Boar hunting

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Tusks of a male wild boar, hunting trophy

Boar hunting is generally the practice of hunting wild boars, but can also extend to feral pigs and peccaries. A full sized boar is a large strong animal armed with sharp tusks which defends itself strongly. Boar hunting has often been a test of bravery.

1 Wild boar
2 Methods
3 History
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Wild boar

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig. It is native across much of Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's Atlas Mountains) and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia, and has been widely introduced elsewhere.

Currently wild boars are hunted both for their meat and to mitigate the damage they cause to crops and forests. A charging boar is considered exceptionally dangerous quarry, due to its thick hide and dense bones, making anything less than a kill shot a potentially deadly mistake. Hunters have reported being butted up into trees by boars that have already taken a glancing shot.

Floor mosaic, 4th century CE, from a Roman villa near Mérida, Spain

[edit] Methods

[edit] Pigsticking

Pigsticking was a form of boar hunting done by groups of spearmen on horseback using a specialized boar spear. The boar spear was fitted with a cross guard to stop the enraged animal driving its pierced body further down the shaft in order to attack its killer before dying.

In India, pigsticking, was popular among the Maharajas, and with British officers during Victorian and Edwardian times.^[1] According to the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, it was encouraged by military authorities as good training because "a startled or angry wild boar is ... a desperate fighter [and therefore] the pig-sticker must possess a good eye, a steady hand, a firm seat, a cool head and a courageous heart." Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement wrote a book on the subject^[2] In Lessons from the Varsity of Life he says that "I never took the usual leave to the hills in hot weather because I could not tear myself away from the sport." To those who condemned it, he said "Try it before you judge. See how the horse enjoys it, see how the boar himself, mad with rage, rushes wholeheartedly into the scrap, see how you, with your temper thoroughly roused, enjoy the opportunity of wreaking it to the full. Yes, hog-hunting is a brutal sport—and yet I loved it, as I loved also the fine old fellow I fought against." Michael Rosenthal quotes him as saying "Not only is pig-sticking the most exciting and enjoyable sport for both the man and horse as well, but I really believe that the boar enjoys it too."

Willie Rushton suggests that Baden-Powell's love of pig-sticking is a good reason for any self-respecting boy scout to "hand in [his] woggle and garters".

Spear hunting for razorbacks is practiced in some parts of the U.S. although it is uncommon.

[edit] Elephants

In Persia aristocratic hunters used elephants to chase the boars and encircle them in marshland. The hunter would then use a bow to shoot the boars from a boat. Elephants carried the bodies to the hunting camp. The rock reliefs of these scenes have remained largely intact in Taq-e Bostan.

[edit] Hunting dogs

Sport with Dogs.–"How the Wild Boar is hunted by means of Dogs." Facsimile of a miniature in the manuscript of the Livre du Roy Modus (14th century). Depicts mounted hunters and catch dogs.

Hunting dogs have been used to hunt boar since ancient times. Boar hunting dogs are loosely divided into two categories, bay dogs, and catch dogs.

Bay dogs harass and harry the boar, keeping it cornered in one place, while intensely vocalizing. This behavior is known as "baying" or keeping the boar "at bay". The bay dogs vocalizing alerts the hunter(s) to the bay, and the dogs maintain a slight distance from the boar allowing the hunter(s), once caught up, to dispatch the boar with a well placed rifle shot. Bay dogs are typically Cur dogs such as the Leopard Cur, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Blackmouth Cur, Catahoula and trailing scent hounds such as the Walker Hound, Foxhound, Plott Hound, and the Berner Niederlaufhund also called a small Swiss Bernese Hound is considered the "Best Hunting Dog" in the World; specializes in hunting Wild Boars, as well as bears, mountain lions and other big game.

Roman relief, c. 3rd century of hunting wild boar with a bay dog.

Catch dogs physically take hold of the boar, typically seizing the base of the boar's ear. Once the catch dogs have physical control of the boar, they will hold it down by the head indefinitely until the hunter arrives. The hunter then comes in from behind the boar, and dispatches the boar with a knife or spear. Catch dogs are typically "Bully" breeds such as the American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and other molossers such as the Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso and smaller Mastiff crosses.

Popular "hog dogs" in the U.S. include Blackmouth Curs, Catahoulas, Pit Bulls, Walker Hounds, and purpose bred crosses. Popular "pig dogs" in Australia include Staghounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Greyhound crosses, various Terriers, and purpose bred crosses.

It is not unusual for hunters to utilize both bay and catch dogs in the same hunt. Bay dogs are used to find the boar, initiate the chase, and pursue the quarry. Typically the boar will run from the curs at first; but at some point during the chase either stop to fight or become cornered. At this point catch dogs are released to keep the boar stationary for the hunter.

[edit] History

In Sweden, boars were hunted to extinction in the 18th century. In the 1970s, they became feral, and in 1987 parliament decided them to be part of the natural fauna. Boars are hunted around the year for recreation and population control. ^[3]

It is known as "pig hunting" in Australia and New Zealand^[4] In these two countries the "baying" of the dogs is colloquially referred to as "bailing".^[5]

It is known as "hog hunting" in the South of the United States.^[6]

The Weiser Weight and Tusk Trophy Wild Boar Record Book records hunting records by the "Weiser Weight & Tusk" scoring system or "WWT."^[7] The scoring system works focuses on body weight and tusk size.