Wild Bear

The Wild Boar (Sus scofa) is one of the most common game species worldwide. Owing to its extremely high adaptability, it has permanent populations in a large part of Hungary. A good example of our country’s excellent natural conditions is that many world record boar tusks have come from hogs shot in Hungary. A tusk length over 20 cm (8 inches) deserves respect, but it is fortunately far from rare. In addition, there are wild boar individuals exceeding 250 kg (550 pounds) of body weight in Hungarian forests; and they provide a truly exhilarating spectacle as a kill.

Hungary is a popular and frequently visited destination for wild boar hunting. It is allowed to hunt the country’s large and high quality population all year round, but for ethical reasons the sows are expected to be spared when they are pregnant or tend to their piglets. In Hungary the wild boar is hunted in several ways. On an individual hunt, the hunter usually waits for the game in a lookout tower- in many cases near a feeding place or a mud wallow -, or stalks the game. During a group hunt, the wild boar is hunted with experienced catch dogs, which locate the hogs and chase them towards the hunters, whose number may be a maximum of 25 according to the rules. If you have ever heard the barking of dogs getting nearer and nearer, beating the game towards your shooting position, you know that this really gets your adrenaline pumping!

Quite unique are black-and-white hogs (in Hungary they are called “bean” pigs). They are the genetic mixture of domestic pigs and wild boars. Earlier, when domesticated pigs were kept seasonally in the woods to feed on the acorn crop, “bean” pigs used to be more common. Today it still happens that wild and domestic pigs become intimately involved, which results in the birth of black and white spotted pigs. They provide a truly unique and unrepeatable trophy (hide) for the lucky hunter.