a monster hog

[jo569]

4 in my garden just now, one I’ve not seen before and he’s
huge! As not seen him gave him a quick weigh-in and tick/flea check and he seems healthy!? That’s 7 marked up so far and still awaiting the return of the 4 overwinterers from the carer. That will make 11 (obviously) when I get them back. A bumper crop! I think the most I marked up last year was 8. Can’t wait to see if I get any hoglets soon! I just wish they woukd set up camp in one of the 2 hoghouses I have but they must have a great nest in the unadopted land at the back of my house.

[Nic]

Hi Jo 569
I am pleased to hear you have lots of hedgehogs back.

Please will you consider not marking them and identifying them from their natural markings. From the look of your id photo, your camera takes quite good pictures, and you may even be able to identify them, naturally, from those. It is easier if you are watching in real time. Try to do some sketches of the different markings – face, skirt, spines. Test yourself, see if you can tell them apart – as you have already marked some, you will be able to check whether you are getting it right and if you are, no need to mark again. It can be fun!

It can be very rewarding getting to know the real hedgehog, as opposed to the blob or whatever other mark you have been using. Last night one of my older female hog visitors returned from hibernation and as soon as I saw her I knew who she was – I was so delighted to see her again! Like seeing an old friend – no blobs or other artificial markings required – just a wild hog looking as she should.

Hedgehogs sometimes travel quite long distances, some 1- 2 miles a night – so they may not be living nearby. That is what makes the linking of gardens so important. Apart from anything else it means they don’t have to rely on human highways to get to where they want to go.

Good luck with your little band of visitors.

[jo569]

Hi, Nic
just been reading the posts and I do understand where you are coming from. I cannot see the photos clearly (even though you say my camera takes very good pictures) as I have a disability. I go out into the garden and like to watch the hogs rummaging round in the garden for food, I mark them with a small mark and note in my notebook where I have placed the mark. I only ever pick them up the once to make sure they are not overrun with ticks (have to get my partner to have a look for signs of any other critters as they are too small for me to see).
Everyone is saying that hogs are in decline but how would you know if some sort of marking didn’t take place?

[Nic]

Hi Jo 569
I am sorry to hear that you are not able to see the photos clearly. I can understand that must make it more difficult for you to watch the hogs and I think you are more justified, in choosing to mark the hogs, than many.

I would not want to take away anything from your enjoyment of watching the hogs rumaging around in your garden. I know, from experience, how magical it can be. But I find when I sit out with the hogs, that I do not necessarily know who they are – they are often too close to see – they are just hedgehogs – beautiful, wonderful, wild hedgehogs – but it does not take anything away from the experience.

I realise that for some people it may not be easy to recognise the hogs from their natural markings, but that should not be a reason for us not to encourage those who can, to give it a go.

It sounds to me as if you are marking the hogs sensitively, with a small discreet mark and with minimal interference. There are, however, some people who are covering hogs with excessive amounts of substance, unnecessarily large numbers of large blobs, stripes, etc. and that is the main problem. To avoid repeating myself too much, I will explore that and the question regarding assessing numbers of hedgehogs in the country, further under the heading of ‘marking hedgehogs’.

Good luck with your monster hog and all the others. Judging by the way the ones here have been carrying on, it shouldn’t be too long before there are hoglets around.

[Author]

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