How to distinguish a fingerling from a gilt. Recommendations for measuring the weight of pigs at different ages. The main stages of hunting

Species: Sus scrofa = Boar, wild pig

FIELD SIGNS. DESCRIPTION

The wild boar is a large animal, somewhat awkwardly built, with a massive body and relatively short legs. The muzzle is elongated, cone-shaped, ending in a bare flat cartilaginous “patch”, on which the nostrils open. In autumn, winter and spring, the body of the animal is covered with bristles, especially hard and long (12 - 13 cm) on the ridge, where it forms a mane. Under the bristles there is a thick and soft underfur. Due to the thick underfur, the skin is not wetted, so the wild boar willingly goes into the water (it swims beautifully) in summer and winter, subcutaneous fat deposits protect it from cooling in the water. In summer, after the spring molt, the wild boar is almost devoid of hair, covered only with sparse short bristles.

Moving, the boar relies not only on the 3rd and 4th fingers, but also on the 2nd and 5th. On soft ground, all 4 fingers spread out to increase the footprint.

The tail is short, 25 cm, not twisted. When the animal is calm and digs in the soil, the tail, which is constantly in motion, is lowered down; while running, the boar holds the tail horizontally or lifts it up.

Body length 125 - 175 cm, height at the withers 80 - 100 cm, weight of adults, animals 150 - 270 kg. The cone-shaped, laterally compressed shape of the boar's body with stiff bristles facilitates easy movement in dense thickets. The ears are long and wide. The eyes are small, barely visible from the outside, placed in deep sockets and protected by a tuft of bristly hair. The color of the wild boar is black, red-brown, sandy, silver-gray. Piglets are light brown, with bright longitudinal stripes on the back and sides. Boar skin is white.

The teeth are well developed, especially the canines. The fangs of the upper jaw are relatively short, curved, with their ends directed upwards and to the sides. The trihedral shape of the fangs of the lower jaw grow upwards. They are especially dangerous in three-year-old bulls, at the age of 4-5 they begin to bend back. In bulls, fangs reach a length of 10 cm, fangs of pigs are much smaller. With the age of the beast, the fangs are strongly erased and broken off.

DETERMINATION OF SEX AND AGE IN NATURAL CONDITIONS

In appearance, three age groups can be distinguished: piglets (yearlings), gilts (two-year-olds) and adults. It is especially easy to distinguish between piglets and adults, it is more difficult to distinguish gilts, since a large gilt can be confused with a pig.

Piglets are smaller, lighter in color than adults (light color lasts up to a year) and longer legs. In gilts (in the 2nd year of life), withers develop, bristles grow along the back. Adult animals are more massive than gilts, the bristles on the back grow more strongly. This difference is especially well manifested in billhooks.

In the field, it is quite possible to distinguish an adult male from a pig, and not only because the billhooks have long curving fangs (it’s just that the fangs are hard to see at a long distance at dusk), but rather by silhouette. Males are distinguished by a larger head, a massive front part of the body, they have a more developed withers and a more magnificent “mane” along the crest of the back. They look slenderer than females, possibly due to the fact that their body is laterally flattened, while females have a barrel-shaped body.

In young individuals - piglets and gilts - sexual demorphism is poorly developed.

Piglets usually weigh 25 - 45 kg (the weight of the animal largely depends on the feeding conditions and timing of reproduction), gilts - up to 65 - 70 kg (sometimes more with good feed), adult animals: females from 120 to 180, males - from 140 up to 200 kg. The weight of the largest billhooks reaches 260 and more kg.

The most accessible definition of age is by the development of the dental system and the degree of wear. Two works are known for determining the age of the wild boar using this method: for the Western European wild boar (Kozlo, 1975) and for the Ussuri wild boar (Bromley, 1969). Below is a description of the dental system of wild boars of different age groups for the autumn-winter season, i.e., during the hunting period.

Piglets (7 - 11 months) - a total of 36 teeth. By this age, usually the 3rd milk incisor is replaced by a permanent one, and the 1st and 2nd incisors are noticeably erased. The change of milk fangs begins. Anterior roots are still milky, but they begin to wear out. At the 3rd anterior tooth, the chewing surface becomes cone-shaped. At the 1st large molar, by 10-11 months, the chewing tubercles are smoothed out.

