Is it safe spending night in wild boar territory?
I live in Berlin, Germany and in the last couple of years it's been know as 'wild boar capital' since there are lots of wild boars in the surroundings. I wanted to start camping and bushcrafting and there are so many forests around Berlin, but I am not sure that I could be safe spending the night there. I use a one person tent if that matters in any way.
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I'd be careful of wild pigs (boar or sow doesn't matter that much) when moving rather than when camping/sleeping: the danger is if you meet them and they are cornered. But unless you like to enter swamps and very thick brambles, and pick the blackberries only from the outside of the bramble thicket you're unlikely to stumble into their "living room", and you may never see any of them - though they may see you.
From that point of view, I'm not sure that encoutering a wild pig in urban settings (common or garden wild pig ;-) ) isn't far more dangerous than meeting it in the forests of Brandenburg where pretty much everywhere the remaining almost 360° are open to the pig to get away. And of course injured wild pigs are dangerous - but unless you are the hunter who has to search the boar after the car accident, that is not your problem.
When you are in camp, they'll know where you are by smell and sound long before you have any idea they are around.
You may want to consider putting up (tree) anything that can potentially smell edible or otherwise interesting, in particular if you are still close to town so have to expect that the pigs do have experience with humans as not being dangerous bus associated with delicious food (aka vegetable garden, compost heap and possibly rubbish bin). OTOH, that way it is still easily accessible for racoons and mice - who are very curious about anything that may turn out to be food. (I haven't done that so far, though I've put the backpack with its rain cover to a tree in rain when there was no place for it under the tarp. But I have lost food to mice - even in on a official bear safe hanging "rack")
When they are content and feeding they munch and dig around and grunt a bit. When you encounter one and it blows, it's time for a retreat, and if it claps its teeth better be up a somewhere (tree) immediately.
As for hunting: hunting of wild pigs is permitted during the whole night, and in Brandenburg AFAIK all year round. Still, sufficient light is required. Thus, if you go camping and neither want to get yourself into a hunt nor want to disturb the hunter:
- between last and first quarter, the moon is a) too small and b) mostly shining during the day, so no hunting light during the night. In additon, right now (summer) the moon is rather low, so that even with full moon the light isn't as bright as in winter.
In terms of weather, thick clouds mean too low light even in full moon. Snow OTOH means that both day light and moon light go much further.
Of course hunting is not a difficulty at all if you do what you are officially supposed to do: get permission by owner (who also knows the hunter/Jagdpächter) to camp and bushcraft on their land/in their hunting lease (Jagdrevier). But it may help if you already ask for times when you won't disturb any hunting - and it may help a lot if they do get the impression beforehand that you won't disturb the game (any time, not only potential hunting occasions).
All that being said - keep in mind that there are other animals out there that are all in all far more dangerous. Ticks for example.
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As long as you are permitted to do the camping I would not worry too much for the boars. However, make sure that you have a wild animal to worry about more: Homo sapiens.
However, when selecting your camp site make sure that it is free of boar or other wild animal traces. Avoid places where you recognize:
- dug up soil
- animal tracks and paths
- (boar) hair
- (boar) smell
- loose fruit on the ground
- (boar) feces
Also avoid places close to marshes/swamps. Do not camp during the boars' rutting season from November to January.
If you have permission and a suitable safe place, consider making a camp fire. If you camp not close to their shelter and if you are not too stealthy they will rather avoid you.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/22631. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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