The Pikers Pit

Don’t know quite why but I’ve got a desire to see uk wild boar in their natural habitat and thinking about a few days this spring with my daughter trying to see them . Read that there’s a population established in Kent / East Sussex . Anyone able to give me any advice about best area to start ? Thanks in advance . pm maybe appropriate ?

Have you been to st helens

There’s are few wild boar there

Well some pigs who are out of control on a Saturday night

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 19:37 -

Don’t know quite why but I’ve got a desire to see uk wild boar in their natural habitat and thinking about a few days this spring with my daughter trying to see them . Read that there’s a population established in Kent / East Sussex . Anyone able to give me any advice about best area to start ? Thanks in advance . pm maybe appropriate ?

A quick google didnt reveal any precise locations for you, but apparently the Kent/East Sussex population is the largest in the country (1,000+ animals). Being big animals with very obvious signs of their presence they won`t be too hard to track down with a bit of homework. Read up a bit, learn about their habitat requirements then work out some areas where theyre likely to be and go looking. Much more rewarding doing it that way

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 20:18 -

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 19:37 -

Don’t know quite why but I’ve got a desire to see uk wild boar in their natural habitat and thinking about a few days this spring with my daughter trying to see them . Read that there’s a population established in Kent / East Sussex . Anyone able to give me any advice about best area to start ? Thanks in advance . pm maybe appropriate ?

A quick google didnt reveal any precise locations for you, but apparently the Kent/East Sussex population is the largest in the country (1,000+ animals). Being big animals with very obvious signs of their presence they won`t be too hard to track down with a bit of homework. Read up a bit, learn about their habitat requirements then work out some areas where theyre likely to be and go looking. Much more rewarding doing it that way

Exactly what I planned Mark , but when you live 150+ miles away and will obviously have to spend a few days in the area I was thinking a rough location tip would be helpful. Maybe someone from the area may post .

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 19:37 -

Don’t know quite why but I’ve got a desire to see uk wild boar in their natural habitat and thinking about a few days this spring with my daughter trying to see them . Read that there’s a population established in Kent / East Sussex . Anyone able to give me any advice about best area to start ? Thanks in advance . pm maybe appropriate ?

In the UK the Forest of Dean is where Id suggest. So many they have culls to regulate the population.
Enquire with the Forestry Commission for a guide as wild boar can sometimes be a little difficult, especially if they have piglets when its perhaps safer to view them from a high seat or an offroader.

In one National Park in Holland (forgot the name) they are very abundant and will come to the car to feed on bread. You can also see red squirrels at the same time.

To try and see them on foot is nigh on impossible. I fished and walked in Iberia where they were very common with tracks everywhere but all you would see was a fast disappearing back end or hear the crashing as they tore off. Beware the big males can grow really huge.


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Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 23:27 -

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 20:18 -

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07 2024 19:37 -

Don’t know quite why but I’ve got a desire to see uk wild boar in their natural habitat and thinking about a few days this spring with my daughter trying to see them . Read that there’s a population established in Kent / East Sussex . Anyone able to give me any advice about best area to start ? Thanks in advance . pm maybe appropriate ?

A quick google didnt reveal any precise locations for you, but apparently the Kent/East Sussex population is the largest in the country (1,000+ animals). Being big animals with very obvious signs of their presence they won`t be too hard to track down with a bit of homework. Read up a bit, learn about their habitat requirements then work out some areas where theyre likely to be and go looking. Much more rewarding doing it that way

Exactly what I planned Mark , but when you live 150+ miles away and will obviously have to spend a few days in the area I was thinking a rough location tip would be helpful. Maybe someone from the area may post .

Found this which might help a bit. The records are a bit dated but should help pinpoint areas worth looking at

https://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/date.html

Thanks Mark , will do a bit of research using that info. A good few years ago I walked the route of the Royal Military Canal down there with a friend and that was unlike any canal I’ve seen previously. Mostly natural banks and sometimes wooded areas maybe a decent starting place .

Mike J ……..thanks for your interest yes F of D was the place but I believe there has been ongoing serious culling there with much reduced numbers.

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 14:04 -

Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Al, in no way can domestic/farm pig that has lived in the wild be described as semi anything as once free in open countryside they revert to the wild animal very very quickly indeed. Their hair grows longer and denser, the skin and meat changes to a darker colour and boars (males) grow tusks of impressive size. Worse from the control viewpoint they become almost impossible to get close enough to shoot. It is why in NZ and USA autoloading rifles from helicopters or baited cage traps are employed.

