Wild Boar Contraception!

[flytie]

I don't know if you guys have heard about the experiment being carried out in the Forest Of Dean near Weston Under Penyard by the Government? Defra have commissioned the Central Scientific Laboratory to catch and inject wild boar sows in this area with a "vaccine" that stops them getting pregnant. Although the vaccine is not licensed in the UK it has been approved in the US of A by their FDA and Defra have assured me that it is safe.

The reason given by Defra for this trial is the rapid expansion in the numbers of wild boar in the uk, which of course does not square with the laughable public response that DEFRA came out with when they suggested that there were only 500 wild boar in the country.

When caught the sow is injected, tattoed with " DO NOT EAT" on it and has an ear tag fitted! If you read about the vaccine the yank scientists say on their web site that the subject animal needs injecting twice in the first year then once a year thereafter. I think a 165 grain boat tail would be far more effective!

I do not know what you think about this shameful waste of public money, but I am not impressed at all.

 

Regards, flytie.

 

This lets you knoe about the dug being used on wild boar by DEFRA, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/nwrc/research...ol/gonacon.html

 

http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_...V=NR%3A030#Subj

 

Bottom link is worth a look as you will see the grant for this study is £993K

[rarms]

If they have gone to the bother of catching them, why not just turn their lights out permanently!

[Conygree]

When I read the title I thought we were all going to have to make the wild boar wear condoms?.

 

they might as well? we have heard the same proposals for pigeons, squirrels etc

Edited March 27, 2007 by pigeon popper

[webber]

Absolute waste of taxpayers money. DEFRA should be ashamed.

 

webber

[Poacher]

Disgrace.......we don't want to get on the wrong side of the animal activists now do we

[kip270]

Well a mate of mine went down to do a course in the Forest of Dean (FC ranger) and they were shown the damage they are doing, he then asked how do they control the problem, the reply was "What Boar problem" They have got their heads stuck up somewhere, and they can't see the light.

 

There is a guy on another forum who has Boar on his patch, and it took him a while for them to accept they were there and need controlling.

 

They need to be controlled and not injected, numpties

[njc110381]

This sort of thing really bugs me too. Why does man always have to come up with hi tech daft methods that look good the the leaf munchers? If boar are a problem then shoot some until the numbers are down, simple! Someone could make a tidy living (part time maybe?) by doing pay&play guided shoots when the numbers are up and selling the meat. Instead of spending money, why not try making some? Then our taxes could be better spent, catching scumbags and sorting out the hospitals etc

[Holland&Holland]

This looks to me like a very silly method. What i understand you will have to catch and inject the animal at least three times during the first two years? Apart from the fact that is really difficult it gives a lot of stress with the population itself.

In the netherlands i have experience in managing wild boar. Difficult to explain but i am the secretary of a committee of hunters who decide about the numbers of wild boar to be shot each year. We take into account the amount of food available in the woods (nuts, roots etc..), the climate and original numbers (we count our wild boar, roe, red deer etc.. every year for a couple of times to get a good understanding of their amount, physique and what they are) and sexes (amongst other things). It is almost science.

A female wild boar can raise about 3 to 6 piglets full grown (depends on circumstances, if they are really good can be up to 8). Sometimes she can get pregnant twice a year and the piglets can get pregnant in their first year. That means you will have a lot of wild boar in just one year !

So if they say they have about 500, and do not manage them, you can have for instance 200 female x 4 piglets = 800 + (200 first year female x 3 = 600) = 1400 wild boar + (original 500 - 50 dying) = total 1850 after one year So it can go really quickly.

I know we had guys over from the Forest of Dean last year to see how we manage wild boar in our woods and fields. I quess they did not learn or the british government decides otherwise.

In the case of wild boar and management it is either shoot them (with a proper plan) or fence everything in to prevent damage (and let them starve ).

[marco you missed another one]

Hi Gents,

 

Silly question for you, are you allowed to shoot wild boars?

 

Cheers

Mark

[scolopax]

IMO this is not about wild boar control, this is about wild boar extermination, its just that the goverment want to play the long game.

 

They would upset too many people if they implemented an overt eradication programme, so are trialling this scheme to see if wild boar can be wiped out gradually. There will be no major change to poopulation initially but then a rapid decline as there are no replacements for losses to disease, shooting, RTA's etc. Obvious innit?

[flytie]

Hi Gents,

 

Silly question for you, are you allowed to shoot wild boars?

 

Cheers

Mark

Mark, yes you are allowed to shoot them, if you can get your FAC conditions to permit you to. Not all the firearms authorities are keen on letting you put them onto your ticket unless you have land where they occur.

There are problems about selling carcasses, because as yet the wild boar is an unclassified quarry, DEFRA have not decided as yet if they are game or vermin. follow the link below to read the BASC response to the DEFRA consultation document;

http://www.basc.org.uk/content/basc_response_to_defra_wi

 

Ft