bons

We're hoping to buy somehwere a bit rural, but we're somewhat put off by the hunting, it seems like there are hunting signs everywhere, not to mention the threat of wild boar. Does anyone else live a bit rural and are not plagued by hunters and wild boar? Plus the season is quite long mid-August to February.

toots sweet

We are in a rural/agricultural area. Have only seen wild boar once. They are probably more scared of us and (correct me if I'm wrong tend to keep away from open spaces and stay in woodland areas?). I think most dangerous if they have young ones .They definitely hunt around here but I think mostly rabbits as we can hear them taking pot shots mostly Sundays. No bother at all.

macliam

I'd agree with this - in the Alentejo hills there ARE wild boar, but we have seen them only rarely, but not on our land (6 acres) and have had no issues with them in several years. We have had signs of boar activity near to a water source on the perimeter, but this was likely due to something dispacing them from their normal habitat - they are creatures of habit, so are unlikely to "appear" unless something causes them to move.

We do hear the hunters around at weekends in the season, but apart from shots in the distance and dogs barking, the worst part is the dust their 4X4s stir up on the dirt road. The "hunters" only actually go out for a short time, since they need to get back to their clubhouse to eat and drink aguardente at lunchtime.

If they catch rabbits, they are lucky as I've only seen a handful in 8 years and 2 hares. We do have a fox that visits.... but it's wary of our dogs who go loopy when they sense it outside! We DID have problems with certain hunters at the beginning, because our land had been included in thaeir range by the previous owners, but this was only a bit of confusion and verbal annoyance - they complied with our requests. We removed all signage and ensured that it was known that we do not want them crossing our land, let alone hunting - and the worst we have had over 8 years or so is a few strands of fencing which appeared to be cut (probably to allow dogs who found their way onto our land to be retrieved), this is an annoyance, but nothing serious.

Rich chulos from the towns, with their scrambler motorbikes and jeeps are more of a nuisance than the hunters..... and they are genuinely shocked that anyone has the temerity to tell them to "go away" - as the local Portuguese wouldn't dare.

Moses2013

Can't comment on Portugal or specific areas though I would say it's something you need to be aware of when living close to a forest. Apart from the shots that might disturb you, I don't see the wild boar as a threat when you are out walking, it's more an issue when you are driving and have a collision. Nobody knows the characteristics of your land but living in a rural area can always bring other challenges. Sometimes it might be the loud machinery, smells from pig farms/silage and then it might be programmed gas guns. In Spain we are in a larger urbanization with detached houses and I'd say it's more regulated. The main issues there are dogs barking and you are closer to people because the land plots are smaller. In Ireland we live more rural and have more space but you still hear the dogs barking all night and have to live with the fact that a farmer could start using machinery at 5 in the morning and there are no regulations like you have in other countries ( Germany: not allowed to cut grass on a Sunday, not allowed after 8 pm etc.). For macliam it's the scrambler motorbikes and jeeps and here it's the boy racers.

bons

Thanks for your replies. A lot to consider, we are looking into everything very carefully. What I want is a nice villa with 5 bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms and indoor and outdoor swimming pools with a couple of hectares, all walled in. Oh and by the beach.


For a fiver. I know, I know! I didn't win Euromillions - next week...

philat98

Where I live in Italy I come across wild pigs almost every morning when I walk my dog. They always run away. The main danger is hitting one when driving at night or being caught up in a hunt.

Lugsbug

I live in Italy too and they plough up our garden! OH came across a big one and they just looked at each other in shock and then the boar hoofed it! There is African Swine Fever round us at the moment so not sure how this will impact.

macliam

Umm, seems unlikely that the boar will invade Portugal from Italy.

After all, there's the language....... though that doesn't seem to stop other Italians moving to the Algarve once they learn they can save a bit of tax.

Then they can spend most of the time complaining about the food.....

philat98

Those wild pigs arent Italian but Eastern European. Italian hunters got fed up with Italian pigs because they didnt reproduce very quickly so they brought in new types. With a block on hunting for one year they are digging holes everywhere. The Portuguese hunters probably did the same thing.

Shanorme

Most of the signs you see, are there to instruct hunters that they are NOT allowed to hunt on the land that the sign is staked into and I have to say, they do sam quite good about obeying them. The hunting is not pervasive by any means and as toots sweet said, you might hear a few shots on a Sunday, also very occasionally on a Wednesday. There are wild boar but we have only ever seen a few prints near where the stream crosses over the road and in the forest.

Sunseeker1st

I am in Silves county and agree with this but our second day is a Thursday and I never hear anything then, probably because most hunters work. It starts at sunrise on the nosey and only goes for an hour or so.

macliam

Nope, estimates are that the native boar population has increased dramatically during the pandemic, leading to concern from the pig industry and particularly the black pig in the Alentejo. As I said before, the "hunters" are more concerned with eating and drinking after their endeavours than restocking - otherwise rabbits would be back in their native land - and I've seen and heard nothing to suggest that boar are being imported. I doubt the hunting lobby has enough power and money to import and release animals...... although it's almost certain that any that cause trouble in Portugal are Spanish (ahem....).

bons

The property we looked at was close to Silves and we did see what could have been wild boar droppings with dog paw prints where the dirt had been wet and dried. We did hear several dogs barking on a property a few hundred metres away. It was Sunday lunch so we may have missed the hunters by then. Have you seen any wild boar?

Shanorme

More likely to be dog shit than Wild Boar 'droppings'.

bons

Big dogs then. The dog stuff was dwarfed by this and the dog stuff was from a big dog.