Gilts (18 - 23 months) - a total of 40 teeth. By this age, the change of milk teeth to permanent ones usually ends. The second large molar is fully developed.

Two-year-old individuals - a total of 40 - 42 teeth. The 3rd molar begins to develop. The anterior molars are completely differentiated and have erased apices. The fangs of males reach a length of up to 40 mm, in females they are noticeably shorter.

Three-year-old individuals - the number of teeth is 44. The incisors are slightly worn, the wear of the anterior molars increases. The 1st and 2nd posterior teeth begin to wear out.

Four year olds. All teeth have traces of wear, and most importantly, the 3rd posterior tooth begins to smooth out, where dentin lines appear.

Five year olds. At the 1st and 2nd incisors, the upper inner sides are ground off. As a result of erasing, the incisors are shortened. The surfaces of the anterior and posterior molars wear out heavily, and in the 1st and 2nd, the tubercles and folds of enamel are erased, the dentin takes on a star-like shape, this is especially characteristic of the 3rd large molar, although it still has tubercles. In billhooks, transverse furrows are outlined on the upper fangs, which correspond to the age of the beast (this feature does not appear in all individuals).

Six- and seven-year-old individuals. The incisors are strongly sharpened and shortened. The molars are much more worn than in animals of previous ages. In the anterior molars, the dentin appears as dark stripes, in the posterior teeth, small folds begin to wear out, and individual dentin stars are interconnected by dark spots. At the 1st large molar, the crown begins to wear down.

Eight-year-olds and older individuals. Teeth begin to decay and fall out. The 3rd incisors and the 1st and 2nd anterior teeth break off especially often. The fangs gradually become thinner. The crowns of all molars are worn off. In older individuals (10 years and older), the posterior teeth are worn down almost to the gums, and the enamel folds disappear. .

In addition, in many farms, a fine is due for shooting a pig, and a billhook, with his usual caution, rarely goes out to numbers, so it turns out that our animal is a wild boar up to a year. And if we take into account the current prices for the prey of ungulates, one elk “pulls” 6-8 wild boars, therefore, after performing simple arithmetic operations, our company came to the conclusion that a dozen and a half, albeit less valuable trophies, are much more pleasant than a pair of elk, which were originally " laid down" in the "financial estimate" of our team.

The planned departure was not a weekend hunt, but five full-fledged hunting days, under certain circumstances the trip could stretch for a week, because in addition to wild boars there was a desire to drive small game - a hare and a fox. So, in addition to a bullet gun, a shotgun was also needed, and it was allowed to take only one thing - border and customs restrictions that were difficult to understand. The hunting grounds, where the "big" hunt was to take place, was already outside our new homeland, as they say now, in the near abroad. Considering our metropolitan residence, we can say in the near future, since the distance to the hunting place was not at all critical, and taking into account the hunting conditions and the prices set, an extra hundred kilometers did not play a special role.

The difficulty turned out to be something else. It was decided to go with a smoothbore weapon. For someone who did not have a rifled barrel, this decision did not matter, others who were used to using a carbine on animal hunts were a little upset. But it would seem - a trifle, no matter what gun you will be on the room, the main thing is that there is game. With a serious approach to the upcoming hunt, it turned out not quite so. Possible penalties for a miss and a wounded wound imposed on the participants of the hunt, a certain responsibility for the accuracy of the shot. But to send a bullet, correctly aiming from a smoothbore, is not yet a guarantee that it will definitely hit the target. Much depends not only on the features of the gun, but also on the ammunition used, mainly on the design of the bullet used. And besides, the wild boar underyearling is a small animal, in winter tousled bristles it seems much larger than it actually is, and a deviation of 20-30 cm - the usual spread of lead bullets, even with accurate aiming, can leave the shooter without a trophy.

Therefore, before the trip, as having some experience in shooting, I was instructed to select the appropriate cartridges for the upcoming hunting trip. The main requirement is clear, the most accurate shot. Of course, boar buckshot could solve all the problems, but the rules of driven hunting for ungulates require only a bullet cartridge.