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cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 14:04 -

Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Not semi-wild, feral. Like London's pigeons.

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09 2024 14:36 -

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 14:04 -

Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Not semi-wild, feral. Like London's pigeons.

Rude bwoy style!

Monts wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09 2024 16:04 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09 2024 14:36 -

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 14:04 -

Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Not semi-wild, feral. Like London's pigeons.

Rude bwoy style!


u3WTOgMP_HWDvEvc91ZY1Svplsg579ibw6n_dowSZMU.jpg

That's definitely feral!

What about them stealgulls at Llandudno and the likes they are ruthless
Proper little muggers chips crisp donuts nothing is safe

Mike J wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09 2024 14:29 -

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 14:04 -

Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Al, in no way can domestic/farm pig that has lived in the wild be described as semi anything as once free in open countryside they revert to the wild animal very very quickly indeed. Their hair grows longer and denser, the skin and meat changes to a darker colour and boars (males) grow tusks of impressive size. Worse from the control viewpoint they become almost impossible to get close enough to shoot. It is why in NZ and USA autoloading rifles from helicopters or baited cage traps are employed.

I should have been clearer, the wild boar you say about (not the domestic escapees) that come to the car and feed are the type of animal I would describe a "semi" wild, you probably would do well to pet one but the allure of food has got the better of them and of course they lean from their parents.

Domesticated cats are a good example of this reverting to wild and becoming feral, if an animal reverts to living in farm buildings for example, they soon develop a miss trust of people , described a semi feral and you would be very unwise to try to corner any subsequent offspring and so described as feral . In fact if kittens do not have any human contact within about 12 weeks, they will never become good "lap" pets.

Unfortunately the wild cat of Scotland has now generally been accepted to be a hybrid with domestic cats and very few animals if any are pure bloods which is a shame.

Cheers, Alan

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09 2024 14:36 -

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 14:04 -

Genetically different from the orginal UK population and with a bid of domesticated pig thrown in so they say.
Still a good thing to see (semi) wild ones.

Cheers, Alan

Not semi-wild, feral. Like London's pigeons.

As said to, Mike I was referring to the wild boar that take food by your car and the term "feral" tends to be used with domesticated creatures that have reverted to some existent back to nature, just like London's pigeons

Cheers, Alan

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08 2024 17:58 -

Mike J ……..thanks for your interest yes F of D was the place but I believe there has been ongoing serious culling there with much reduced numbers.

I hope you manage to get some views for your daughter to enjoy, expressing such an interest indicates the spark of a young ecologist has been lit which is wonderful to see for any parent.

I only became interested in them as a species when I found myself living where they were common and quickly realised they were something you had to be always aware of, especially in areas where sows may have young.
Culling is required wherever there is a wild boar population as they can carry serious diseases that can be transmitted to domestic pigs. In mainland Europe most countries admit they do not have the population under control, the Utube vids. of them roaming in German towns is something your daughter may be interested in?

Mike.

Thanks again Mike , yes been looking at some of those you tube vids , whilst I accept that control is needed as there are no predators in the UK to keep boar numbers restricted it’s disappointing that F of D numbers have been severely reduced from 1000 approx to 400 . Haven’t read much or anything about them causing problems in towns / villages in that area. Take your point about pig diseases , but if that is a serious issue surely it would be appropriate to eradicate the whole wild boar population.

Taylorgilder wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12 2024 00:16 -

Thanks again Mike , yes been looking at some of those you tube vids , whilst I accept that control is needed as there are no predators in the UK to keep boar numbers restricted it’s disappointing that F of D numbers have been severely reduced from 1000 approx to 400 . Haven’t read much or anything about them causing problems in towns / villages in that area. Take your point about pig diseases , but if that is a serious issue surely it would be appropriate to eradicate the whole wild boar population.

The FC in FoD has some excellent field staff and they have obviously given the management of the population considerable thought. The use infra-red drones to count numbers is now commonplace and provides a greater accuracy than previously. 600 from a population of 1000 might seem a high percentage but they can produce more than one litter of apx 6/year so even with half surviving to adulthood you can see how quick numbers can increase. Their presence in the forest also discourages visitors letting their dogs run loose!
What the FC wouldn't want is them getting into gardens because even a single animal can cause considerable damage and given they are usually in family groups they would quickly become more than a nuisance, eg; a friend caught one eating lettuces in his greenhouse and it just ran straight through the sidewall to escape.

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