British Forest Of Dean Deliberately Infested With Feral Pigs

www.theforestreview.co.uk...

Speaking on national radio, the Labour councillor for Berry Hill said: “The Forestry Commission, the district council and DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) are quoting their rules and they are all saying its down to private landowners.

“We’ve got 1970s law for a 2017 problem.

They can't all be misinformed and impractical. There must be some deliberate organisation of this issue that has resulted in the totally predictable population explosion.

When sports fields are destroyed the local youth lose a valuable community asset. It's certain that some youth will go off the rails through losing their regular team activities. There are many life-changing and society changing aspects to this. The rewilders have to address these problems face to face with the community.


This is the forestry commission advice. Is this the countryside the rewilders want? Will this bring in the eco-tourists we're told are one of the advantages of rewilding?
www.itv.com...

The Forestry Commission says it is up to people to protect their own properties, and even install 5 foot fences.

Reverend Mike Barnsley, the Vicar of Cinderford, said, "The recommendation on their website is to build a fence, five foot and even electrify it, with barbed wire at the top and bottom."

a reply to: Kester
I guess if anyone was to refer to it as"fit for pigs",wouldn't be a stretch of imagination,I wonder why the government does what it does,defies logic

Really sad when this happens, just like the reintroduction of otters! well meaning nature lovers seem to be very good at destroying the natural balance

It is easy to fix. Just tell the hunters to go for it and bring home the bacon.

That is how it would have been dealt with in the past.

Otherwise, give the army some training.

P

a reply to: Kester

LOL sensational. This isn't something that has just happened or is happening deliberately now, that's the way i read the title to your OP anyway.

"The original population established in woodlands near Ross-on-Wye after escaping from a wild boar farm in the area during the 1990s. In 2004 a group of around 60 farm reared animals were dumped in an illegal release near the village of Staunton on the western edge of the Forest, above the Wye Valley. By 2009 it was clear that the two populations had merged and a breeding population was thriving."

FoD - Wild Boar

Seen some stuff in the press over the last year or so about reintroducing lynx into Britain. Should reduce the wild pig pop.

originally posted by: pheonix358
It is easy to fix. Just tell the hunters to go for it and bring home the bacon.

That is how it would have been dealt with in the past.

Otherwise, give the army some training.

P

Same thought I had it's time for those boys to grab some rifles and go hunting. They could always donate the meat to a shelter or someplace like that if they don't want the meat.

a reply to: Kester

I'm not going to research it for you, but the speed at which a small number of wild pigs can explode across a countryside is incredible. As around places in the US, you will eventually be hunting them from 'copters with automatic weapons to attempt to keep them in check. There is no need to assume that they are/were given help. However, if that is the true situation, then it was an act devoid of proper thinking.

I believe this is the result of some sort of truffle hunting scheme.

“If you have a pig on a leash, everyone knows what you’re doing,” says Lefevre.

a reply to: Michet

Releasing feral pigs that go find and eat truffles on their own seems not in the best interest of truffle hunters......

So, no.

If you do not have a regular hunting season they will rapidly destroy the local environment as they breed with such quickness that they will quickly run out of food and spread their destruction ever outward.

Btw, last week I was out in the forest doing an overnighter when I had a pig encounter. It was not pleased that I was crashing on its turf making all sort of protesting sounds. I had to tell it off eventually when it basically entered my camp and was like 4 yards away.

Funny stuff.

originally posted by: teapot
Seen some stuff in the press over the last year or so about reintroducing lynx into Britain. Should reduce the wild pig pop.

The lynx is not really known to hunt for wild pigs although it has some potential.

a reply to: Michet

They're demolishing the truffles. Over population.

a reply to: AttentionGrabber

We had one circle the camp then approach from higher ground through the bracken grunting it's protest. I sang to it. That did the trick.

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

In depth study suggests the 'accidental' bit is not entirely true. That's the cover to avoid compensation claims.

a reply to: teapot

There are already rewilded lynx released 'beyond authority' by those who think they know better. I've seen one. It looked lonely and depressed and didn't seem to be eating well.

a reply to: Kester

Lol, I told it to # off and that worked too. I've had them around my camp many times, in the early days of my forest adventures it really got the blood pumping, mostly because of the unknown in the dark, now I find it hilarious.

I believe what you meant to say is: "British Forest Of Dean Deliberately Infested With Good Eatings!"
Whip up some smoked ham from those piglets

I think you aught to be more careful around wild pigs. In the right circumstances they can kill you. Oh, and by the way they'll eat you too. As the UK is not known for its abundance of hunting rifles (I don't think a 12 gauge comes in that category for killing wild pigs) and a bow or crossbow would be lucky to kill one, I think the problem will get worse till the authorities do something.
Adding lynx or pumas to solve the problem is like throwing petrol on a fire to put it out. Adding one to the other makes for bigger problems.
There's only one way and that's to go in and kill all of them.