Guest guest Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 Some information from experts on control of Wild Boar. ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Letter PAMHO:7738657 (61 lines) Internet: "martin GOULDING" <mjgoulding (AT) mjgoulding (DOT) freeserve.co.uk> 22-Jan-04 19:41 Vraj Eco Vill [17873] Reference: Text PAMHO:7738198 by Vraj Eco Vill Re: Boar --------------------------- Dear Greg, If I may answer the question myself having several years experience with boar and agriculture. Unfortunately there is only one natural answer; fencing. To be boar proof, it has to be high (approx. 6ft) to stop them jumping over and dug into the ground by 1 ft, to stop rooting underneath. A strand of electric wire about 8 inches above the ground adds extra protection. This set-up is usually prohibitively expensive to farmers and there lies the whole crux of the problem. Other natural methods have been tried but with limited success as boar are very adaptable and intelligent. Bright lights, bangers, strong scents, noisy machinery/vehicles have all been tried and, after initial sucess, failed. The only other hope is to put food (grain) down away from the crops to draw the boar away from temptation. However this entails the cost and hassle putting food out every night and ultimately results in an increase in boar numbers through a good food supply. Aside from having a 24hr vigil over the crops to physically chase any boar away, there is no natural answer to your problem. I am sorry to be so negative, but your question is asked by farmers the world over - and no-one to date has an answer. Good luck with your eco-village, please don't hesitate to ask if there is anything else to do with boar I can maybe help with. kind regards Dr Martin Goulding ************************************* Martin Goulding BSc MSc PhD CBiol MIBiol www.britishwildboar.org.uk ************************************* - "Vraj Eco Vill" <Vraj.Eco.Vill (AT) pamho (DOT) net> <mjgoulding (AT) mjgoulding (DOT) freeserve.co.uk> Thursday, January 22, 2004 5:40 PM Boar > Sorry this is not about lectures or anything. > > We are developing an Ecovillage in Central Spain, and are surrounded by wild > boar. We want to find if there are any natural methods to prevent them from > destroying our crops. > > Can you give us any clues who to contact in this regard? > > Thanks a lot for your consideration > > Sincerely > > Greg Clark. > (Text PAMHO:7738657) ------ ------- End of Forwarded Message ------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 Although we have no boars in this area we do have a multitude of deer who will destroy a large garden in two days or less. They can jumb very high and jumb over ordinary fences. We also have groundhogs that will burrow underneath a fence and destroy your garden. We had that experience when we first came to New Vrndavana. Having been so depressed after losing everything the first season we asked the local people what they did. They said put up a fence and get a dog. We didn't want to get a dog but by chance a local devotee had a dog that had several puppies and he wanted to give us two as he thought they would have a good life on our large property. We now have one of those two dogs who is an Akita/German Shepherd mix. She takes her service extremely seriously and has rid the property of at least 100 groundhogs. She has spent many a sleepless night chasing and barking at the deer when they try to come to the garden to eat. She could probably use some help in the summer. She takes great pride in these activities and we have never suffered the loses we have suffered in the first season I did train her when she was a puppy to not chase the cows and I rewarded and encouraged her to chase the deer. It is natural for her to corner the groundhogs and kill them. I have often heard of dogs doing the same with other types of animals and I have learned that by spending time with them and rewarding the behavior you want and discouraging the behavior you don't want they can adjust. Right now she is outside in freezing weather (single digits) barking at the deer she can see in the forest. She is never tied up and never roams. I take her on a long walk about an hour each day to check the cows and the fences and for her to run and chase more deer. The other day she had a ferocious fight with a raccoon and killed it. They can be dangerous.She is also very good with children and is greatly loved by many devotees and even appreciated by some of the sannyasis that visit here due to her charming and friendly personality and her serious service attitude. She also loves prasadam. Why not try a dog? Visit us at: www.iscowp.org > [Original Message] > Vraj Eco Vill <Vraj.Eco.Vill (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > Agriculture and the Environment <Agriculture.and.the.Environment (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > 1/23/2004 3:00:03 PM > Re: Boar > > Some information from experts on control of Wild Boar. > > ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- > > Letter PAMHO:7738657 (61 lines) > Internet: "martin GOULDING" > <mjgoulding (AT) mjgoulding (DOT) freeserve.co.uk> > 22-Jan-04 19:41 > Vraj Eco Vill [17873] > Reference: Text PAMHO:7738198 by Vraj Eco Vill > Re: Boar > --------------------------- > Dear Greg, > > If I may answer the question myself having several years experience with > boar and agriculture. > Unfortunately there is only one natural answer; fencing. To be boar > proof, it has to be high (approx. 