Pig Hunting: Not All Hunts Created Equal

“Even for expert riders, it sometimes takesall day to stalk a boar and chase it through sandy terrain and scrubby oak brush. Oncethe hunters corner the animal, they stab it to death with nine foot (three meter) bladedspears.”

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NPR on the gory sport of PigSticking in ‘ARenaissance for ‘Pigsticking’ In Spain’

Pig sticking, a sport/ritual that dates to Roman times and involves the horse-mounted hunt of wild boar,made a comeback in the last decade, marked when it was approved by Spanishhunting regulations in 2013.

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As such,much discussion regarding the hunting of wild boar has been shadowed by debateson animal rights. When tempted by this topic, the equally important issue ofwild boar pest management is ignored. Distracted by the gore of pig-sticking,it can be forgotten that the wild boar is a menace. According to the Public Library of Science (PLOS), the boarcosts the U.S. an estimated $1.5 billion each year in damages to crops andlivestock, and control costs.

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Yet, the hunting of wild game is socially shunned andoften deemed a bloody sport appropriate for sadists. However, what if theconsequences that follow this mindset negatively effect the environment and theeconomy? In other words, is wild boar a case that justifies the humane huntingof wild game? And if so, how effective is the current hunting model?

The Wild Boar is an extremely robust species that has upto 16sub-species and calls every continent (excluding polar regions) home. It’schances of being hunted into extinction are minuscule. In fact according to the red list of endangered species (International Union Conservation of Nature) the wild boar isclassified of “least concern”. According to some reports, there are up to ninemillion wild boars in the U.S. The U.S. isn’t alone in a vast boarpopulation. Italy’s Association of Farmers estimate that the nation has onemillion, a growth of 400,000 since 2005.

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The proliferation of wild boar manifests itself inpolitical and economic problems. In Italy, the estimated damage from the boarin a single year, 2016, was estimated to be €100 million. According to Politico,this sparked protests, ranging from Ancona to Florence, as farmers demandedcompensation for “uncontrolled proliferation”.

In Italy, the estimated damage from the boar in a single year, 2016, was estimated to be €100 million.

As the globe faces a sixth extinction, Wild Boarsproliferate due to their diet, robust reproductive cycle, and lack of predators.Dubbed an ‘opportunistic omnivore’ by researchers such asJillian Pastick, the boar can digest a wide range of food and are notlimited by seasonal availability and changes in agriculture.

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The boar also has a formidablyefficient and resilient rate of reproduction. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife,their reproduction includes a gestationperiod around 115 days with an average litter size of four to six. Yet, undergood conditions, a female boar can birth ten to twelve young. Thiscompounds the wild boar population management challenges, as University ofSaskatchewan biologist Ryan Brook’s researchindicates that killing only part of a group could do more harm, than good.

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“If you find 12 and kill 10, you say 'well thatwas a total failure' because you might come back the next year and essentiallyhave 30 pigs,” said Brook.

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The final factor that plays into the boarpopulation peak is its lack of natural predators. The population is not kept incheck by natural predators as their vast territorial ranges are unperturbed bylarge and ferocious omnivores such as wolves or tigers.

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Yet, nevertheless, one such large and ferociousomnivore found within the territory of the wild boar is the human. And, researchshows, the wild boar is satisfying to the human taste bud.

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As depicted on theMesolithic cave walls of "El Charco del Agua Amarga" hunting and eating wild boar hasprehistoric roots. To the modern consumer, boar remains a tasty option. Infact,  2014 study revealed “that meat from wildboars, in many aspects, was characterized as higher quality in comparison tomeat from domestic pigs.”

Yet, nevertheless, one such large and ferocious omnivore found within the territory of the wild boar is the human. And, research shows, the wild boar is satisfying to the human taste bud.

As such, boar meat ranks among the highest priced types of meat in Germany andcan be found in kitchens across North America. In an articleon CNN, wild boar is described as ‘tasty’, ‘no grease’, and ‘very lean’ byLee Kim, an advocate for wild boar meat and co-owner of a pizzeria in LA. It isalso describedas having a ‘distinct flavour’ and ‘tastes more like the way pork used totaste’.

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Wild boar meat might not become a commonplace menu item, be it a tasteissue or the lack of an industry marketing machine. But, the real failure inmeeting demand, while better managing the species, is that today’s huntingpractices are not up to the task.

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“The overall trends in total number of hunters and innumber of wild boar harvested in Europe showed that since the early 1990s thenumber of hunters has decreased by about 18 per cent, while in the same periodthe number of wild boar harvested has increased by about 150 per cent,” said a 2015 paper publishedin Pest Science Management.

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Ultimately the report concludes thatrecreational hunting is insufficient to limit wild boar population growth andthat the relative impact of hunting on wild boar mortality had decreased. Inother words, not only has the wild boar escaped large wild predators, it hasalso escaped human predation. 

It can be argued that an abundance of rules andregulations regarding the hunting of wild game has limited the effectiveness ofwild boar hunting. For instance, the European Union has well defined food safety policies when it comes towild animal meat products, including provisions about public health, borderinspection, and trace ability. AnABC report stipulated that in Australia red tape is also limiting thehunting of wild boar as a hunter shortage is failing to meet a pressing demand.In part the price of a government accreditation, $516, is simply too much.According to the CEO of Game Meat Processors, Rex Devantier, with a reasonablenumber of accredited hunters, they could sell up to 20,000 head into Europeeach month – they currently slaughter 1,000 head per week at a Brisbanefactory.

 According to the CEO of Game Meat Processors, Rex Devantier, with a reasonable number of accredited hunters, they could sell up to 20,000 head into Europe each month.

"Weargue that's an unfair cost burden on the shooter,” said Devantier to ABC. “They'redoing a lot of public good controlling a feral animal like wild boar, and theyare obviously contributing to the export economy.”

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In addition to the red tape, the intelligence of the wild boar alsopresents hunters and pest management with a challenge. Despite the damage beingcaused in the province of Alberta, in 2015 the governmentcancelled a paid hunting program. Perry Abramenko of AlbertaAgriculture and Forestry, pointed to the Boars intelligence as a factor.

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“As has happened in other jurisdictions battling the hooved pests, theclever fugitive boars quickly get wise to hunters’ tactic. If they only catchor kill one, the rest of the group will disperse and go elsewhere — they’resmart enough to know.”

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Granted, whetherusing a gun or a spear the act of killing any living creature presents a moraland ethical quandary. There is no simple resolution to the many problems posedby the wild boar. In pragmatic terms, the recreational firearm hunting of wildboar shouldn't be shunned. In fact, it’s evident that more jurisdictions willneed to elevate the role that professional hunting can play. 

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Regardless ofone’s position on eating meat or values about the sanctity of all life, thewild boar is an invasive species that needs to be better managed.