Forest of Dean....... Boar..please read

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Stu
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Guys an image for you unprocessed,The photographer in the image is not important ,the framing is delib.

I have one goal here,if it's you in that image my goal is not to trash ya,my goal is simply to use this image to try and help those little guys you are feeding

.Lets not turn this in to a witch hunt guys that ain't my way,if someone doesn't know they don't know,simple as, I could have spoken to the guy I guess I'm trying to say "hang on a min bro think a while" to more than one guy and his lady,

ironically with an image unprocessed not even thought about that side,!! I just didn't want to id the guy so framed carefully I'm trying to use the fact of it as a a tool to help some pigs


I'm sort of hoping that this pic and the story that follows of these actual piggies will do slightly more than educating one tog if nowt else it will graphically illustrate the implications of feeding boar right besides a road!!

A road I might add with signs telling of the recent human fatalities in graphic numbers,to try to get folks to just think and slow.


A few days back we went to the dean found a group of young piggies I'd been told about, 5 in all bless 'em two a bit bigger three a bit smaller,all kids.,heres the rub ALL KIDS.

I spent the late afternoon wishing for things not possible in blighty, ya know the golden hour,not the grey one. while trying to work out this camera lark,

Ahh the joy of it guys, pretty tame little piggies,But really deep inside me, my guts are turning

When two plonked down for a nap I was in heaven only as we drove home did it become really clear to me,I shouldn't have had that chance !!


We went back again, we adore the dean caught, up with them again, spent most of the day tracking 'em.

I don't like standing in the road saying go on kill me or slow down,but sometimes when folks make what should be wild tame, the consequences are not just a guy trying to slow some traffic so the kids are ok


Sometimes, these actions such as feeding, that are attracting these amazing animals, have much bigger consequnces for the boar not us the boar!! Some human might well die as well it's on the cards,:(

You'll note two groups of kids as one, two groups of kids making the best of it by joining together.............WHY??

Because their mums are probably dead, my old lass I showed you an image of recently also probably dead. Now, haven't cold hard facts, bar the fact I can prove people are feeding these guys right next to, yards from, a fast moving road........

What I can share is what the locals are telling me,same story over and over. not once separate incidents repeated

Yeah being poached stu,the photgraphers or joe public feed 'em get 'em to come to the roads, then the poachers turn up with cross bows late in the small hours and lamp 'em, If they were wild and in the woods ,folks that wanted to would see 'em but their would NOT be this carnage going on, Not to mention as an aside ...are they........... the authorities culling this animal at the right time of year??................

I an..no expert guys, kids with no mums that ain't right I know that much !!

We tracked em this day hours with 'em when I snapped this. The Biggest don't much like the rest of his new surrogate family,but if you all, all of you, could have heard him screaming when he thought he had lost them his frantic running all ways,man that is some haunting s*** I mean that guys . Sure i'm a soft old git,but we could feel how upset he was,even though once with them he really wanted to beat them up, seeing how traumatised he was was .when he thought he was alone was deeply horrible


Go see the boar they are amazing,don't let ya bloody kids give em haribo sweets don't feed them full stop !!

You are helping make orphans, kids growing up with no mums is very very wrong.

NO way, should I be making images of two kids sleeping

with NO MUM making me beyond stupidly cautious

While we are musing what might help them,doggy dogs, man I love dogs,

To a boar this is your domesticated form of an amimal called a wolf (it is actually exacatly that a man made wolf

One predator a boar really fears,it will take her kids. So to mrs piggy she doesn't want your dog however much I love, him anywhere near,she thinks he's going to kill her babies,she will defend them!!

Having watched a boar really turn it on to attack a dog,thank god for the fence. I'd back away on the slightest sniff of a boar, The incident we watched was said to be an old lady boar her first thirty yards would make Usane Bolt look like a snail

This is base hard core common sense,i'm trying not to be angry or patronising just spell out the ramifactions of a reality

I guess I could be ranting but ,because we live in a world where folks don't know anything about the woods or nature,and we need all humans to love and cherrish her. To see a boar back here that has more right than most of us ,is something i'd wish for all,

But keep 'em wild for them
other wise
other folks
will kill mums and leave little folks wondering the woods on their own

They don't need your food they need your respect

Boar will always provoke strong feelings without a predator infrastructure here ie wolves linx ect and even more controversy, I think culls will always be inevitable,but feeding these guys isn't being kind yeah I know they enjoyed it it was cold that night

but having a big fat mummy boar would keep them warmer!!

