear ( how come noone ever wants those reintroduced ). The only problem with the reintroduction is sheer size - our native strain was a lot smaller than the ones now roaming which came from Polish stock.

Realgar

Maybe the bear is the same issue, those that would now survive / propogate have evolved into something bigger and as such cause a threat to a lot of other creatures including man :?:.

Who knows :?:

 

[Realgar]

cause a threat to a lot of other creatures including man :?:.

Who knows :?:

Well we are over populated and it it would seem a natural way to deal with the situation....

 

[Snufkin]

That thought had crossed my mind as well. But figured that the atlatl fell under section 11(4), which seems to leave it completely open ended for the Secretary of State to name any weapon illegal as circumstances dictate. Or, am I misunderstanding what it says?

Reading laws makes my head hurt but I think it means it's not illegal but the Secretary of State can ammend the act to make it so.

 

[Martyn]

Hi...

Check this out!!!
http://users.skynet.be/fa011459/lion.wmv
Though this is a lion it is worth watching.

Shame the Lion didn't take his head off, I cant abide killing for sport.