Given the above, the requirement for a bullet cartridge could be formulated according to the following points:1. Accuracy; 2. Sufficient stopping power; 3. Application in semi-automatic and double-barreled shotguns. Almost immediately, with some exceptions, cartridges with domestic-made bullets were rejected, not only the lead components of the bullets, but also the plastic stabilizers and containers, if they were present, looked too artisanal, and the difference in mass, and sometimes in size, was not supposed accurate shooting and stable hits.

Glavpatron - Cartridge Manufactory LLC offered cartridges with a 12-caliber bullet "Gualandi" (Italian company "Bashieri & Pellagri") weighing 32 grams. Guaranteeing accuracy at 50 m no more than 120 mm. Perhaps the results of zeroing can be attributed to the features of my gun or the skill of the shooter, but the dispersion of bullets turned out to be somewhat large. High accuracy did not work with this bullet and using cartridges from other manufacturers. The light bullet 28.4 g proved to be somewhat more encouraging. BRENNEKE (Brenneke) of the Rottweil cartridge, but still I would like to have a slightly higher accuracy.

company Azot, did not claim to have a high accuracy of its bullets, but its Tandem and Azot bullets fit into the declared 20 cm, which indicated the honesty of the manufacturer. As a backup option, I allocated Trio cartridges, 3 lead balls (d = 11.5 mm) in a container (in 2 half-shells), covering a circle with a diameter of no more than 45 cm for 50 m.

I really liked, donated to me by the famous writer-hunter Sergei Losev, a dozen and a half cartridges, loaded with a bullet designed by S.T. Mitichkin. There was only one drawback, after test firing, only ten rounds remained, which was clearly not enough for the upcoming hunt. It is a pity that this ammunition has not yet appeared on sale.

The well-known popular bullets "POLEVA", along with the most accurate shots, they suddenly gave out such an inaccurate hit, which could only be explained by the low production culture of these sub-caliber bullets.

Admired technical characteristics of the cartridge with a bullet "ZENIT", with a fantastic ballistic coefficient - 4.7; having a dispersion diameter at a distance of 100 m - 10 cm. Only one thing was frustrating, these cartridges were never on sale. But the very design of the arrow-shaped bullet prompted the idea to look for similar bullet cartridges.

The search was successful. Cartridges of the firm "SAUVESTRE", almost completely coincided with the declared characteristics. Having slight differences in weight and characteristics, primarily in the deformation of the body of the bullet when it hit the beast, the vertical deviation of the bullets was within 1-4 cm at a distance of up to 100 m from the aiming point, essentially a direct shot. The speed and energy of the bullet was more than enough not only for a young boar, but also for larger game. Depending on the weight and design, the speed and energy of the bullet were characterized by the manufacturer with the following parameters. See table (chuck 70 mm).

Cartridges equipped with a 76 mm sleeve, such as "magnum" and "semi-magnum", were superior in energy to a simple cartridge, depending on the firing distance from 30% to 70%.

Here is how the company describes its new arrow-shaped bullet cartridge. Bullet "BFS" ​​Sauvestre - two-piece arrow bullet with a corrugated surface. A conceptually new bullet cartridge for shotguns, already used and appreciated by many hunters, was developed by French engineer Jean-Claude Sauvestre.

The cartridge is designed for smoothbore guns, both with and without choke. Its ballistic qualities are derived from the combination of a "shooter" with a very hard center core and an original container made of two annular halves, which guarantee gas tightness and flexibility of advancement in the barrel. As soon as this part leaves the barrel, the annular halves will fall away from the bullet without disturbing its initial flight path. The BFS cartridge is safe to use and extremely comfortable to shoot.

The sex ratio in a population is an important factor in determining growth rates and utilization rates. The sex composition of the wild boar herd undergoes geographical and age variability. At the stage of embryos in Central Asia, the Volga delta and the Caucasus, females predominate - 60 - 66% (Sludsky, 1956, Lavrovsky, 1962). In the Far East, the sex ratio in embryos is 1:1. In the west of the range in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, females make up 45% of embryos (Kozlo, 1969).

Among adults, the sex ratio approaches 1:1 with a certain predominance (50.9%) of females for the populations of Central Asia (Sludsky, 1956) and the Caucasus (52%, Donaurov and Teplov, 1938).

