Farmed wild boar released for shooting on commercial game estates occupy a grey zone between farming and hunting, with welfare implications for both their rearing and killing.
Commercial wild boar shoots using farmed animals combine the welfare concerns of intensive wild animal farming with those of shooting. Wild boar reared in barns or enclosures for eventual release suffer the chronic stress of captivity without the habituation of domesticated animals. The shoot itself involves animals that have been confined, then suddenly confronted with unfamiliar outdoor terrain, dogs, and hunters — an extreme stress event regardless of how the shooting itself is conducted. Wounding rates are likely higher than in shoots of truly wild animals that have developed appropriate escape and movement behaviours. The welfare case for regulating this sector — both the farming conditions and the humaneness of the shoot — is strong.