Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs: Did You Know . . .

That boar and wild pigs are the best land mine detectors? The superb noses of boar enable them not only to find truffles and other delicacies up to 2 feet underground but also to sniff out hidden land mines without fail. Humans living in countries that are infested by land mines have learned that boar trails are always clear of mines even when the trail goes straight into and through a mine field. They follow the trails and tracks of boar to navigate safely through mine fields and other dangerous areas with explosives.

Advanced Hunting Clinics in 2010

New and expanded schedule and topics.

My readers know that I am very much in favor of the advanced hunting clinics held by the California Department of Fish & Game in conjunction with Pacific Hunter Education Association and other organizations.

The clinics cover many of the basic hunting skills beyond the mandatory basic hunter education. They are presented by experienced hunters and professionals from DFG and cosponsoring associations.

In 2010 there will be a total of 19 clinics all over California on a wide variety of hunting topics. The goal of this expanded series is “...taking the hunter a step beyond the basic Hunter Education course” by developing “ethical, conservation-minded, successful hunters through education”.

“The series includes sessions on how to hunt turkey, upland game, waterfowl, and big game. Topics covered in each clinic include type of firearm, ammunition, importance of sighting in the firearm, gauging distance, scouting, tracking, field dressing, shoot-don't shoot scenarios, hunter ethics, landowner-hunter relationships, conservation, and safety” according to the Department of Fish & Game.

Survival techniques and land navigation are other important topics. Each and every hunter who goes out on his own into the wilderness should be thoroughly familiar with these topics. Your life might depend on it.

Wilderness survival clinics are scheduled for early May and late June. The June clinic will be held by two members of the El Dorado Search and Rescue team and includes real life situations and hands-on experiences.

Other interesting clinics, besides the standard big game hunting, turkey, waterfowl and upland game classes, are specialized clinics for black powder, bow hunting and marksmanship. Hunters who use dogs might be interested to learn more about first aid for hunting dogs. And let us not forget the clinic on Game care and cooking!

Wild pig hunting clinics are scheduled for June at the Russian River Sportsman Club, Duncan Mills in Sonoma County and in July at the Tejon Ranch..

You find the detailed schedule of clinics and a description of individual clinics at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced.

PJJ

Did You know . . .

That boar raid agricultural crops, suburban yards and trash cans commonly only after all mast (mainly acorn and beech) has been consumed and new sources for mast are no longer available? Polish scientists furthermore found that the amount of damage to crops depends more on the absence of mast than on the density of the boar population in a given area (Acta Theriologica 15 (24-31): 447-458).

Boar prefer potatoes and oats, where cultivated, over other cultivated crops. In California they also found grapes to their liking.

Prohibition Against Remote Handgun Ammunition Purchase Coming Soon.

Countdown to an ill-conceived law has started.

In October of 2009 the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 962. It prohibits remote handgun ammunition purchases starting in 2011. The bill also mandates collecting a great deal of information from every customer for all handgun ammo purchases.

Bill from Custom Cartridge, Inc in Goleta, CA points out the obvious:

“Finding high quality ammunition in numerous calibers is only possible via remote sales; local gun stores just can't carry the variety of calibers needed, nor do [most of them] . . . stock high precision ammo. . .”

Custom Cartridge in Goleta manufactures a line of high powered, high precision ammunition for handguns and for rifles. Their selection comprises a great number of calibers, hunting calibers, target ammunition and special 'duty' ammo for police and law enforcement in general. Of course, they also have lead-free ammo for many, if not most, of the hunting calibers, including lead-free frangible projectiles.

Check with DFG before you use frangible bullets to make sure they can be used legally on the type of game you are planning to hunt.

In July of 2009 July 12, 2009, Remington Premier Copper Solid Rifle, Premier Copper Solid Sabot Slugs and Premier Disintegrator Varmint lines of ammunition were approved by the California Department of Fish and Game for use within the range of the California condor. DFG publishes a list of approved lead-free ammunition on their website.

