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My first thought was that it might be the work of out-of-season poachers who wanted to get off the scene quickly with just the most valuable parts of the animal.@Bedspring, where was this? It’s an odd time of year to be hunting Boar and very odd to waste meat.
With you on that but , for reasons that only reason can know, I don’t carry a 7inch dressing knife in my Camino kit. My little Opinel would get there eventually but they’re a bugger to clean when the job’s doneI would have taken one of the shoulders for a tasty stew later on.
This boar was not killed by licence hunters.I live in south west France and when a boar is shot we remove the whole skin and after a day or so it is quartered.This was done by poachers who could not carry the whole carcass. Most boar about 60/80kilo take some time to butcher properly. Sorry for the people who came across the carcass,makes hunting look very bad.The season in France is from 1st June to end of march.Although it is distressing to see and come across, as has previously been stated, it is the circle of life. Disposal will eventually take place through Carrion creatures who feed on the carcass of dead creatures in much the same way that "road kill" is disposed of in other countries.
It can be a culture shock when encountered. In Tibet Sky burials operate on this principle.
But this was not in France. While off putting to some it was not illegal. Given the sheer numbers of boar in many areas and the damage to crops they cause it’s not surprising that someone would see this as pest control and take the choicest cuts while leaving the rest as carrion. Boar hunting in rural Spain as opposed to the large fincas and cotos de caza is not a refined ritual as in many other European countries. It often has more to do with population control and less with “sport”.This boar was not killed by licence hunters.I live in south west France and when a boar is shot we remove the whole skin and after a day or so it is quartered.This was done by poachers who could not carry the whole carcass. Most boar about 60/80kilo take some time to butcher properly. Sorry for the people who came across the carcass,makes hunting look very bad.The season in France is from 1st June to end of march.
Thank you for your reply to my post.This boar was not killed by licence hunters.I live in south west France and when a boar is shot we remove the whole skin and after a day or so it is quartered.This was done by poachers who could not carry the whole carcass. Most boar about 60/80kilo take some time to butcher properly. Sorry for the people who came across the carcass,makes hunting look very bad.The season in France is from 1st June to end of march.
In Castilla y LeonBut are you all so familiar with what is usual in Castilla y Leon and in Galicia as to killing of wild boars and current policy?
I understand that the wild boar population is the same kind of problem in regions of Spain as it is in regions of France and Germany for example. Still, hunting is regulated and licensed. Not everybody is allowed to just shoot a wild boar. I was surprised to read that there are actually illegal poachers of wild animals including wild boar in Germany for example. Who would have thought so … in Bavaria, legal hunting of wild boar apparently does not manage to fulfil the legal quotas that are allowed every year. So it would be interesting to learn more about the actual situation in Spain.
They’re not Americans, are they?@Bedspring, where was this? It’s an odd time of year to be hunting Boar and very odd to waste meat.
An aside, but the majority of the people who live along the Camino routes have little interest and certainly no vested interest in the Camino being “a pleasant place”. At best it provides some seasonal work in the hospitality sector but for many they just see their local taxes being spent on looking after foreigners who demand much and spend little.
Remember, in a way, each of us is so insignificant that we come close to not existing--from a cosmos perspective.As I walked today, I came across a Wild Boar that had been, shot, gutted and hind quarters removed.
It seemed a shame it was left there right on the Camino as I am sure it would disturb some people.
I mentioned at the next bar/albergue I came to 1km on, but they had no interest, and said the Guardia Civil would deal with it. TBH they made me feel odd for mentioning it, but I would have thought they would have a vested interest in the Camino being a pleasant place
I consider many of the replies to this thread lack empathy for the feelings of fellow Pilgrims who may have seen this.
As I started my working life as a butcher it did not trouble me, and I understand the circle of life, but I have also walked with several people who are vegetarian, and this could have been upsetting for them.
Yikes, I walked the Via F and was in Viterbo and never thought to worry about seeing boars, but apparently I should have.Walking the VF in early May, I encountered a wild sow and piglets in a forest just south of Viterbo (on the ancient medieval VF route over the Vico volcano). The encounter was brief, as I immediately stopped when I heard the squealing of piglets, located the approximate location/direction where it was, found a suitable large rock and nearby tree to scale if necessary,
Well said.@Bedspring, where was this? It’s an odd time of year to be hunting Boar and very odd to waste meat.
An aside, but the majority of the people who live along the Camino routes have little interest and certainly no vested interest in the Camino being “a pleasant place”. At best it provides some seasonal work in the hospitality sector but for many they just see their local taxes being spent on looking after foreigners who demand much and spend little.