Sorry this is long winded, if I get to a couple of three folks that see these kids,it will be worth it

don't feed em
no dogs
shoot straight

get ya iso up

:p

_70F5388 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr
 
I'd heard there was a tame group in the Forest of Dean at present, not sure if it's this one or not. Sadly I feel you are right that they probably won't be around for that much longer, especially if they are being feed at the side if the road. Like you say it's potentially killing them with kindness. Bringing them closer to potential conflict with humans wont help them in the long term. making them more tolerant to humans doesn't help either, ultimately they need an instinct to fear humans for their survival as not every human isnt going to be nice to them. Conflict with humans through traffic collisions will just potentially provide evidence for the 'need' to cull under H&S concerns for road users. The boar need to be deep in the woods, acting natural away from human contact.

Yesterday I did a recce of an otter location on the way back from a day out with the wife. From what I found it's very unlikely I will be going back. Close to sunset there were around 20 people walking back and forth along a river bank and over two bridges scanning the water. I can understand why people were there, word has got out with photographers and nature lovers posting photos and videos of tame-ish otters so I can see the draw (as I was passing by I too had made the trip so can't say anything there). Whilst there it felt like it just wasn't natural this many people roaming a river bank, ultimately with the disruption that goes with it. It's a place where you would probably only see a few walking along, not this many people. I'm not totally antisocial but I like to be out on my own or in a small group. Big groups make me want to be somewhere else, it just doesnt feel right to me when out photographing nature.

A few years back I heard about the disruption caused by photographers at another local, reports of photographers feeding otters with tinned sardines and run ins with local residents. I do think as nature lovers (and photographers) we need to put the best interests of an animal first. I have no problems with baiting animals to a certain extent (not going into that here) but it has to be done in a way that's not detrimental to their health and still let them act natural. I've been in a situation where you think should you say something. I was showing my niece some seals we had come across on the beach a few years back. It was July so not pupping season and they were hauled out near the waters edge. We were watching from from the top of the beach, a couple then decided they wanted a selfie with the seals so went closer. They got closer and closer until she decided that trying to stoke a seal would make a great photo. Thankfully she didn't but was within a couple metres when she decided it was better to back off. The couple didn't understand the danger they had put themselves in, seals look quite placid but can move pretty fast, faster than most would expect, and can be quite aggressive too. Not being one for conflict, and out with family, I decided not to say anything as I could see it only going south. It's sad to have that perception of intervening and perhaps doing the right thing. Threads like this are great for educating and probably make more people think than were present in the situation, and like you say without actually turning it into a witch hunt. We can all learnt something, sometimes it needs someone to say 'hang on a minute, this just doesn't feel right' and bring it up so we can have an adult discussion about it.
 
Man interfering with nature. I don't understand why people cannot just leave alone.
 
Another, different, problem with this is that sooner or later they’ll be giving them ham sandwiches and we’ll have another foot and mouth outbreak :mad: I think there’ll be some nasty injuries to people from larger boar which may get the message home.
 
I wonder if it is visitors to the area that are more doing this. I come from the Forest originally and still go to see my family and speaking to a lot of the locals, there is a lot of them (not all) that don't like having them there as they are digging up verges, gardens (if they get in) etc. and a lot are in favour of the culling that is happening. As I said, this isn't the view of all of them, but a lot.

Also, there is the concern that they will attack walkers (or dogs being walked) and if they are now being hand-fed, more chances that they will run out into the road.

BTW. not saying this is my view, just from what I am hearing when I visit
 
Guys not drunk just more where I am now tired whitless I probably shouldn't have bothered and left it for another day .

