Lessons from experience: how hunters refine their approach to wild boar

Wild boars are truly unique ungulates. For some hunters, even after many years of experience in the field, this species remains the most compelling one to observe. Developing a complex social structure, unique behavioral patterns, and an even more intricate communication system, they prove that every wildlife species requires a lifelong examination. Thus, a hunter’s expertise must encompass much more than physical animal features and device handling.

Meet Pulsar Ambassadors – Riccardo Tamburini from Italy and Patrick Strauß from Germany – who will share their master insights and tips on hunting wild boar.

: Riccardo Tamburini

: Patrick Strauß

The unpredictable boar: debunking common myths

Unlike any other game, wild boars possess a complex social structure and surprising behaviors that force hunters to adapt. Responding to a common myth that this species is intensely noise-sensitive, Patrick has discovered that feeding distracts them enough for a hunter to approach closer without worrying about the noise made. “While I stalked a sounder of wild boar in a wheat field, I managed to get to them within 30 meters. I had forgotten to chamber around beforehand, and to make matters worse, I had trouble doing so in that moment. I was incredibly loud. The boar, however, couldn’t have cared less – they were completely absorbed in feeding,” he explains.

Riccardo, on the other hand, stresses that wild boars have a “superfine instinct” to remember environmental changes. He says, “Often a new blind or a new hunting stand, born like a mushroom from the morning to the evening, is enough to force him to go away, avoiding coming to that place for the following nights.”

Yet both hunters agree on the wild boar’s impressive olfactory abilities that necessitate well-thought-out wind management. Successful tracking also requires reading various signs, from rooting to evaluating droppings. Riccardo states there are signs left daily, as well as others related to a specific phase of their life or season. “Evaluating the excrement, the hunter can judge when the animal ate and what it ate the day before, and he must know where to focus his attention to discover the signs.”

Patrick adds, saying that wild boars leave a wide variety of signs to look out for. “These include not only hoofprints in the soil, but also places where they have rooted, mud left on blackberry leaves as they’ve passed through, or well-used rubbing trees. In open fields, thermal technology allows me to spot wild boar from kilometers away, enabling me to plan a strategic and effective stalk,” he describes.

Often a new blind or a new hunting stand, born like a mushroom from the morning to the evening, is enough to force him to go away, avoiding coming to that place for the following nights.

Riccardo Tamburini

Observation and patience: building hunting intuition

The foundation of success is the development of intuition, built through hours of observation and the ability to exercise patience. Hunting is rarely pure action, as success in the field requires extensive preparation. Mostly, it involves observing and listening. Only then can a hunter achieve a sense of thinking like the animal: knowing the wind, studying the signs, and understanding the prey’s behavior, ultimately anticipating its moves.

Patrick argues that in the critical moment, it is intuition that dictates whether to move or freeze. For him, thermal technology confirms his instincts more often than contradicts them. “When I feel it’s the right moment to stop, the thermal image usually shows the animal looking in my direction or becoming slightly more cautious. In that sense, the device reinforces the sense I’ve built up over the years. If anything, it sharpens those instincts by giving me visual confirmation of what I’m already sensing, helping me refine that inner judgement even further.”

The thermal technology also elevates Riccardo’s hunting experience, especially during the dark hours. “I live in a super congested area, and it’s not easy to watch the animals during the day. This is why I spend a lot of time observing animals during the night. I’m super curious, and I always raise many questions. Thanks to the possibility of seeing in the dark and being unseen by the animal, I can get all the answers,” he says.

Thermal vision and moral choices

Although no digital device can help the hunter to make the final decision, thermal vision is crucial for overcoming environmental limitations and making responsible, data-backed choices.

For Riccardo, daily hunting often means facing the toughest conditions. Yet even the mountain, fog, wind, and snow of Italy’s Alps can become manageable when you attain the right skills, train patience, and choose a high-quality technology. “For wild boar (close-range in woods), I choose Thermion 2 LRF XL60 for detailed observation (e.g., lactating nipples, small teeth),” he says.

As for Patrick, he likes to be minimalist: “I use the Telos LRF XL50 and the Krypton 2 FXG50. I usually use both devices in combination when hunting wild boar.” Yet when it comes to pulling the trigger, the decision remains subject to the hunter and his moral code. “When the device shows me that I’m looking at an adult female wild boar, I usually keep my finger straight and off the trigger. Even if there are no signs that she is leading young, such as piglets, I choose not to shoot. That is my own personal ethical decision.”

The ethical decision covers much more than the present moment – for a responsible hunter, that means weighing all possible faults and consequences that could affect the whole ecosystem. There can be several reasons: “I avoid shooting if the largest boar is a lactating or pregnant female, or if the deer is the dominant male, as preserving the strongest animals is crucial for the health of future generations. Also, if recovering the carcass looks too difficult, especially in summer, I won’t shoot. Just two hours is often enough for bacteria proliferation to downgrade the meat quality, and it would be a shame to waste the meat simply because of impatience,” Riccardo suggests.

When the device shows me that I’m looking at an adult female wild boar, I usually keep my finger straight and off the trigger. Even if there are no signs that she is leading young, such as piglets, I choose not to shoot. That is my own personal ethical decision.

Patrick Strauß

For every new hunter, patience and curiosity are the greatest characteristics that lead to growth and success. That is the way of Riccardo, living by a motto that says: “Everyone has seen an apple dropping from the branch, but only Newton asked himself why”. Only then, after many shots that you have not taken, do you develop a gut feeling that more often than not guides you instinctively in the right direction. Therefore, accompany an experienced hunter to see how theory looks in practice, and go on the hunt with an open mind. For Patrick, this liberation has enhanced his success: “I’ve stopped assuming that I’ll make a shot before I even set out. It may sound superstitious, but whenever I plan in advance to shoot an animal, it rarely works out. It’s best to approach the hunt with an open and unprejudiced mind.”