The decrease in the participation of pigs among adults is explained by their increased mortality under adverse conditions (floods, harsh winters, predators, etc.), as well as during battue hunts with dogs. Males predominate among adults (64%) in the west of the range (Severtsov and Sablina, 1953), and according to P. G. Kozlo (1969), bulls make up 55.6%.

In the Pereslavl State Forest and Hunting Enterprise, males accounted for 49%, females for 51% of the livestock.

The age structure of the population also determines the increase in livestock, so the definition and understanding of its changes is necessary for the correct management of the wild boar farm. In the wild boar population, the following age classes are distinguished: piglets (year-olds), gilts (one-year-olds and two-year-olds) and adults (three-year-olds and older). Sometimes adults are divided into age classes: 2-3 years, 2-years, 5 years, 6 years and older. In a normal population, the proportion of age groups decreases with increasing age.

In the population of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the age structure looks like this. The largest percentage is made up of piglets about 50% (with fluctuations over the years from 44% to 64%), gilts in different years range from 8.9% to 22.6%, adults - from 17.9% to 31.1% of the herd (Severtsov and Sablina, 1953; Kozlo, 1969).

In the lower reaches of the river Or, according to long-term data, age the composition is as follows: piglets - 49.8%, livestock, gilts - 13.5% and adults - 36.7%.

In the Pereslavl State Forest and Hunting Enterprise, the age structure of the herd in 1965-1967 was characterized by the following percentage: piglets 39.9 - 55.0%, gilts - 20 - 31.1%, adults 22.2 - 39.0% (Ivanova, Rykovsky, 1967).

The sex composition and age structure are very dynamic categories that vary greatly from year to year depending on the conditions of the year, population density and the size of the fishery.

Change age structure of wild boars occurs as a result of natural. disasters: starvation, floods, epizootics, etc. During such disasters, 2/3 of the livestock die, and the recovering part of the population undergoes “rejuvenation”.

Such a picture has been repeatedly observed in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Kartsev, 1910, Kozlo, 1969). A similar phenomenon was noted by A. A. Sludsky (1956), when, after the mass death of wild boars during floods in 1946 and 1947. later the herd was rejuvenated and the percentage of young individuals in the population was 63.3%.

In the areas of releases of wild boars, in particular in the Pereslavl State Forest and Hunting Enterprise, we observed that in the period after the release of large batches of wild boars, a shift age structure occurred in the direction of increasing young individuals. In 1967 - 1969. the proportion of adults decreased to 17%, while gilts and piglets increased to 83%. The reason for this, firstly, is the outbreak of reproduction in imported individuals and the good survival of young animals, thanks to feeding and protection, and, secondly, the large participation of piglets in the batches of imported animals (up to 82%).

Intensive hunting for wild boar in some areas leads to the rejuvenation of the herd, large adult bulls become a rarity.

A. A. Sludsky (1956) notes that after the season when intensive hunting with dogs was carried out, the number of billhooks in the livestock increases, since with this method of hunting, pigs with piglets and gilts are primarily hunted. According to the same author in 1949, in a herd of wild boars, the lower reaches of the river. Or there were 30% bulls, 11% pigs, 4.2% gilts and 54.2% pigs. The influence of this method of hunting is obvious.

To the question Who went to the boar? What you need to have in your arsenal and taste wild boar? 🙂 given by the author Roll Ivanych the best answer is at least a double-barreled shotgun with bullets or with an insert under 7.62, several people on the numbers, a couple of dogs.
It is better to beat the female, the male's meat smells like a boar. Roast on the coals in the forest - you will swallow your fingers.