But this one worries me and it was more important to me to say something asap rather than get it out in the best way.If I am a fool cool 'll take that but I wanted to hammer it

Sure laboured sure not eloquent my humble apologies

I went for repeating over and over it's tedious but eloquence has done nowt read byker boys links !! Cheers kiddo what's ya name mate?? I might do this again you said Hi ....funny as:D I have no idea who you are but you post alot and I don't think we have ever spoken which makes me think I might get hammered and get more replies that way LMAO!!

Lads especially Rob let me come back shortly when I can half a convo with you I need sleep!!

Before I go real brief case reported to me finger removed by boar on fri or sat last,,,,,,,,, anyone know anything ??

Finally, if one guy amongst these few posters above has knowledge of a tame group,then more togs will follow. Maybe they will read an inch of the above

and not feed them

not sorted but a step right !!

take care all(y)

stu
 
I'd heard there was a tame group in the Forest of Dean at present, not sure if it's this one or not. Sadly I feel you are right that they probably won't be around for that much longer, especially if they are being feed at the side if the road. Like you say it's potentially killing them with kindness. Bringing them closer to potential conflict with humans wont help them in the long term. making them more tolerant to humans doesn't help either, ultimately they need an instinct to fear humans for their survival as not every human isnt going to be nice to them. Conflict with humans through traffic collisions will just potentially provide evidence for the 'need' to cull under H&S concerns for road users. The boar need to be deep in the woods, acting natural away from human contact.

Yesterday I did a recce of an otter location on the way back from a day out with the wife. From what I found it's very unlikely I will be going back. Close to sunset there were around 20 people walking back and forth along a river bank and over two bridges scanning the water. I can understand why people were there, word has got out with photographers and nature lovers posting photos and videos of tame-ish otters so I can see the draw (as I was passing by I too had made the trip so can't say anything there). Whilst there it felt like it just wasn't natural this many people roaming a river bank, ultimately with the disruption that goes with it. It's a place where you would probably only see a few walking along, not this many people. I'm not totally antisocial but I like to be out on my own or in a small group. Big groups make me want to be somewhere else, it just doesnt feel right to me when out photographing nature.

A few years back I heard about the disruption caused by photographers at another local, reports of photographers feeding otters with tinned sardines and run ins with local residents. I do think as nature lovers (and photographers) we need to put the best interests of an animal first. I have no problems with baiting animals to a certain extent (not going into that here) but it has to be done in a way that's not detrimental to their health and still let them act natural. I've been in a situation where you think should you say something. I was showing my niece some seals we had come across on the beach a few years back. It was July so not pupping season and they were hauled out near the waters edge. We were watching from from the top of the beach, a couple then decided they wanted a selfie with the seals so went closer. They got closer and closer until she decided that trying to stoke a seal would make a great photo. Thankfully she didn't but was within a couple metres when she decided it was better to back off. The couple didn't understand the danger they had put themselves in, seals look quite placid but can move pretty fast, faster than most would expect, and can be quite aggressive too. Not being one for conflict, and out with family, I decided not to say anything as I could see it only going south. It's sad to have that perception of intervening and perhaps doing the right thing. Threads like this are great for educating and probably make more people think than were present in the situation, and like you say without actually turning it into a witch hunt. We can all learnt something, sometimes it needs someone to say 'hang on a minute, this just doesn't feel right' and bring it up so we can have an adult discussion about it.

Hey Rob how ya doin? nice to be home at a slightly more reasonable hour, needs must sorry slow to reply,anyway......

I've be told of a couple of groups, I would think very likely the same as the above snap,they are right where folks will see them by accident,which is cool but also of concern to say the least.it Yup potentially ,feeding is essentially providing a damn good chance for a poacher.

Been a hard few days mate,snow before chimbo just the right depth for a lurcher,not so good for a hare. Nine ....nine killed on one field and left tis heartbreakin. We have spent so much time getting to know them,so much effort ,tis incredibly sad. If a poacher isn't even going to pick up and eat his kill ,these odds also provide no sport it's just wanton waste,deer as well. Frankly I could cry bro No lens meant I didn't visit in the snow I'd have had them old bill may not be interested but it would help the landowner just maybe. It's all but gangs mate the keepers have it hard,they get a bad rep but few really know what they do and risk for our countryside.

