Only in France! (well certainly not in GB)

[Thedunnes]

My neighbour (Henry) runs a hunting business and has a 200 ha fenced off hunting park where you can have a pop at wid boar if you are so inclined. To stock said park he breeds wild boar in an enclosed 30 hectare wood.

Anyway, he dropped round and asked if I could lend a hand to round up a few boar to move from the breeding park to the hunting park. I am always up for a chuckle and was curious to see how they actually did it as the animal are completely wid and have no human contact.

The following morning I meet up with Henry and about 20 others at the breeding park. A large mesh net is erected around one corner of the park, leaving about the last 40 metres open. We then fan out and walk the wood to drive the pigs into the netted corner. The net is then closed and I am told they reckon we had about 30 of the chaps in the netted area.

The theory is simple. The pigs are supposed to run into the net and get their trotters tangled in the net and fall over, at which point someone jumps on the unsuspecting animal which someone else ties up his trotters so that he can be carried and released into a waiting stock traler. Simple.

We stretch along the net and the chap next to me advises to hide behind a bit of tree so that the pigs won't see me whilst he does the same. Someone with a dog then entered the netted area with a view to encouraging the pigs to run towards the net.

Suddenly about 13 pigs including the big male boar (who works in the breeding park if you see what I mean) come steaming towards the net. The net goes flying and the pigs steam either side of my tree with me rooted to the spot. The chap next me and I laugh that there was no way we would have moved. A cry goes up as a pig is netted further along and we run to assist.

This operation is repeated 3 times and in the end we have captured 9 pigs. One of them did gallop into a net right next to Henry and I and we both jumped on top of the chap and someone else secured his trotters. I guess this method of capture goes back to the pre-historic times and the adrenalin was cetianly pumping.

A Health and Safety man would have had apporplexy. Risk Assesments! I don't think so. Sure it was very dangerous, I have never seen an animal break cover and run so fast in my life. The big boar must have weighed about 90 kilos and I don't want to think of the damage he could inflict if cornered. Did I enjoy it, yes. A very amusing and eye opening morning! Only in France.

Stephen (19)

[zeb]

Thanks for that Stephen - sounds like great fun! Hope the boar manage to evade the hunters later on!!

helen ( ......housebound )