Answer from IVAN KLEVAKIN[guru]
Look, everything is here. .
Boar hunting
Boar (wild pig, boar) is a non-ruminant animal. The body length of the boar reaches 2m. The height at the withers is 1m. An adult boar weighs about 300 kg. When hunting a wild boar, you must remember that this is a serious and dangerous animal. A wounded and persecuted animal is especially dangerous.
Hunting for a wild boar from an ambush.
This method is used by hunters wherever wild boars can be found. They are guarded most often in places of feeding, sometimes - on the paths leading to them, as well as near puddles or stagnant reservoirs, where wild boars take mud baths.
Feeding places are found in advance. After that, it is necessary to find the places for the animals to go to the fattening. Then the most convenient place for a sit-in is determined.
You need to take a hunting place an hour - one and a half before sunset. After that, it remains only to wait and listen to the sounds coming from you.
The fact that wild boars are approaching can be judged by the crackling of branches and the noise that they create when moving. Before entering the field, the animals calm down and listen and sniff for a long time, loudly drawing in the air. The hunter at this time must be careful. Suspecting nothing, the boars enter the field. The hunter can only choose the target and hit it accurately.
Approach hunting.
During feeding, wild boars are not so alert and make a lot of noise. Focusing on the sounds of noise, crunch, champing, the hunter approaches the fattening herd. You need to approach only against the wind. The hunter's clothes and shoes should be comfortable, light and soft, making a minimum of noise when moving. You can go hunting at dusk.
Battle hunting, or paddock.
The most accessible for hunters in our country, and therefore the most massive hunting. Its essence lies in the fact that the chain of beaters must drive the animals to the shooters waiting for them.
If the shooting numbers are located in strong places with poor visibility, the head of the hunt warns the beaters to make less noise. Then the boars will go slower, and the shooters will have more opportunity to make an accurate shot.
Before the hunt, all its participants must be instructed. Strict compliance with the rules, instructions and safety measures is mandatory for everyone.
Hunting for a wild boar from under dogs from the approach.
This is perhaps one of the most interesting and gambling ways.
Several hunters (2-4 people) go out with their dogs to the places where the wild boars are expected to spend their days. Having reached the place, they let the dogs go, and they themselves slowly move through the lands and wait for the dogs to raise the beast. When the animal is found and raised by dogs, the hunters act according to the circumstances. The task of the hunter is to get as close as possible to the beast and fire a shot.
And now the billhook is defeated. Now you can kindle a fire, boil tea, have a snack and rest before the difficult but pleasant work - butchering the carcass and pulling the prey out of the thicket to the road, which, perhaps, is not so close.

The boar is a famous animal that appears in movies and cartoons and is mentioned in books. This is a coveted and difficult hunting trophy. Wild boar in heraldry means strength and fearlessness. This is a peculiar animal with interesting habits.

Description

The wild boar is an artiodactyl animal from the pig family. Some scientists believe that the species appeared in southeast Asia (in the Philippines or Indonesia). Later, wild boars came to northern Africa and Eurasia.

The boar is a close relative of the domestic pig. Outwardly, they are similar, but many characteristics are very different:

1. The body of the boar is shorter and stronger. The body is muscular, tapering towards the legs. The front of the body is especially strong.
2. Low powerful legs are longer than those of a pig.
3. The head of a wild boar is more elongated, wedge-shaped. Large pointed ears stick out. The animal has excellent hearing and smell, but poor eyesight and small eyes.
4. The neck is thick and short.
5. Large and sharp fangs. Especially frightening - on the lower jaw. Fangs grow throughout life. Probably, because of them, seasoned males are called billhooks - in honor of the tool of the same name (a hybrid of a knife and an ax). The fangs of males are much larger - up to 25 cm in length.
6. The snout is coarsened, since with its help the boar searches for food, rummaging in the ground.
7. The body is covered with hair that looks like coarse bristles. In winter, the protective cover becomes denser. During stress, the coat bristles, a kind of mane appears.
8. Coloring - camouflage, depends on the place of residence. As a rule, these are shades from whitish and gray to black with a bluish tint, more often brownish, brown. The muzzle, tail, legs (below) are darker than the main color. Up to six months, the piglet is colored in stripes: brown, yellowish and light. This enhances the camouflage.
9. Straight ponytail with tassel. Length - 18–25 cm.

A wild pig “communicates” with the help of squealing and grunting, it can thus give an alarm signal or a battle cry.

Weight and dimensions

An adult boar looks intimidating. In addition to fangs, impress and size. Animals have the following dimensions:

• body length - 90–180 cm;
• height at the withers - up to 1.2 m.

Weight - from 90 to 300 kg. Seasoned billhooks weigh more than the rest. Weight depends on gender, lifestyle, habitat, diet.

