Wild boar under fire: the effect of spatial behaviour, habitat use and social class on hunting mortality

Abstract

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is an ungulate of major management concern, often controlled only by indiscriminate, recreational hunting, which represents its main cause of death. Several studies have dealt with the effects of hunting on wild boar populations, pointing out controversial changes in spatial behavior and habitat use related to it. However, little information on the relationship between spatial behavior, habitat use and hunting mortality is available. In this study, 105 wild boars were monitored by means of radio‐tracking. Their cause of death was assessed, thus confirming the major role of hunting. For 89 of them, spatial behavior and habitat use as well as social class were related to hunting mortality. Spatial behavior, expressed as home range size, average daily distance among fixes and familiarity with the hunting area, resulted in having no strong effect on hunting mortality. Conversely, the relationship between the wild boar and the habitat, expressed in the proportion of forests in the home range, landscape complexity and habitat diversity, had a major role in predicting hunting mortality. In particular, the best model including social class and refuges pointed out a positive effect of landscape complexity on hunting mortality, while animals having a higher proportion of forests in their home range (assessed when this did not overlap the protected area) were less likely to be culled. Adult males and subadults of both sexes were more liable to be hunted than family groups. On the whole, behavioral and ecological differences in hunting vulnerability should be taken into account in management plans in order to optimize population management.

Safety first: seasonal and diel habitat selection patterns by red deer in a contrasted landscape

“…It has been shown that the proportion of forests in the home range, landscape complexity and habitat diversity, can play a major role in predicting hunting mortality (Merli et al ., ). In this regard, it is noteworthy that all 16 individuals tracked in this study survived the 2006–2007 hunting season.…”

Quantification of the Animal Tuberculosis Multi-Host Community Offers Insights for Control

“…where Hp = estimated host population size, Hb = number of animals hunted in a given year, and P hunt = estimated proportion of the population hunted annually, based on published data for wild boar [43][44][45][46], and deer [47][48][49]. The proportion of infected individuals by species and the ratio of TB-infected non-bovine hosts to cattle were estimated in a Bayesian framework from the posterior distribution of the number of infected animals.…”

“…Wildlife population abundance was modeled as expert opinion Equation (2), when published estimates were available; or else based on official data on the number of animals hunted, corrected by the estimated proportion of the population hunted: where Hp = estimated host population size, Hb = number of animals hunted in a given year, and P hunt = estimated proportion of the population hunted annually, based on published data for wild boar [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], and deer [ 47 , 48 , 49 ].…”

Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the Baltic States and Poland

“…Regarding the causes of mortality, 85% of the dead animals were shot, 3% died from disease or starvation, and 3% were killed in traffic accidents (Keuling et al., ). Mortality due to hunting is slightly biased towards adult males (Keuling et al., ; Merli et al., ). In a recent study in central Italy, 97% of the mortality was due to hunting or poaching, and the annual mortality rate was about 50% (re‐calculated).…”

“…In a recent study in central Italy, 97% of the mortality was due to hunting or poaching, and the annual mortality rate was about 50% (re‐calculated). Wild boar with more forest in their home range was less likely to be culled (Merli et al., ). Hence, wild boar mortality in central Europe is relatively low and mostly due to hunting.…”