Redgum Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Once again the Forestry Commission has come up trumps with its knowledge on how to do things right. Over the last few years the wild Boar population in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire has steadily increase to healthy numbers. Hated by a few but loved by many the poor old Boar has been given a pretty raw deal of late even though they bring visitors to our depressed area, from tourists to night mountain bikers seeking the adrenalin rush of seeing a big grunter deep in the dark forest.No close season and night shooting allowed, nothing like the protection they get across the water. Last year the Commission slaughtered 90, this year their released figures are 153 with proposals to increase this to over 200 next year. They use the outdated defra guidelines of shooting mainly lactating sows and piglets at baited feeding stations. With an estimated population of over 350 in the forest it was decided to have a head count with high tech, army issue thermal imaging and infra red equipment to see just how many were about, though seeing many fallow and the equipment even picking up Munty fawns they only managed to count 30. After the cull of 90 last year locals noticed quite a drop in sightings yet the commission worked out this years slaughter of 153 on,what now seems to be apparenty total guesstamation. Why oh why do the forestry commission have to, once again, totally crucify a manageable and money making resourse, a couple of mates have just come back from Croatia hunting boar, a couple of grand each and they had one shot between em ( a missed one at that).Boy it makes you want to spit the way this country is so badly run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 To true mate, The Boar population should be managed as is the deer population and i don't think people sat in offices should be the ones making all the decisions. Surely the best people to devise a management plan is the people who are on the ground and know the real facts and figures not what has been read in an outdated managment strategy manual! Being from the same area as you i would love the chance to hunt wild boar in the forest, but as it is i wouldn't be surprised if there are none in the forest pretty soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted December 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 To true mate, The Boar population should be managed as is the deer population and i don't think people sat in offices should be the ones making all the decisions. Surely the best people to devise a management plan is the people who are on the ground and know the real facts and figures not what has been read in an outdated managment strategy manual! Being from the same area as you i would love the chance to hunt wild boar in the forest, but as it is i wouldn't be surprised if there are none in the forest pretty soon! As a local Deer Management Society we have tried to work with the Forestry Commission for many years but they keep their doors firmly closed and moan about using the methods they do as they are stretched on staff.Its quite common knowledge, and not just hear say as some is based on fact from ex rangers, that there is alot of STUFF going on behind closed doors. Something similar happened in Herefordshire quite a few years ago with deer, RTA's had increase as fallow numbers had risen due to poor management and trophy hunting. A product of bad management resulted in a combined operation with the Deer inititive and the local army resulting in the whole herd being shot. Luckily a few survived and the numbers are just starting to improve, the bodies involved in the operation now confess it was a total cock up. Back to the Boar, well their meat is worth to much money for them to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 I am very green around the gills when it comes to deer management as it not a branch of our sport that i have ventured into. But i hope to soon. But looking at it with little knowledge it appears quite clear that Responsible management is needed and the best people to undertake this is hunters and or hunting organisations. Like you said though the boar meat is worth a lot of money, so it all boils down to profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted December 8, 2011 Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Did they count these, FoD Boar that wondered JUST outside and caused a neighbour serious grief! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted December 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Did they count these, FoD Boar that wondered JUST outside and caused a neighbour serious grief! Your neighbours( seemingly rather along way from your house ?)garden looks remarkably like woodland to me and if it really is his garden then has he heard of fencing. Well if the thermal imaging camera missed this juvenil bunch then I still don't think it would make numbers up in the half centuries, even with your exageration Dekers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 I get them them in my back garden if forget to shut the gate , i love seeing them around the wood they only seem to get funny if people p*** them off , just one thing to add to the tread is that it also cost the forestry just over 50k a year to manage the boar ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted December 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 I get them them in my back garden if forget to shut the gate , i love seeing them around the wood they only seem to get funny if people p*** them off , just one thing to add to the tread is that it also cost the forestry just over 50k a year to manage the boar ! Manage the Boar :blink: :blink: you pulled your christmas crackers early mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 Your neighbours( seemingly rather along way from your house ?)garden looks remarkably like woodland to me and if it really is his garden then has he heard of fencing. Well if the thermal imaging camera missed this juvenil bunch then I still don't think it would make numbers up in the half centuries, even with your exageration Dekers. You have a lot to learn and you are getting boring, yes, it's a long way from my house, I travel further, someone has to deal with them, the F.C. CAN'T and WONT just outside their boundry, and just what sort of fencing would you suggest? If you have an issue with me then PM me and lets sort it out, just what are you talking about now, the fact I do it and you don't seems to grate with you. Tuff, grow up! There are loads of people who have differing or better skills than me, I don't slag them off and make inane groundless suggestions about them, I try and learn. Something you would benefit from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 The season for "goodwill to all men" well, except Pigeon Watch of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 Did they count these, FoD Boar that wondered JUST outside and caused a neighbour serious grief! I wonder what the boar wondered about? KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 I wonder what the boar wondered about? KW See what I mean!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 (edited) I wonder what the boar wondered about? KW See what I mean!? Ha Ha, yes, just goes to show that despite popular opinion I am human and make mistakes and can actually laugh about it sometimes too, I have NEVER said I'm perfect! Edited December 10, 2011 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted December 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 Well its the season of Goodwill n all Dekers and if you have a bit of spare time over the christmas period I could certainly do with your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 Well its the season of Goodwill n all Dekers and if you have a bit of spare time over the christmas period I could certainly do with your help. Strange as it may seem I have no problem potentially getting together and having a chat/shoot with you, not until the New Year for sure though. Give me a shout in a few weeks if you are serious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted December 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 Well I'm pretty serious, we are having a bit of trouble finding a fairy for the christmas tree Mate, nothing I ever say is meant to cause any bad feeling , Merry Xmas and a Happy Hunting Newyear to you and ya family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 Boar are an interesting one, highly destructive but a sporting quarry so some people will try and enhance their spread and "manage" them. Parts of europe wish they didn't have them and were they to get properly established on this little island then they would be an issue with road accidents. The biggest thing though is if we ever had another foot and mouth outbreak pigs are one of the worst and most susceptible carriers so it would make wiping it out nigh on impossible. Add to that other diseases that would cause serious issues to free range pig producers and you begin to see that a few possibly mis guided people trying to establish a UK population might not be such a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redgum Posted December 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 Boar are an interesting one, highly destructive but a sporting quarry so some people will try and enhance their spread and "manage" them. Parts of europe wish they didn't have them and were they to get properly established on this little island then they would be an issue with road accidents. The biggest thing though is if we ever had another foot and mouth outbreak pigs are one of the worst and most susceptible carriers so it would make wiping it out nigh on impossible. Add to that other diseases that would cause serious issues to free range pig producers and you begin to see that a few possibly mis guided people trying to establish a UK population might not be such a good thing. There are many debates on Wild boar, but the facts are that wild boar roamed our forests long before Fallow deer, they would have been here since there was a land bridge to the main continent. Man wiped them out then reintroduced them and wiped them out again. The boar that now roam the Forest of Dean have had a remarkable journey, through mans intervention wiped out and through mans intervention they have managed to re establish themselves once again.Personally I think to shoot them all would be a big mistake. Main land europe respect their pigs giving them a close season etc and reconise their commercial importance, if they wanted rid of them so badly then why don't they introduce our laws, or lack of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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