Sorry mate boar....they need to fear us ,ok look as a tog it was wicked and fair play we have tried over and over since the cull. Dawn after dawn start for nowt ,so I took me chances But I'd much rather have to use some FC and have a reality to the images earn them rather than this myself, Even if many frames would never have been made. To me the situation is desparate the tameness makes it easy to take pics,but what I have seen alone is enough to be concerned,a fast road folks die on and the insanity of feeding close to it UGG

Rob occassionally i'll use the web like for my waxwings,but most of the time the rarities pass me by and i'm a quiet soul about where I go. It's exactly your otters word is put out,folks want to see.Mate I'm in turmoil here,I'd love everyone to see a boar an otter a waxwing their desires. But with so many humans and so many togs,it's a deep worry how an amimals territory can suddenly turn from a quiet place to folks all ways.

Rob your otters,they are doing better now ,but not so long back,boffins studying them had never seen a wild one. Secretive quiet folks otters are ,twenty guys walikng a river ' no otter is never going to show, period The prob here is twenty togs being brain dead and not just all getting together and saying right lads we all sit someone might just get lucky,no one will see nowt with us meandering who ever gets lucky tells the rest and then we can all sit on each other tomorrow get the same images cough sorry mate. :D Everyone should have the chance to make wildlife images Rob some folks aren't so able they need a crack too:) .

But i'm unsure about making wildlife easy when it shouldn't be .here i'm fuming that mums are being taken and kids left before they should be i'm all but at a loss as to why anyone would feed a boar in a sea of acorn woodland, it's the interaction they seek I guess,

folks simply do not understand the implications of their actions. I had a guy of 38 ask me if what was growing in my garden was an onion. To most of our society now nature is almost this remote thing Sir David tells us about , Most of our society is now so removed from nature, living in cities,it's hard for me to comprehend ,but how can they have any idea that feeding a pig is maybe not needed it lives where??? Exactly where it's meant too. there is loads of food !! But one might think they would twig the danger of the road.

But how many would have a chance of knowing that their actions are making it easier for poachers, and what they were looking at was not a big mummy at all just a big baby. that their mums may well have been killed by crossbow.


Rich
There is nowt wrong with a sustainable harvest,they have to be managed,and yes please god eat them don't just throw them away, like my beloved hares. I guess without any implication an adult boar is a valuable commodity. but a bit of humanity huh take the kids if you have to shoot something I'd much rather not but don't leave orphans



Steve,both probably many more visitors it's your patch buddy I just love the place but almost certainly both

I think,there are locals that love them and locals that loath them. For any keen gardener whom has spent years building their little heaven a boar must be an awful thing. Years of work trashed in a night I understand all of this mate. But no one can be feeding I understand that side too,people like to have their special animals friends be it robin or boar. def locals feeding aswell . The wilder they are the less they will interact with us. It isn't a given they will always be able to ruin someone's life with that incredible nose there will always be conflict. with them,But no predators means they can't just spiral out of control

. It's the same as our deer Steve ,I find it hard,but utterly understand. It's just man is cr*p at managing nature and with any form of cull. due care should always be taken for kids,boar breed at all times ,their are humbugs about right now.. So a close season is inoperable. I can't say I love the idea of a cull but realistically like our deer the only other way is predators. a Recent sad tale of an escaped a lynx Ingrid posted about is proff enough that is a non starter it was killed in days :(


I don't have answers but feeding them is not good for them. The traffic aspect is concerning Steve. Mate you are from a special place:cool: it's amazing how many locals have never seen one We have been going their for maybe 20 years. So we have really seen the effects of them on your home slowly build and build it's quite something how much one boar can turn in a day. .

cheers guys

stu
 
This won't end well- I spent an hour with them before xmas - god knows why anybody needs a whole day or even half a day! theres only so many pics of a group of tame young boars one can take.

although unpopular the best thing would be for the forestry commission to gather them up and rehome them before they get bigger and do serious damage to them selves or others.

Regen
 
Dogs can be a 'red rag' when Hoglets are around, warnings are given.

