Wild boar populations see significant increase in hunting numbers across Central Europe

Hunting statistics for the 2025/2026 period reveal a substantial rise in wild boar culling in both the Czech Republic and Croatia.

In the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, hunters recorded a record 22,606 wild boar kills, representing a 45.4 percent increase from the previous year. This surpasses the previous record set in 2023. To combat the high population, which poses risks to agriculture and veterinary health, the Vysočina Region plans to allocate 1.3 million CZK in 2027 to incentivize the hunting of young piglets and sows. Other species saw varied trends, with fallow deer and roe deer numbers increasing, while rabbit and wild duck numbers declined.

Similarly, in Croatia, data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics shows a 49.5 percent increase in wild boar culling compared to the previous year, with 67,857 animals killed. The number of hunters in Croatia also rose by 10.2 percent in 2025. While wild boar and deer populations saw increased hunting activity, the culling of roe deer, rabbits, pheasants, and various bird species showed a decrease.