The trend to lead-free bullets, frangible bullets and other 'green' ammunition is a worldwide phenomenon. The German Forestry Department, for example, is pressuring hunters incessantly to switch to that type of ammunition. And so do other members of the European Union. The Foresters are not only demanding the use of lead-free bullets but also promote heavily the use of frangible projectiles. Up to a certain degree, it makes sense. German hunting leases are relatively small and more often than not located in densely populated areas very close to human population centers. Furthermore, most German forests have a well established and maintained infrastructure that is used by hikers, environmentalists, bird watchers, campers and a host of other interested parties. They all have unfettered access to forests at any time. Hunters in such popular and well used environments need by necessity take into account the effect of a misplaced bullet or one that pierces the game completely on visitors in the forest.

Though American made bullets and ammunition is readily available to European hunters, there is also a very strong group of hunters who reload their own ammunition. Small specialty reloading companies offer the components of high precision, high power ammunition very much like Custom Cartridge does here in California. These manufacturers and resellers also develop, test, produce and sell frangible bullets. Most of the projectiles are made of pure copper or are a compound of mainly copper with other metals that facilitates disintegration of the projectile. There is also a variety of copper variations on the hollow point projectile. These bullets have built in or precut break lines designed to make them expand in a predetermined pattern.

The projectiles often are complemented by a carefully determined load that allows for a relatively shallow depth of penetration thus eliminating the danger of over penetration or passing through game completely.

European countries have an age-old tradition of keeping and raising game species in securely fenced large enclosures. While the animals were used during large hunting spectaculars in the past, nowadays rare and endangered animals are raised in these enclosures for release into the wild.

Hunting ranches like Big Horn and some of the Native Hunt ranches could be considered Californian equivalents, except that Big Horn does not raise game there. Native Hunt ranches do.

Animals living on game enclosures are neither domestic and tame nor are they completely wild. But they still display the characteristics of their truly wild cousins. Population control within high fence game areas must therefore be done carefully without disturbing the animals unduly or shocking their natural development by violent and noisy efforts during the unavoidable culling of animals. Wildlife managers responsible for these game enclosures are using special frangible bullets over relatively weak loads as well as silencers to achieve quick, silent kills.

We will examine the European version of 'hunting ranches' and the weapons used to harvest game confined on them in more detail in a separate post.

Back to the ban on remote sales for handgun ammunition.

Assembly Bill AB962 to me is just another one of those bills that make politicians and activists feel good, but aggravate the law abiding consumer without preventing criminal minds from getting their illicit ammunition – remote or via direct purchase. I have always been dumbfounded by the apparent inability of politicians, activists and law enforcement to see and understand that a criminal mind does not adhere to laws in the first place – or they would not be criminals. You can not prevent a determined criminal to get something or do something simply by prohibiting it. And just in case you are thinking of the silly law as a measure against terrorist: They are getting their arsenal of weapons and destructive materials on the world's unpoliced gray markets not in local gun store.

Most European countries control handguns very strictly, sometimes making it nearly impossible for a citizen to acquire one. Yet, there are great numbers of handguns in European countries. The infamous German 'Bader Meinhoff Gang' did not have any problems whatsoever to acquire their 'weapons of mass destructions' (submachine guns). None of the many laws has proven effective in preventing the availability of handguns on the gray market.

AB962 is just another 'feel good' law that allows politicians to demonstrate their resolve to protect us citizens from criminal elements and terrorists.

In fact, I have my doubts that its true intent really is to make it difficult for scoff laws to acquire ammunition. Rather it is only one in a long line of laws passed or still to come that use a 'worthy cause' to limit the rights of citizens and hunters. First there was a law to make shot used on migratory birds lead free in order to prevent ill effects on humans and birds alike. Then we got the condor law to get lead out of condors by preventing them from consuming lead infested carrion. (Forget about the other dangerous metals used in lead-free projectiles). Protecting the Desert Tortoise requires yet another prohibition and on and on it goes. The overall goal is to limit possession of weapons and to eliminate hunting completely.

As I said, this movement is worldwide and it is not going away anytime soon.

The NRA has a petition drive going. You find the details on their website or on the Custom Cartridge website http://www.customcartridge.com. An on line version of the petition is here: http://www.calnra.com/petition.

