I read Rob Ward's article on wild boar (Review August 12) with considerable interest. As a licensed hunter who assists land owners with the management of wild boar, I have some personal experience of this issue.

I have a self-imposed voluntary closed season and absolutely refuse to shoot adult sows that may have dependent young. Wild boar fill a valuable ecological niche within our Forest ecosystem and I assume that the sow in question was a long way from any arable crops which boar can cause considerable damage to at this time of year.

Therefore, whoever elected to cull this animal really need not have done so during the breeding season. I agree that a closed season is required for adult female boar.

In the meantime, I strongly urge all responsible for the management of these magnificent animals, including The Forestry Commission, to act ethically and responsibly by not shooting adult females during the period January to July.

Whilst it is likely that the animal in question was culled by a legitimate hunter, I would not dismiss the possibility that the animal was killed by poachers as  there are a determined number of poachers operating in the Forest and surrounding area.

Indeed, earlier this year poachers killed a wild boar sow on some ground I look after near Ross leaving behind her young piglets which were doomed to a slow death from starvation.

I'm sure most Forest residents will agree that the wild boar need to be controlled but I would assure readers that effective management of wild boar does not need to involve the culling of sows during the breeding season.

– M. Price, Ross on Wye.