What To Do If You Find A Wild Boar On Your Property

Anyone hoping to be a homesteader, or is lucky enough to be one already, needs to anticipate the eventuality of dealing with wild animals.

It is just a fact of nature that, if you grow a garden and aspire to feed yourself with it, you will be creating an attractive foraging area for wildlife.

While the idea of prancing deer and grazing birds might seem bucolic and like idyllic bliss, there is always the risk of something dangerous making its way into your garden and threatening your family.

One of the most unassuming, yet still surprisingly dangerous, examples of wandering wildlife is the Wild Boar. So what should you do if you happen to discover a Wild Boar wandering around your property?

How Could a Wild Boar Be Dangerous?

The cousin species of our domesticated pigs, the Wild Boar, is a lot like our livestock pig in appearance, other than being a lot hairier and sporting some sharp tusks.

This might lead you to think that a Wild Boar is safe to be around or even that it’s cute and cuddly; however, you shouldn’t let its deceivingly cute appearance sway you. It is still a wild animal and, if it is on your homestead, it is likely already being a nuisance.

This isn’t to say that the Wild Boar is a natural-born killer, though, or even that it wants to hurt you – it isn’t a coyote or anything like that.

Wild Boars are omnivores, and they spend pretty much all of their lives foraging for food. Just like us humans, they have adapted to eat pretty much anything. While they typically mostly eat rhizomes, roots, leaves, and nuts, as well as all manner of fish and small mammals, they are more than happy to feast on your garden.

They could also become a problem for any small animals that you keep for your own benefit; they will happily kill chickens, ducks, and even baby goats if given the opportunity.

They probably aren’t a real risk to your family, but Wild Boars have been known to attack humans when they feel threatened, especially when cornered by dogs or they have been wounded. This is why it is essential to know what to do if you come across a Wild Boar on your homestead.

What Should You Do If Your Family Meets A Wild Boar?

If a Wild Boar appears on your property, whether it has been using your home as part of its roaming grounds or if you just happen to spot it wandering around, the first thing to do is to keep calm.

A Wild Boar is unlikely to hurt you, but it is always a good idea to take precautions, so you should immediately seek to back away and deescalate.

If you have any small children, make sure to get them inside immediately, as well as any loose dogs or other pets. Make sure you don’t run, though! It is never a good idea to run from wild animals if you don’t have to, as it could trigger a chase or charging instinct.

After backing away and making sure your loose animals are safe, it is a good idea to make sure any animal pens you have are secure. If you just spotted a Wild Boar once on your property, then it is possible it is just passing through, but a check-up on your animals, as well as your vegetable garden, is a good idea.

If you notice the Wild Boar sniffing around your property occasionally, you can try and shoo it away and make loud noises, and it is possible that this will sufficiently scare it away from sticking around.

However, if you discover that your crops or your animals have been attacked or damaged or otherwise learn that the Wild Boar is here to stay, then you need to try and deal with it.

This can be pretty tricky, however, and depends heavily on where in the world your home is located. You might need to contact your local government to see if they have any special control measure in place, or otherwise contact a local, licensed hunter to take care of it.

Of course, assuming it is legal, you can always deal with it yourself.

Are Wild Boars Still Dangerous If You Have Firearms?

Firearms do make certain aspects of being a homesteader a bit easier.

When it comes to dealing with a Wild Boar, if it is plaguing your homestead and affecting your livelihood, the best thing to do is to hunt it. But you still need to carefully consider your local US laws and regulations surrounding both owning the firearm, using it, and actually hunting it as well.

It differs from state to state, but you might need a specific permit to hunt a Wild Boar, so don’t accidentally run afoul of the law in your eagerness to protect your homestead.

Assuming you can do it legally, hunting the animal is likely the best solution – plus, assuming it is healthy and not too old, it can actually feed your family as well!

The meat of the Wild Boar is a bit tougher and more sinewy than our domesticated pigs, but it can still be enjoyed when well prepared, and if dealt with by a skilled butcher, could feed your family all winter long!

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