Yup, we've been on the Sculpture trail, really busy with walkers, bikers at the weekend and come across boar, but we'd heard rustling and put the dog on the lead just in case
 
No matter how many warnings, people always want to take risks with wild animals, be it the wild boar, deer or wild ponies
There are signs everywhere in places where animals roam free, telling you not to approach too closely or feed them for both
your and the animals safety, do people take any notice ?
 
Yup, we've been on the Sculpture trail, really busy with walkers, bikers at the weekend and come across boar, but we'd heard rustling and put the dog on the lead just in case
I’ve no relevant experience with piggies but I would have thought that, as with cattle, it’s best to leave your dog off the lead to keep you both safer.
These boar probably need teaching to avoid dogs;) the maybe they’ll keep away from people and pets.
 
Are you for real!

maybe it would be better if the dogs learned how to keep the people on a lead!

Regen
Roping people and dogs together is risky round both domestic and wild animals.
 
No matter how many warnings, people always want to take risks with wild animals, be it the wild boar, deer or wild ponies
There are signs everywhere in places where animals roam free, telling you not to approach too closely or feed them for both
your and the animals safety, do people take any notice ?

Very true. There are very few(if any) wild animals in the UK that will cause anyone a problem, if left alone. Some folks think wild animals (and some domestic ones too) are some sort of entertainment or playthings to do with what they want. If those people come to a sticky end then I'm not bothered at all. If you try to get close and cuddly with something the size of a boar and end up with an afternoon in A&E, then I have no sympathy, but I wish people would consider the longer term impact of their behaviour. In almost all circumstances hand feeding is a a no no, but I can understand people who do feed.

More education needed - https://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-9fyfc5

Dave
 
I live just outside Coleford and drive past speech house everyday. There is a tame group there. I’ve almost hit them on multiple occasions as they saunter across the road. People park in the arboretum car park and feed the boar there. I’ve seen people ushering their children towards them, people throwing them food, all sorts.
Unbelievable really.

Oh and official advice is dogs on leads and Turn around if you see a boar. The group will run off but one will stay and mock charge you. It will either them run away back to the group or charge you again. If you don’t get the messsge it your own stupidity.
Only one ever case of a boar injuring an person and that happened this week, but is widely believed to be rubbish.. guy said one jumped out a bush and bit his finger off.
 
This won't end well- I spent an hour with them before xmas - god knows why anybody needs a whole day or even half a day! theres only so many pics of a group of tame young boars one can take.

although unpopular the best thing would be for the forestry commission to gather them up and rehome them before they get bigger and do serious damage to them selves or others.

Regen

Regan,any subject I want time with, I want to see what they do and with time I might just see more than them scoffing their faces. The situation the people the insanity as an image maker I find very hard. I'd say the images one can make are limited by the time one spends with anything. I understand your comment,but know an hour with them would have provided little chance of more than head down feeding bar luck. where as time gave me chances at sleeping fighting belting through the woods full tilt, bla de bla

I'm slightly surprised actually mate, by this comment ,you have always struck me as a guy that has spent a hell of a lot of time in the countryside observing nature. Something slightly new or different captured by an image maker can happen once and last for seconds. Maybe it's just down to one's imagination I deliberately went Regen to spend time and maybe get a chance at something unusual It is is an uncomfortable experience here for me Regen ,it must be fairly obvious with the time I have spent on this thread when I have so little, that this one is messing with me personally When they all went off deep in the woods for a ramble is where it got better

Buddy pretty much every post I have read by you makes sense to me, your a very educted guy with our nature but I beg to differ here,I'd love to see some of your best images,purely from the point of view it;s always intersting to see what someone else was thinking .


Mate the second part I don't think they would move but probably cull.

I'd imagine boar are subject to movement restictions etc like the domestic pig is, they would probably have to be tested for blue ear and swine flu QT ,all I can see is red tape and expense,sadly So while I undersand you completely and no doubt it's for the best they need moving period !! I think the FC would cull before moving

No matter how many warnings, people always want to take risks with wild animals, be it the wild boar, deer or wild ponies
There are signs everywhere in places where animals roam free, telling you not to approach too closely or feed them for both
your and the animals safety, do people take any notice ?


