Wild Boar

[Mike Jackson]

Out in Brede High woods this morning and we had just finished a cuppa and were packing up the kelly kettle when we heard a noise on the main path. I looked over and my initial thought was that's a big Alsation but I then realised it was a wild boar only about ten feet away from us. Typically I'd just put the camera away as it had started to chuck it down but it was a nice spot as I've never seen a wild boar before.

[Dan Salter]

Nice sighting....Kelly Kettle?...were you volunteering by any chance?

[Mike Jackson]

No just our normal Sunday morning walk. The cup of tea in the woods is part of the Sunday morning ritual.

[Dan Salter]

Ahhh very nice

[Mike Jackson]

Another sighting of Boar in the woods. This time at the other end. We were walking up towards the old woodyard this afternoon when I spied a group of 7 heading towards the path.

This time I had the camera in my hand but it was set up for macro work. Despite this I managed to get some salvageable shots despite shooting one handed due to hanging onto a dog with the other hand.

[The Woodman]

That's a healthy sounder, looks like a sow and six.

Nice one handed shots!

[aland]

Lucky old mike, Many of us would love to be close enough for shots this good!!!

[davecatt]

I've worked among pigs and to be frank, I find the idea of them roaming free and wild in woods where people have access, frightening.

Sooner or later some one is going to get seriously hurt.

If you know there are wild pigs in a wood keep to a well used path. Dont Go looking for them.

The main danger is catching a SOW by surprise when she has young or when she is in pig (pregnant).

Be careful
Dave

[aeshna5]

People on the continent have lived side by side with Wild Boar for centuries with hardly any incident.

Of course a sow with young or cornered animal can be dangerous + keeping a dog on a lead are sensible precautions but using common sense let's enjoy having one of our natives back.

More people will come to harm from bee stings or dogs than from Wild Boar.

[Mike Jackson]

As far as I'm aware this is the first sighting of Boar at this end of the woods but it makes sense to be aware of what's around you when you're out in the woods. Just after Christmas we saw a very large stag running parallel to the path near the same spot and that could have done a lot more damage had you got in its way. We've also spied quite a few adder about the woods in various places. There's also the hornets and wasps that we come across.

The woods are a dangerous place so you need to keep your wits about you but in all my years of walking through various woods the only injuries I've sustained have been minor stings, bites and the odd turned ankle.