By the way, if you need to stock up on lead-free high precision ammo for your next hunt consider that Custom Cartridge has a special discount offer for you. As Becky, the sales voice of the company, points out in a press release they have special discounts on purchases of their Orion ammo until February 14, 2010. Each purchase of two boxes of Orion ammo comes with a discount of 15%; if you refer a friend, there is another 7 percent discount. Your purchase will be shipped around April 1, 2010. Details are on their website.

PJJ

Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs: Did You Know . . .

That male boar attack head down? The boar will charge head down, then strike with his tusks sideways in an upward motion. After the vicious, brief attack and a hit boar usually stop the attack and leave the victim alone. Unless of course they are further provoked.

Because of the slashing attacks against human legs, small agile boar are in many countries called "pants mender".

Sows, on the other hand, attack mouth wide open, much like a crocodile. They bite with considerable force. If the victim falls or is prone for any other reason, they will not stop the attack but instead bite repeatedly – and sometimes even devour the victim.

PJJ

Wild Pigs Running Wild In Great Smoky Mountains Park.

Boar and wild pigs are taking over the park bringing with them pseudo rabies, swine brucellosis, hepatitis and other unsavory diseases that could threaten the domestic swine industry. They also eat salamanders, native plants, mess up the soil and, oooooooohhhhhhhhhh, defecate into little streams and creeks, say Park biologists according to an article published recently by Morgan Simmons in the Knox News.Sentinel and knoxnews.com.

Boar made their first appearance in the Great Smokey Mountains Park in the 1940s after they escaped from a game reserve. The original boar intermingled with feral pigs so that boar in the Park today are essentially hybrid wild pigs. They are doing so well in the park that in 2009 a special boar control team removed 620 wild pigs from the park by trapping and hunting. Only twice in the past were more boar eliminated from the park.

Wild pig populations in the Park spiked in 2009 because of excellent mast crops. When mast is plentiful, sows produce larger litters and have more than one per year.

Hunters are not allowed to hunt in the Park, of course, except at The Big South Fork and the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. However, hunting wild pigs at South Fork is allowed only during the deer season while at the Wildlife Management Area boar can be hunted on private land during deer season and during special hunts. Thus, in 2009 a total of 77 wild pigs were harvested in that area.

This article demonstrates again the difficulties authorities have controlling wild pig populations in and around national and state parks because of self-imposed limitations. Hunting in the Smokey Mountains Park is not allowed; that gives the boar a safe haven and retreat to reproduce unchecked. Where hunting is allowed, it is confined to private land and special hunts. And the paid professional hunters and trappers are not going to cut it either. Guys, those tactics just won't do.

It takes some backbone to see that only sustained hunting of the wild pigs in their natural retreats will make a dent in their populations. That requires access to public and private land most of the year.

If authorities really believe that the wild pigs are spreading disease, endanger domestic pig production, eat wildlife and mess up pristine creeks, than bold and maybe unpopular decisions must be taken – even in the face of vociferous opposition of animal rights people and environmentalists. The only real and most efficient enemy of wild pigs are human hunters.

Therefore, it is either hunting in the Park and year round on private and public land or ineffective hand wringing while the boar merrily making more boar.

PJJ.

Two Of Six Boar Released Into Scottish Estate Succumb To Extreme Cold.

Update

In November of 2009 we reported about an experiment to use boar for bracken control. Trees for Life, a Scottish charitable group to preserve the environment, released boar from the Highland Wildlife Park into an enclosed research area to study the effects of boar rooting on bracken growth.

The extremely cold weather on the Dundreggan Estate killed on young boar. A second animal became also gravely ill. It was taken in for treatment with antibiotics. They did not improve or turn around his condition. Consequently, the boar had to be put down humanely.

The loss demonstrates two things in my opinion: First, even hardy native species suffer losses from harsh weather and other unfavorable environmental conditions. In a natural environment those losses are quickly replaced once more favorable conditions prevail. Secondly, wild animals that are kept in enclosures under the discrete care of humans may not be as hardy and resilient as their truly wild cousins.

Boar surviving the extreme cold on trash.

(Telegraph.co.uk; 01/12/2010) The boar shown in the picture above have nothing to do with the released boar on the Scottish Wildlife Estate. The picture just demonstrate to what length the animals will go to survive.

My original post is here: http://wildboarhunting.blogspot.com/search?q=bracken+and+boar

PJJ