Wild Boar Hunts

Wild Boar hunts can be very exciting. The Wild Boar is one of the smartest animals on the globe. Wild boar hunting can be exciting to hunt because they have a reputation for enjoying hunting the hunter as much as the hunter likes to hunt them. They have an amazing sense of smell even though they are known to have poor eyesight. They also tend to have a volatile attitude and are easy to provoke. All of these things can make for very exciting wild boar hunt for the brave hunter.

Wild boar are from the family of pig. They live in the forests and woodlands of southern and central Europe, northwestern Africa, through Asia to Siberia to Sri Lanka. They are also found in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. They can be found in the USA but were introduced and are not native.

Even though these animals can grow to be very large they are able to move very quickly. The male animals have strong, sharp tusks and are considered very dangerous due to their somewhat vicious attitudes.

Wild boar mate primarily in two seasons: one in winter, December through February and the other in early summer. When a sow is in heat the males gather from miles around and there is much fighting and slashing of tusks. They typically aim for the shoulder of the other boar. They tend to travel in family groups or herds, much like deer and elk, usually consisting of 50 or more animals. These groups are actually called “sounders”. These animals live to be 15-25 years old.

Their litters consist of 4-12 piglets. The piglets are striped until about 6 weeks of age. After their first week on mother’s milk they are able to follow mom around. The piglets are weaned around the age of 3 months and leave home after about a year. These animals are considered full grown at the age of five or six.

They have few natural enemies but occasionally are taken by alligators, mountain lion, or bears. But typically it is the younger pigs that are taken.

Wild Boar were brought into the states in the late 1800’s from Germany. Later in the early 1900’s Russian wild boar were released in Tennessee. They are currently known to exist in 23 states.

Wild boar and their cousins the feral pig are considered “exotic pests”. Exotic because they are not native to the states and pests because they destroy the forest with their rooting and the water habitats with the wallows they create near lakes and streams.

These hunts are a battle of wits. Humans must be careful when hunting these animals as they are known to enjoy hunting humans as well.

When hunting Wild Boar, you must consider certain factors. You will want to consider the area and land on which you will be hunting. You also must consider where the animals live and how far out they travel. What size of boar are you expecting to kill and what will it take to kill that size animal?

Once you have shot your animal be sure to be cautious approaching the downed animal. This will insure that you remain safe and do not come into contact with the dangerous tusks, should it still have some life in it.

Taking the time to think through and plan for these things, as well as getting to know your prey, help insure that you have a safe, happy and successful Wild Boar hunt.