Hey mate HNY Ingrid I know I agree ever word . But I had to try,what can I do these kids should have a mum

I know i'm wasting my time mate we spoke to lots of people ,by the time I took the above I was so worn down I felt an image might help at least here. Folks know exactly where they are now,something I really wanted to avoid. Lets hope that if someone from here reads some of this they won't actually feed them

Cheers Wez ,so what I was told was true most of it is sadly !!!!!

On dogs well it's an area of common land so sheep are grazed and yup busy road little to no fences and dogs are off leads ...................

stu
 
I'd say the images one can make are limited by the time one spends with anything.

Have to agree Stu.
Even though I'm too old for 'stalking' now and spend most of my time on reserves and in hides I constantly see people missing great photo or observational opportunities simply by looking, seeing nothing and moving on. If only they took some time to wait and watch they would enjoy many great scenes of animal/bird behaviour that they miss by being impatient.
 
If only they took some time to wait and watch they would enjoy many great scenes of animal/bird behaviour that they miss by being impatient.
Apply's to zoo's also Roger, the amount of times I've been photographing Lynx, in a not massive enclosure, a parent walks up with a couple of kids and says "Oh nothing there" and they are gone.
I've given up calling to them and pointing out where they are, they are not tiny creatures either, I just chuckle now, instead of calling them back :D
 
Hi Stu,

The easy one first- The move them comment was a bit tongue in cheek so as not open the thou shalt not kill can of worms. I guess what I meant was the FC should move them to the nearest butchers!

As far as time spent with them-an hour was plenty the other 3 hours were spent observing from the comfort of the car,which on the day led me to believe they were not going to leave the car park any time soon in spite of a lady from the Forestry commissions best efforts to drive them into the woods.

i was also uncomfortable about their proximity to the road and the number of people moving in close to take phone pics which on occasion moved them closer to the road so after an hour i no longer wanted to be part of it or be responsible for any potential outcome.

Whilst i accept that the more time spent with them the better the photographic outcome and if they had moved into the wood I would have been tempted. However on the day there were only 4 possible clips(i only do video) that I wanted. Close up and distant shots of the boars rootling in the oak/beech leaves. Squabbling amongst them selves. Resting either singly or as a group and most importantly their interaction with people e.g. cars passing fast in background and cars moving out of carpark whilst they foraged unconcerned. An hour was sufficient for me.

If they were wild or a proper sounder then i would have happily followed them all day but i doubt much footage would have resulted!

I don't want to fall out over a single comment which was not actually directed personally at you because i think we are on the same page most of the time. I know of other people who have spent a whole day with them and then post their pictures of wild boars!

Regen
 
Regen there is no malice here NONE buddy no falling out,I was digging. your post didn't add up to me........ there was more. the first bit went over me 'ead simple as:D

The second bit puzzled me,i've just deleted what I was saying to me old mate roger to say to you,

I had you down as a guy whom has spent eons watching and observing our wildlife, I have a lot of respect for ya kiddo,if there is anything in my post above to you that would make you muse other I simply apologise there was nowt meant ,JEES H. me and letters no wonder i'm paranoid.:banghead:

There was more the..... situation is dire i've seen near RTA's plural, charge by adult boar,thank god for fence, just fluke after fluke near miss and I chose to be there. That choice of mine is harder for me than the choice you made ,I understand what you did ,I just didn't get your words above

They didn't add up to the guy I have spoken briefly too on this forum Regen for me you have to have spent spent hours and hours in the field observing to be able to state what you do, so I was puzzled

That's it bro nowt else:) I just wanted to understand you so I asked

Mate just to be clear you do understand me don't you no malice here that
simply hadn't entered my head but i'm a curious guy

I spent ages not even thinking image just go in the bloody woods for gods sake and making efforts therein,i'm in no way surprised the lady failed,

see pic above

If folks don't feed 'em they would just run :(



take care kiddo

stu
 
Buddy it's so hard,a boar death and RTA were reported to me yesterday while at work by some lads that live in the Dean,sadly at exactly the same spot, I went to post about it last night but the words were failing me so I thought better of it,after the replies to me first effort. So if this happened today then I believe this is the second RTA in days . It was always coming we both knew it but no chance of preventing it only pleading which pretty much got me nowhere I thought that if maybe togs were not actively encouraging at the very least we could slightly distance our selves..........not so much now !!

