Using data from collective hunts to estimate the wild boar (Sus scrofa) population density in north-eastern Poland

Abstract

The spread of the African swine fever through wild boar population has caused major losses in the pig industry. Therefore, to decrease the population density of wild boar in Poland, the culling of these animals has been dramatically increased. However, the effect of depopulation is unknown because there are no methods that could be used throughout the country to estimate the number of wild boar. Thus, during two hunting seasons an attempt was made to estimate the number of wild boar using data from collective hunts. The forested area of 21 hunting districts (351.5 km2) was divided into five sampling inventory blocks (SIBs), which were used for the statistical analysis of the population density, the harvest rate and results of collective hunts. The average population density obtained by a driving census amounted to 8.19 ± 1.12 and 10.09 ± 1.06 (x̅ ± SE), animals/km2, which indicates that 2879 and 3547 wild boar were living in the study area in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons respectively. The number of wild boars bagged per one hunting plot was adopted as the harvest success index (HBI). In SIBs the HBI value fluctuated in the range of 0.55 to 1.87 individuals/hunting plot and the population density ranged from 6.46 to 12.18 wild boars/km2. The non-linear regression showed a positive relationship between the HBI index and the population density. The discussion covers the possibility of using collective hunts to estimate the number of wild boar in Poland and in the European Union.

Looking for a magic island in the sea of agriculture: factors affecting forest patch attractiveness for wild boar in human-dominated landscape

“…Wild boars exposed to hunting pressure may reduce their home range(Keuling et al 2008), or shift it towards forest areas, which provide shelter(Boitani et al 1994). It should also be mentioned that in Poland the hunting season for wild boars lasts all year round(Bobek et al 2021), which may further increase the importance of adequate safety guards, especially in agricultural landscapes. It seems important to emphasize that the presence of cover in the form of islands most likely enables wild boars to use agricultural areas more distant from larger forest complexes, which may modify the distribution and intensity of agricultural damage caused by them(Ficetola et al 2014).…”