The smallest boars live in southeast Asia and India. Their maximum weight is about 45 kg. Larger than the rest of the animals that inhabit the territory between the Urals and the Carpathians. Sometimes they weigh more than 300 kg. In Primorye and Manchuria there are specimens weighing up to half a ton.

In the Sverdlovsk region, a record holder was shot four years ago. With a growth of about 2 m, the weight of the boar was more than 500 kg.

Females are smaller, sexual dimorphism is pronounced. The height does not exceed 90 cm. The maximum weight is about 200 kg.

Varieties

The boar genus is part of the pig family. Boars are its brightest representatives. Relatives are pigs - domestic, Javanese and others.

Boars inhabit vast territories on different continents. The differences are mainly related to habitats, climate, food. Among the boars, 16 subspecies are distinguished. They are divided into four groups:

1. Western. This includes 7 subspecies of the wild boar. A well-known representative is Central European. These are not the largest animals: the length of the male is 130–140 cm, the average weight is 100 kg. Live in Russia, Europe.
2. Indian. This group includes two subspecies. One of them is called Indian. These are peaceful animals. In India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, they quietly coexist with people. They have a lighter coat compared to other species.
3. Eastern. It has 6 subspecies, the largest among them is the Ussuri. The standard length of a boar is 170–180 cm, weight is about 300 kg. This group and the western one are the most numerous.
4. Indonesian. Only one subspecies was included here - the Malaysian wild boar. Small boar, when compared with the rest. Found from the islands of Java and Sumatra to Komodo. Probably, these places are the ancestral home of wild boars.

Ussuri

Malaysian

Habitat

Wild pigs live in different parts of the world, populating vast territories:

• Europe completely;
• Africa, especially the north;
• different parts of Asia;
• America, where animals were brought for hunting.

Wild boar hybrids with domestic pigs are a serious threat to agriculture. Fields in the states of South America are especially affected by their raids. Australia is home to runaway and feral domestic pigs.

In some countries, the population of these animals has been destroyed or reduced, for example:

1. In Great Britain, boars were dealt with in the 13th century. It was only about 30 years ago that a population of feral animals appeared that escaped from special farms.
2. In Denmark, wild boars were almost completely exterminated in the 19th century. About 50 years ago, animals began to reappear in the wild.
3. In Russia, there were few wild boars by the 30s of the XX century. After 20 years, the population began to recover. Today pigs can be found even near densely populated areas.

Wild pigs love the forest and water, often live in swampy areas. In Russia, oak and beech forests are preferred, but they are also found in mixed forests.

They tolerate different weather conditions, climate. Wild boars live in areas from semi-deserts to tropical rainforests. There are separate populations on the islands, for example, in Corsica, Sumatra.

Pigs do not like hills, hills, mountains, although sometimes they live there. For example, in the Caucasus they rise to a height of up to 2600 m. In Russia they are not found only in the tundra and taiga. The wild boar is one of the most widespread mammals.

Lifestyle

Wild boars try to stick to damp places overgrown with forest, bushes, and reeds. The wild pig is one of the social animals. Most live in groups. The role of leaders is performed by females. The herd consists of wild boars, piglets and juveniles. Young and weak males occupy a subordinate position. Stronger mature males live separately from the herd and approach it only for mating.

The herd usually consists of 10-30 individuals. Rarely there are "teams" of up to 100 goals. Animals often roam, but only within their territory. The area of ​​the herd, according to some scientists, is 1–4 km².

Females mature in their second year of life, their partners in their fourth or fifth. In temperate climates, the mating season lasts from November to January. There are 1-3 females per male. Boars are actively fighting. The winners sometimes get up to 8 females.

Wild boars give birth to 4–12 piglets once a year. They hatch for approximately 18 weeks. The female boar takes care of the offspring and actively guards them. Breastfeeds up to 3.5 months. By the next autumn, each boar cub weighs 20–30 kg.

Boars are fast but clumsy animals. They run at speeds up to 40-45 km / h. Animals swim well, sometimes - for decent distances, they dig perfectly.

Wild boars are active at night, and rest in the shelter during the day. They dig a hole 30-40 cm deep on their own, throw leaves to the bottom. Sometimes several animals rest in the pit.