Regen despite being deeply sentimental about kids without mums, and obviously deeply passionate about that. I do understand the probs that this population are heading towards,they will be culled severly. They breed like humans sadly these having had man 's intervention in their back story means they are even more prolific than the truly wild guys. Mate Spain is having issues it's worth a dig as the head honcho of the dean seems to be basing his strategies on their problems, I feel,from reading buddy no more than that. I haven't spoken to anyone. It also appears he's heading for a pop of around 400 indviduals as a compromise between having the boar and hopefully keeping problems caused to the local folks to a minimum. Also in my reading there are beliefs that the pop might be fragmenting into very wild very shy piggies and some that see us as a food source almost urban and rural pops. .

Simply and fundamantally it seems to me that with so many of us and our complete disregard for our own population and it's effect,little room is left on our island for much else that might have any plausible effect on our lives.

Tis somewhat ironic that so many here want rhinos and eles and tigers and polars et al to be cared for yet if one of our natural natives ie a lynx gets out here it is killed in days. I guess it's ok to care for something that lives far away and doesn't bring any difficulties to our lives Boar aren't a predator but that capacity to breed will always be an issue for us.

Hard mate,i've spent hours looking at those images as I slowly try to get me bonce around PS,yet a constantly have this feeling of dread that I'm either looking at a now dead kid or one that will meet it's maker soon.

Cheers for posting Regen sorry for the misunderstanding nowt was intentional I'm somehow hoping that there hasn't been two incidents,but really fear there might have been as the timelines don't add up.

Gutted !!

stu
 
The problems raised are purely and simply down to one factor FACEBOOK 10 years ago most peeps posted pics of bird or animal sightings on Flickr or forums where access was limited and the news spread slowly .
These days a rarity or a good place to see a rarity is posted ( usually innocently) on FB and within hours the place is swarming with Wannasee’s .i can only see it get worse .
 
The problems raised are purely and simply down to one factor FACEBOOK 10 years ago most peeps posted pics of bird or animal sightings on Flickr or forums where access was limited and the news spread slowly .
These days a rarity or a good place to see a rarity is posted ( usually innocently) on FB and within hours the place is swarming with Wannasee’s .i can only see it get worse .


You may well be right Jeff, I suspect we could blame twitty too !! I don't really do facebook et al mate. Frankly it just seems to be a transient stream of nothingness to me,ok it goes over me 'ead to put it simply:) Jeff folks will come across these,beyond all the internal mayhem I go through with stuff like this, the fact that more will find without prompting,really made me feel there was little choice but to post.............simply if one tog feeds another surely will. I wanted to try and get across the implications real world ones,that these actions are causing.

Jeff bigger picture,how much field craft is being lost,it should be a mainstay of any wildlife image maker,yet the accepted practice seems to be travel turn up point bloody big lens on tripod at subject and move on. Mate we spent some hours before this in another spot where there are some lovely quite rare birds,i'm fighting shy now of even mentioning a species. hours spent waiting,birds very reluctent to come down,why because of the three amigos wondering around waiting in the cold flapping arms to keep warm bla de bla,when the birds landed in front of us unseen by the others the amigos picked that choice moment topick up tripods etc and move ............ we decided to give up.

Jeff this one is hard for me,I desparately want folks to care about their island and what lives here seeing these birds or beasties is really special it inspires,but with so many folks here now and ever increasing and so many wanting to make images ,I strongly suspect you are spot on mate.

stu
 
stu i definitely know I'm spot on . cheap 600mm reach lenses on a crop body camera shooting 7 or 8 or more frames per second in j.peg ,transfer images to their mobile phone where they stand upload and 20 or more pics posted all over facebook and twitter before the likes of us old timers can even get back to our cars let alone process a RAW file once home .seeing it done all the time .
twitter groups for local area goodies,...sees loads of cars racing to get to the spot where the kingfisher or s.e.o is showing well at that very moment... .and god forbid you do take a good pic of a rarity and post its location the next day you'll fight to find a parking spot .....seeing far far to much of this of late and what beats me is when got to a spot that I have used for years and its full of f*****g experts who have allegedly been going there for years (but I have never seen them ) and know everything about the place then stand there with there lenses pointed into the sun .I used to be of a mind set to help anybody these days I can't stand 95% of them
 
I’ve no relevant experience with piggies but I would have thought that, as with cattle, it’s best to leave your dog off the lead to keep you both safer.
That’s incorrect advice. Around cows your dog should be on a leash, but if cows stampede towards you be ready and prepared to drop the lead for your own safety.
 
