Restrictions on hunting wild boar in Saskatchewan have been lifted.
No longer will hunters be required to have a licence to hunt feral or free-ranging wild boar.
“Free-ranging or feral wild boar have the potential to become a serious provincial problem,” said Environment Minister Herb Cox.
“These amendments address ongoing concern for public safety and protection of wildlife and habitat.”
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Wild boar were imported into Saskatchewan in the late 1970s as domestic livestock. Some escaped from farms and created reproducing populations in the province.
They have now been reported in over 60 rural municipalities in southern Saskatchewan, damaging golf courses and crops, harassing livestock and threatening people.
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There is also the potential for diseases to be transferred to domestic hogs.
“SARM is pleased with these changes as escaped wild boar pose a danger to people, personal property, other wildlife and to livestock,” said Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM).
“We need to make sure their population is kept under control and are hopeful these regulatory changes will achieve that.”
Officials say hunters should still ask for permission to hunt on private property and to not hunt along roads or road allowances.
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