Wild boar are widely hunted across Europe and beyond; welfare concerns focus on wound rates, stress of pursuit, and orphaned piglets following sow hunts.
Hunting inflicts a spectrum of welfare costs depending on method and proficiency. Poorly placed shots cause significant wounding, with some animals traveling long distances before death or recovery. Driven hunts with dogs subject boar to prolonged pursuit and stress. Sow culling during breeding season orphans piglets incapable of independent survival. Welfare-conscious hunting codes emphasize accurate shot placement, avoidance of sow culling when piglets are present, and rapid recovery of wounded animals.