6ft) to stop them jumping over and dug > into the ground by 1 ft, to stop rooting underneath. A strand of electric > wire about 8 inches above the ground adds extra protection. This set-up is > usually prohibitively expensive to farmers and there lies the whole crux of > the problem. > Other natural methods have been tried but with limited success as boar are > very adaptable and intelligent. Bright lights, bangers, strong scents, noisy > machinery/vehicles have all been tried and, after initial sucess, failed. > The only other hope is to put food (grain) down away from the crops to draw > the boar away from temptation. However this entails the cost and hassle > putting food out every night and ultimately results in an increase in boar > numbers through a good food supply. > Aside from having a 24hr vigil over the crops to physically chase any boar > away, there is no natural answer to your problem. I am sorry to be so > negative, but your question is asked by farmers the world over - and no-one > to date has an answer. > > Good luck with your eco-village, please don't hesitate to ask if there is > anything else to do with boar I can maybe help with. > > kind regards > > Dr Martin Goulding > > ************************************* > Martin Goulding > BSc MSc PhD CBiol MIBiol > www.britishwildboar.org.uk > ************************************* > > > > > - > "Vraj Eco Vill" <Vraj.Eco.Vill (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > <mjgoulding (AT) mjgoulding (DOT) freeserve.co.uk> > Thursday, January 22, 2004 5:40 PM > Boar > > > > Sorry this is not about lectures or anything. > > > > We are developing an Ecovillage in Central Spain, and are surrounded by > wild > > boar. We want to find if there are any natural methods to prevent them > from > > destroying our crops. > > > > Can you give us any clues who to contact in this regard? > > > > Thanks a lot for your consideration > > > > Sincerely > > > > Greg Clark. > > > (Text PAMHO:7738657) ------ > > ------- End of Forwarded Message ------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 > Although we have no boars in this area we do have a multitude of deer who > will destroy a large garden in two days or less. They can jumb very high > and jumb over ordinary fences. We also have groundhogs that will burrow > underneath a fence and destroy your garden. We had that experience when we > first came to New Vrndavana. Having been so depressed after losing > everything the first season we asked the local people what they did. They > said put up a fence and get a dog. We didn't want to get a dog but by > chance a local devotee had a dog that had several puppies and he wanted to > give us two as he thought they would have a good life on our large > property. I was thinking of a dog, but your experience has confirmed it! Thank you very much for that. Your servant Samba das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Just research what would be a good breed for your purposes. We were afraid of getting a dog becuase we thuoght perhaps it would not want to chase the deer and protect like that. We knew Akita were used as Japanse temple guard dogs and german shepards are very protective of their masters. So do some research to get the ,ost likely breed to do the job. I do not think any breed will do the service. Visit us at: www.iscowp.org > [Original Message] > Vraj Eco Vill <Vraj.Eco.Vill (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > Agriculture and the Environment <Agriculture.and.the.Environment (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net> > 1/25/2004 4:00:03 AM > Re: Boar > > > Although we have no boars in this area we do have a multitude of deer who > > will destroy a large garden in two days or less. They can jumb very high > > and jumb over ordinary fences. We also have groundhogs that will burrow > > underneath a fence and destroy your garden. We had that experience when we > > first came to New Vrndavana. Having been so depressed after losing > > everything the first season we asked the local people what they did. They > > said put up a fence and get a dog. We didn't want to get a dog but by > > chance a local devotee had a dog that had several puppies and he wanted to > > give us two as he thought they would have a good life on our large > > property. > > I was thinking of a dog, but your experience has confirmed it! Thank you > very much for that. > > Your servant > Samba das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 I would recommend getting yourself a Border Collie. I just picked one up from a farmer here in Texas just yesterday. We got him to keep the deer out of our yard. Although the dog is only 6 weeks old, he already has a strong herding instinct. I took him for a walk this morning and he was trying to 'herd' me onto the side of the road. Border Collies have a strong genetic disposition to chase livestock and other animals, and they are generally fearless. One time I saw a border collie on a farm chasing a horse. He bit the horse's tail and held on with his mouth, happily being dragged along at full gallop! The dogs would chase the boars on the farm as well, biting their tails completely off. With a little bit of training you can teach the dog to chase off the boars, and even help you to move the cows into a corral or pasture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 > I would recommend getting yourself a Border Collie. I just picked one up > from a farmer here in Texas just yesterday. We got him to keep the deer > out of our yard. Although the dog is only 6 weeks old, he already has a > strong herding instinct. I took him for a walk this morning and he was > trying to 'herd' me onto the side of the road. > > Border Collies have a strong genetic disposition to chase livestock and > other animals, and they are generally fearless. One time I saw a border > collie on a farm chasing a horse. He bit the horse's tail and held on > with his mouth, happily being dragged along at full gallop! The dogs > would chase the boars on the farm as well, biting their tails completely > off. > > With a little bit of training you can teach the dog to chase off the > boars, and even help you to move the cows into a corral or pasture. Thanks for that tip prabhu. I had been thinking of a collie, because they are not too big, and they have a really nice temperament. They are also fast on their feet, and I reckon they could outmanouvre a fat boar easily. I will look out for one. Your servant Samba das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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