About half way round the Verderers on FOD, we came across a sow and a few stripey piglets. They crossed our path and pottered off. I tried to follow to get some photos but the adult boar turned around to give me a stern look, so I backed off.
Anyway, it was a fantastic surprise, adding to a perfect evening ride.

[video]https://youtu.be/M43wsiNBwmo[/video]
That’s a Greg Props reference.

Nice to hear that some boar families got through the annual cull that takes place through the breeding season. Boar Cull

Cracking shots!

jkomo, that may have been the same ones I saw – about 5:30ish, just before you come out of the trees into the bit that was cleared a year or two ago?

I saw them Saturday on Freeminers not far from the fire road with the wooden and fake rock gardeny bit. I’d not seen boar in Fod for years and years, then lately I’ve seen them on three occasions!

How did they taste?

fadda, yes at pretty much that time.
Kayak23, that looks like the spot, wish I was a bit quicker on the draw. Great shot.

Pervert!

Taste nice.
The buggers are everywhere at the moment, indeed they have been past the front gate last night.
I do a few laps of the family trail about 4 nights a week and I reckon I see boar at least twice a week. Record was over 40 in 2 laps. Of course they may have been the same 5 that galloped around appearing in different places to wind me up.
Whistle at them then stand still. They seem to look for the noise but don’t appear to have very good eyesight and if you are against a background and don’t move they will stay for quite a while.

Whistle at them

Any particular tune ?

Here’s a photo I took a couple of years ago near Speech house.

Something quiet and relaxing. Maybe Green sleeves or Annie’s song. Don’t want to upset them you know.

I saw a group of 3 sows each with about 3 or 4 piglets on the Verderers on Friday.

They quickly moved out of the way.

Stumbled across them on another trail later on, but this time one of the sows stood her ground. So I turned around and went the other way.

Managed to get some photos, but no idea how to post them on here.

Every time I’ve seen a sounder they do nothing but carry on snuffling around and barely even lift a snout to look at me. If you’ve got unruly dogs with you however, different story (not that I have, there’s no way I’d let my dogs off the leash in the forest!)

@matt – John Denver, you’re showing you age there I think. Annie’s Song could well put the boar to sleep 😉

On a slightly serious note the boar can and will become a problem, sooner or later they will attack dogs and people. A startled boar could seriously injure a child or even an adult. I imagine that’s why they cull the larger animals

Wild Boar are a common site here in Vienna.
When they have young ones they can be vicious.

Going out early mornings and sometimes after dark (running and walking as well as biking) I’ve seen, I don’t know, a few hundred(?) since they first popped up. 40 on one ride alone, and on a 25 mile loop round the Forest I’d be surprised not to see any at all. Only once had a group stand their ground and that was the first lot I ever saw. Since then they’ve generally grunted and legged it if they’ve registered my presence. Although I did have a motherless group of baby ones trotting round my feet once too.

On the other hand I’ve been jumped on, slobbered on, barked at, growled at, scratched, had my clothes ripped and been bitten by dogs. And I know someone who reckoned their alsation got chucked 6ft in the air by a boar. So if the Forest gets stuffed full of boar and that means less dogs off leads I’m all for them. Few beavers in Cannop brook might be nice too.

I bivvied just off the trail in the FoD last year and was woken in the middle of the night by something smashing through the undergrowth towards me followed by a blood-curling snorty-growl-off between boars on either side of me. 😯 It took a while to get back to sleep.

Cheezpleez
I bivvied just off the trail in the FoD last year and was woken in the middle of the night by something smashing through the undergrowth towards me followed by a blood-curling snorty-growl-off between boars on either side of me. It took a while to get back to sleep

Rider loosing their KoM??? 😉

Don’t underestimate wild boar, that’s how Robert Baratheon got killed.

jambalaya – Member
Whistle at them

Any particular tune ?

Boar-derline?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbreWVUmYrE[/video]

Only seen one adult this year down there till the May bank holiday just gone saw a family by the stream near the Pedalway road.Then another family over by the Pludds then Plump hill.Then 7 fallow deer Nailbridge gone all Chris Packham 😆

Was it the big group? With about 15 little ones, 2 medium sized and a big daddy pig? Bumped into them last week, eventually I gave up and bushwhacked around them.

Lovely sight to see. Just need wolves now

Excellent pics there! How many are in the Forest then, anyone know? Any problems?

Bloody millions of them.
As far as I can remember estimates go from 300 ish to 3 times that depending on which side of the story you want.
Problems occur when they moot up the verges, which is a bit unsightly, picnic spots which is a bit more so I suppose and gardens and sports pitchs. Fences have to be darn strong to stop a really determined piggy.
Some people have been pursued by them. Probably cross mummy piggies. The odd dog has been duffed up quite badly.
They are potentially worrying at night as they are nearly black once grown. Their tendency to moot on verges whilst sticking their arses into the roads can be terminal for boar and car. They are solid! The thought of hitting one on a motorcycle doesn’t bear thinking about, they don’t fold up like deer.

I have had some near misses on the bikes, especially on the gravel when traveling at speed. Also riding through a posse of little ones ( Humbugs) in poor light is worrying as the just mill around and you just know that mum is near by.

I think they are great. You can spend ages watching them, it really screws up a fast ride. Just avoid getting too close to little ones and I like to have a climbable tree close if I am getting close to them. They can’t half shift if they want. I spooked one and it reminded me f those big offshore power boats as it took off. The arse went down and it was gone. Watched one bounce off a wire fence and then on its second attempt it went right through it!
Just creep around quietly watching where you go.

Don’t underestimate wild boar, that’s how Robert Baratheon got killed.

But he was pissed or drugged or both.

Two groups on Freeminers.