That’s incorrect advice. Around cows your dog should be on a leash, but if cows stampede towards you be ready and prepared to drop the lead for your own safety.
That’s fair, but cattle don’t need to be stampeding to be a danger to you. For example, when you are confined by wall or river. Every situation is different.
 
cows arent a problem if sensible and unless they have calfs with them ,bullocks are a nuisance but 95% of the time are just nosey and if the gather round you a couple of loud shouts will generally clear them off and just walk away .but always keep clear of bulls even lazy ones can move fast .but every situation is different so always have your wits about you
 
Roping people and dogs together is risky round both domestic and wild animals.

Official advice is dogs on leads. It stops the curious dog wandering over to see what's smelling interesting over there, you have control.
 
The forest of dean was a place I had planned on going this year to try my hand at getting some decent photos of the wild boar so I will try and take in what has been said on this post/forum, and as they say knowledge is power :)
 
The forest of dean was a place I had planned on going this year to try my hand at getting some decent photos of the wild boar so I will try and take in what has been said on this post/forum, and as they say knowledge is power :)


Martin,do go,it's an enchanting magical place,it's worth seeing there is so much to see ,the boar are big and wonderful,somewhat unique,but trust me there is so much more aswell. The dean is a stunning haven for so much to make an image of. One cannot legislate for folks Martin and sure I was screaming in the dark dead in days what can I say

. But it's easy to find space here and be away from the madness,finding the wilder ones not so easy,but that is how it should be. Bird life is stunning, good fallow pop some cracking dark guys. It's got stunning vistas all ways a stonking big river with all that entails,running the midst . Martin it's really worth a trip I buddy,wish you luck with the boar,leave the dog at home;) Once you know how fast an adult can cover the ground mate when you have seen it,first hand don't take the official advice above. It is simply wrong and has the potential to endanger !!

Mate I screamed here I could see a death coming kids without mums i'm a soft sod,it was coming !! in days one gone!! . But I wouldn't want that to stop folks from going to this place,just that they think and realise what their actions are sadly causing. I adore this woodland mate it's one of our best plenty of solitude aswell as the above. Some wicked little places where even a guy whom can no longer walk or is disabled can make some wonderful images.

I hate for this post to put anyone off,visiting the forest of dean Martin your post didn't really point to you not going.but it made me think .

all the luck kiddo:)

stu
 
I hadn’t seen the tame group for a few days, I presumed the worst and the F.C had culled them, however yesterday morning on my way to work, the group of 4 ran out directly in front of me causing me to brake hard... completely oblivious they then stood at the side of the road snuffling away.

I was happy to see them, but miffed they made me stop so hard
 
Only saw 3 today, ran across the road again.
A dead one at the side of the road a bit further along.

It was quite a bit further than that group tends to go though, so may have been unrelated.
I’m hoping the 4th was just in the undergrowth on the side of the road and hadn’t crossed over with the others.

Also fresh evidence of them down my lane. Neighbour says she saw one heading for my land , but it was brown like a Tamworth pig.
There are loads of crossbreeds about including Gloucester old spot. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
 
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Only saw 3 today, ran across the road again.
A dead one at the side of the road a bit further along.

It was quite a bit further than that group tends to go though, so may have been unrelated.
I’m hoping the 4th was just in the undergrowth on the side of the road and hadn’t crossed over with the others.

Also fresh evidence of them down my lane. Neighbour says she saw one heading for my land , but it was brown like a Tamworth pig.
There are loads of crossbreeds about including Gloucester old spot. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.

Can I just ask not wishing to be provocative,but,what did you do with the road kill. Leave or take it.
 
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