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Do intensive drive hunts affect wild boar (Sus scrofa) spatial behaviour in Italy? Some evidences and management implications

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Abstract

Wild boar have been increasing in numbers all over Western Europe in the last 30 years. The species is a major pest for agriculture, but it has a high value as a game species, and in Italy, as in several other countries, it is traditionally hunted in drive hunts by hunting teams with several dogs. This hunting method can have disruptive effects on the demography and spatial behaviour of wild boar, especially family groups. We conducted a 2-year study (2003 and 2004) to determine the effects of drive hunt disturbance on the spatial behaviour of wild boar family groups in the Northern Apennines (central Italy). Twenty wild boar belonging to ten family groups were ear tagged with a radio device. We located resting sites daily and used intensive tracking sessions during drive hunts. Three seasons were determined: pre-hunting, hunting and post-hunting. A general pattern of increased spatial instability during the hunting season was shown. Resting ranges were larger, and resting sites were more interspersed. Distances between consecutive resting sites were greater during the hunting season and, especially, on hunting days. The displacement of family groups caused by drive hunts was generally short lived except for those groups that were repeatedly hunted and so abandoned their pre-hunt (native) range. During drive hunts, wild boar showed a moderate tolerance to hunting disturbance, and only family groups which were directly chased by dogs escaped or altered their behaviour. The response of wild boar to hunting disturbance seemed to be highly related to the degree of hunting pressure combined with individual variability. The impact on wild boar behaviour should be reduced, above all by avoiding repeated hunts in the same areas within a short period and by employing well-trained hounds.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Emilia Romagna Region, Bologna Province, and hunting districts (A.T.C.) BO3 and ATC BO4. We thank the owner and the staff of the “Cà Domenicali” hunting reserve, in particular the Maccaferri and Mongardi families, for their collaboration and logistical help. We also thank all the hunting teams which cooperated with us. We are grateful to Massimo Fenati, Andrea Scappi, Lucilla Carnevali, Paola Aragno, Giulia Serrao, Anna Franchina, Alice Frateschi and Daria Malagigi for their collaboration during the fieldwork and to all the personnel of INFS who helped us with the captures. We wish to thank Stefano Focardi for the valuable advises he gave us and two anonymous reviewers who gave helpful comments on the draft of this paper. The study was performed in compliance with current Italian laws.

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  1. Laura Scillitani

    Present address: Department of Animal Science, University of Padova, 35020, Legnaro-PD, Italy

  2. Andrea Monaco

    Present address: Regional Park Agency, via del Pescaccio 96-00166, Rome, Italy

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  1. National Wildlife Institute, via Cà Fornacetta, 9-40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia, Bologna, Italy

    Laura Scillitani, Andrea Monaco & Silvano Toso

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  1. Laura Scillitani
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Correspondence to Laura Scillitani.

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Communicated by F.-J. Kaup

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Scillitani, L., Monaco, A. & Toso, S. Do intensive drive hunts affect wild boar (Sus scrofa) spatial behaviour in Italy? Some evidences and management implications. Eur J Wildl Res 56, 307–318 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-009-0314-z

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