In France there are not quota's.But it is estimated that there are approx 80k boar. The other point which causes so much discussion is that when the chasse are called in to shoot the boar.It is the federation that pays compensation to the farmer.last years bill in occitanie was approx 300k Euros. If it wasn't for the chasse it would be like Texas,unable to control the numbers. Just a bit of information to understand the situation. Not to start a war.But are you all so familiar with what is usual in Castilla y Leon and in Galicia as to killing of wild boars and current policy?
I understand that the wild boar population is the same kind of problem in regions of Spain as it is in regions of France and Germany for example. Still, hunting is regulated and licensed. Not everybody is allowed to just shoot a wild boar. I was surprised to read that there are actually illegal poachers of wild animals including wild boar in Germany for example. Who would have thought so … in Bavaria, legal hunting of wild boar apparently does not manage to fulfil the legal quotas that are allowed every year. So it would be interesting to learn more about the actual situation in Spain.
I had an experience where a fellow had a deer run in front of him that he hit with his car on the Camino. He stopped & dressed it. I assisted him. The front shoulders were ruined by the impact. I gave him credit for using what he could. Unless you are an experienced game biologist that can figure out the way the animal died for sure I wouldn’t assume the gun shot wasn’t a way to finnish off the critter, in a humane way. How much hunting experience do you have? Was the animal close to a road?As I walked today, I came across a Wild Boar that had been, shot, gutted and hind quarters removed.
It seemed a shame it was left there right on the Camino as I am sure it would disturb some people.
I mentioned at the next bar/albergue I came to 1km on, but they had no interest, and said the Guardia Civil would deal with it. TBH they made me feel odd for mentioning it, but I would have thought they would have a vested interest in the Camino being a pleasant place
Yes we have a similar situation in New Zealand. Hunting in New Zealand is allowed year around, and includes: tahr, chamois, goat, possum, pig, or deer. The last four are the most destructive. Actually I should add rabbit and hare. Also incredibly destructive but seldom hunted for meat. Possum and rabbits are hunted purely for pest control. (There's a hunt in New Zealand where they target rabbits over a single weekend in just one small area, when 100 or so Hunters take out 10,000 or more rabbits in such a small time frame you know you have a major problem. Some Hunters use two or more guns because the guns literally get too hot to hold).I saw multiple dead boar carcasses or remains along parts of the VF in eastern France and the forested areas of Italy. If one hikes long enough in the right places, one will see more than one dead boar along the trail. There is a concerted effort in some forested areas to remove them entirely as they are a very destructive specie to native plants and some other wildlife. They are also vectors for swine flu and other diseases.
Note: I grew up in a family where hunting wild boar was part of life in my father's family (less so in ours, but still common). There were hunting seasons and tags/permits had to be acquired, but the family hunted mostly for food, not sport. This was in the mountains of the Western USA and we did not know that hunting boar (among other things) was anything but ordinary.
Fast forward some 60+ years: Walking the VF in early May, I encountered a wild sow and piglets in a forest just south of Viterbo (on the ancient medieval VF route over the Vico volcano). The encounter was brief, as I immediately stopped when I heard the squealing of piglets, located the approximate location/direction where it was, found a suitable large rock and nearby tree to scale if necessary, then located the sow moving slowly through the underbrush parallel to me about 40 feet away. We made brief eye contact when she came to a small clearing about 30 paces ahead of me and I made some noise and clanked my hiking poles on the rocks beside me, but otherwise did not move. I had unclipped my pack so I could shed it to climb the nearby tree if necessary, but the sow gave a snort and grunt and turned away and took the squealing piglets with her. When my adrenaline rush subsided, I resumed hiking, but was singing (loudly and badly) and making a lot of noise for the next couple of miles. I encountered a logging crew a couple of miles on down the trail and they told me to keep my eyes open because there was a lot of pig scat and other signs of activity in the area. I was quite relieved to get back to tarmac and farmland just a couple more miles down the trail.
Side note: we now live in Kona on the Big Island of Hawai'i for five months each year and there is unlimited hunting of boar there as the pigs have destroyed entire eco-systems on the island by uprooting native plants and trees in search of food. The local government there has declared boar an invasive species and allows/encourages an unlimited kill of them year around. Parts of Volcano National Park, near Kilauea, are entirely fenced for many miles along the perimeter to keep boar out of the Park, preserving vital nesting grounds for Nene, the State Bird (and also a threatened specie) as well as certain plant types that only grow in the area around Kilauea. Pigs are a problem everywhere when they become feral/wild.
I know you have wild boar in the United States because I've seen some stories of massive hogs. I think something like 12 of the States allow hunting year round. This directly from Google:Yikes, I walked the Via F and was in Viterbo and never thought to worry about seeing boars, but apparently I should have.
Also, I apparently have been ignorant as I never knew we had wild boars in the US, even though I have hiked many trails in our National Parks out west, in and around the Rocky mountains. I guess my ignorance was bliss, as my phobia was always bears.
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