The Relationship between Hunting Methods and the Sex, Age and Body Mass of Wild Boar Sus scrofa

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Wild boar Sus scrofa is a widely distributed species, the global population of which is continuously growing and its ecological impact is substantial. The increasing number of wild boars results in many conflicts with people, as they cause serious crop damage and are reservoirs of many epidemiologically and economically important diseases. That’s why in many countries to reduce these pressure, hunting for wild boars is carried out. Different methods of hunting and individual preferences of hunters may influence the effectiveness of such population control. We analyzed hunting data from the survey area in Western Poland from the years 1965–2016 and showed that individual hunters and team hunters usually hunt wild boars of different sex and age. Understanding these differences may help future planning of hunting operations, which will ensure an effective reduction of the number of wild boars, without causing untoward changes in the age- and sex structure of the population. ABSTRACT: Increases in the wild boar Sus scrofa population create many conflicts that must be managed, especially because hunting represents a major cause of mortality in this game species. However, hunting effort is not distributed randomly and is influenced by many factors, including hunting methods. This can be especially important in understanding the nature of hunting pressure for both theoretical (ecological and evolutionary) and applied reasons (for management purposes, especially during infectious diseases, for example, African swine fever, outbreaks). We analyzed hunting data from the survey area in Western Poland from the years 1965–2016. In this period a total of 2335 wild boar were culled using two hunting methods: by individual hunters (43.8%) and by teams of hunters (52.0%). During the study period, the number of wild boars increased significantly but in a non-linear manner. More adult males and yearlings of both sexes were shot during individual hunts; more adult females were culled during team hunting. Moreover, the body mass of culled wild boars was positively influenced by the distance to a forest and during the team hunts heavier females and males were shot. To effectively control populations of wild boars, programs to reduce the number of individuals should be better planned and ensure the maintenance of proper age- and sex structure in the wild boar population.