The balance between fairness and decimation in wild boar hunting

African swine fever was the starting signal for possible hunting permits for wild boar hunting. If you look at the results of the 2017/2018 hunting season, you can see within a very short time that record results were achieved at a national level. This basic situation has resulted in the social structure of wild boar being thrown out of joint in many places, for example. The biggest challenge for hunters in the future will therefore be to ensure a balanced and harmonious relationship between fair hunting and decimation . WOLFGANGS takes a closer look and discusses which means and approaches can be used to successfully implement this narrow line.

Hunt the stocks carefully

It is undisputed that wild boars should be hunted heavily every year. What seems to be becoming an increasingly serious problem, however, is the fact that in some federal states, so-called “ tail bounties” encourage hunters to pursue hunting more like bounty hunters. The bounties, which can be described as a kind of expense allowance for hunters, ensure a more aggressive behavior during the hunt, so that in such situations one can by no means speak of careful hunting.

However, it is precisely this cautious approach to hunting that is necessary if you want to successfully manage the balancing act between fair hunting and decimation. Indiscriminate incursions into the population must be avoided at all costs. Here it is important to think carefully first rather than going straight into the wall. It seems as if many hunters often lack the important knowledge about the wild boar population, otherwise such an approach would not be possible. No matter which species of animal you are looking at, in many cases the overall well-being is always closely linked to a sufficient number of adult animals. This guiding principle should be kept in mind much more often during the hunt.

Well organized for hunting success

Sows are very adaptable animals, which in turn means that their numbers are very high in some areas. In addition, since the energy transition, there has been an increase in corn cultivation. The sows are the clear beneficiaries of these developments, as they now have a comfortable starting point in which they can live excellently.

The additional enlargement or expansion of protected areas also plays into this growth trend of the animals. If the winters are very mild and there is almost no snowfall, the extremely adaptable and intelligent animals have an even easier time than they already do.

In order to effectively counteract the intelligent behavior and the steadily increasing growth, driven hunts for wild boars must be better planned and implemented. Unfortunately, this is where things often go wrong, so the hunting results are not particularly encouraging. Compared to the high predominant wild boar populations in some areas, comparatively few kills are counted at the end of the day.

To prevent the population from reaching dramatic levels, you should plan your hunting preparations more carefully and organize each individual step more carefully. This is the only way to get the gigantic numbers under control and ensure a healthy balance.

Craftsmanship must be better implemented

Regardless of whether it is in the private or professional sector, it is usually meticulous planning and a wealth of experience that help us to be successful every day. Why should this basic situation be any different during hunting?

It is not only important that the hunting process and the prior organization are of a high quality, but rather that the shooter should have a perfect understanding of the entire craft. It is undisputed that these characteristics help to create a healthier and more balanced hunting area , as the population rarely gets out of control and the proportion of young wild boars can be maintained at a constant level over the years.

Can hunting aids make a difference?

Night vision devices or thermal imaging cameras are increasingly being requested by many hunters in order to cope with the alarmingly increasing numbers of game species. Of course, it must be admitted that this measure increases hunting success, but what price does it come at?

If hunting is carried out at night using these aids, the resting periods of the game species cannot be respected and the whole feeling of an honest hunt would be completely lost. One can no longer speak of a deep connection to nature during such a hunt and this is exactly what many hunting enthusiasts normally refer to.

Many would also specialize in pure trophy hunting because of the quick success they can achieve in hunting , which in turn raises many questions and is also extremely worrying. In all probability, the packs would get used to the artificial light after a short time and perceive this as an alarm signal and flee. In view of their high adaptability, such a learning success is very likely.

Here too, it is clear that only perfect hunting knowledge, combined with proper planning and execution, can ensure the balance between fair hunting and decimation.