What do wild boars eat

Boars are almost omnivorous. Their menu is varied:

1. They love vegetation: roots, bulbs, fruits, acorns, nuts, mushrooms, berries, and more.
2. In winter, they eat bark, shoots, twigs.
3. The wild boar also feeds on animal food: snails, amphibians, worms, rodents, insects, birds and their eggs, fish.
4. Sometimes animals eat carrion.

Diet depends on subspecies and habitat. For example, on the island of Java, boars eat fruit; animals living in the Volga basin - fish and small rodents.

Boars eat 3–6 kg of feed per day. Most get food from the top layer of soil (litter). Here, wild boars receive 2/3 of the diet.

Pigs dig up a lot of forest land in search of food. They unwittingly sow seeds and protect trees from pests such as pine moths. Improve the soil.

In the hungry season, wild boars come to the fields and vegetable gardens. There they feast on potatoes, turnips, cereals and other crops. They trample down plots, eat young trees in the dachas.

A wild boar is not a predator, but when it is very bad with food, it attacks birds, hares. In extreme cases, it even eats deer, roe deer and other large animals, however, only weakened, sick or wounded. Does not disdain carrion.

Wild boars eat some poisonous plants. Thanks to a special mutation in their diet, there may be snakes, the poison of which is also not terrible for boars. However, under normal conditions, wild boars only eat plants.

natural enemies

Due to its size and fangs, almost everyone in the forest is afraid of the boar. Plus, the beasts are brave and ferocious, especially when injured or protecting offspring. However, they have enemies in nature:

1. Wolves. For example, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, flocks of predators hunt boars. But usually wolves attack weaker and younger individuals.
2. The Bears. An adult male wild boar is a rare prey for this animal, there is a high risk of dying himself. The bear is looking for a weaker prey.
3. Large cats: lynxes, leopards, tigers. Kill, as a rule, sick or medium-sized animals.
4. Komodo dragon.
5. Large snakes, birds of prey. Some stray wild pig becomes their prey.

The most dangerous enemy for the beast is man. Boar hunting is popular, it is considered an active recreation and extreme entertainment.

Lifespan

Under natural conditions, wild boars live 10-15 years, but many do not live up to ten.

Wild boars also live under human supervision: in zoos, nature reserves. Private traders sometimes keep them in suburban areas. There they build covered corrals, treat them with a variety of food. They try to create conditions that resemble natural ones, for example, they put grass and leaves on the ground in a “pigsty”. In such conditions, animals live up to twenty years. Domestic pigs at normal maintenance live almost twice as long.

Approximately 10% of boars are killed by hunters or poachers. In addition to starvation and predators, other dangers lie in wait for wild boars in nature - plague, scabies, trichinosis and other diseases.

Boar danger to humans

Wild boars, like many other animals, attack only when necessary. They don't kill for fun. Some subspecies are more peaceful, for example, Indian. However, any animal sometimes becomes dangerous: someone angered, injured, there is a threat to offspring.

Adult male wild boars inflict terrible lacerations with fangs, bruises. Impact - from the bottom up. Females knock a person down and trample them with their hooves.

Noticing a wild boar or its tracks in the forest, you need to quietly leave. The first beast is unlikely to attack, but the meeting must be avoided. If so, take into account the following:

1. A wild boar does not see well and does not notice a person at a distance of about 15 m. However, the sense of smell and hearing are well developed.
2. It makes no sense to run - the boar will even catch up with the cyclist.
3. You need to climb a tree, even to a small height - at least 1 m. The animal has a thick, motionless neck, so it cannot throw a person off.
4. It is better to leave the attacking beast, bounce to the side. You need to do this when he is very close.
5. Do not scare the boar away by throwing small objects, branches or cones, even while sitting on a tree. This will not help, but will only anger the beast.
6. A knife or a shocker in the fight against a boar is almost useless. The best weapons are firearms, large caliber.
7. A mortally wounded animal is sometimes able to run up to a hundred meters and take revenge on the offender. This happened even when hit in the heart.
8. In the mating season, the bulls have a reliable protection of cartilage on their backs, on the sides.
9. The best targets are the brain or dorsal (spine). If the enemy is already close, shoot in the forehead. During the attack, the animal lowers its head.

The wild boar is a formidable forest dweller. The life of a boar is interesting, but it is better to watch it on TV or at the zoo.