Uhunt Wild Boar Scent Glands

Uhunt Mag Information

  • Posted By : BRISTLE UP
  • Posted On : Jun 30, 2019
  • Views : 5014
  • Likes : 12
  • Category : PIG DOGGING » ARTICLES, TIPS & HOW TO GUIDES
  • Description : "The science behind wild boars scent glands"

Overview

  • By Jesse Farr 

    We thought we would discuss the science of the scent glands of the EYE SCENT GLANDS wild boar and the part they play in our dogs being able to find them. Some people don’t know that pigs have numerous scent glands on their bodies which allow them to be tracked more easily by dogs.

    FEET SCENT GLANDS
    The metacarpal scent glands (feet glands) are on the front feet on the inside just above the hoof. Both boars and sows have these and they are visible like large pores in the skin, there can be two to nine pores in a line. We have noticed that these glads are more active in some pigs than others and also more active in boars than sows. Territorial and dominant boars will mark their scent more often. Wild boars will use these glands by leaning forward and pawing the ground. They usually use these when participating in breeding groups or if they detect scent of another boar. The scent may also travel down the foot leaving some scent behind. This may also contribute to how pig dogs track them and why some boar scent is stronger and interests the dogs more. These glands don’t seem to be as active in sows and they don’t tend to use them for marking as much as boars.

    EYE SCENT GLANDS
    The preorbital glands (eye gland) consist of a small gland located immediately in front of the eyes. The highest ranking sows in a group of feral pigs use their eye glands to mark trees about 14 days before they come into heat to signal the presence of receptive females in the near future. Reproductive sows may also use these glands in defensive behaviours. Eye glands were not found to play a significant role in males.

    PENIS SCENT GLANDS
    The preputial gland (penis gland) is a blind sac connected to the end of the penis. We believe this gland plays a significant role in the scent that pig dogs track and what allows dogs to distinguish between sow and boar scent. We have found smarter boars have figured out how to use this gland to confuse dogs so that they can escape capture. Out west we experienced a phenomenon that the locals call “blowing its load”, this describes a boar deliberately releasing its preputial gland fluids through urination. This creates a very strong, foul odour point that dogs that are not experienced with the smell will get stuck on. They will get stuck on it and circle that point convinced the boar is right there somewhere when the reality is the boar is long gone and the dog is simply confused by the shear strength of the scent. Steve Reeves believes boars will drop their load sometimes in two or three spots and double back across their original tracks. These tactics will confuse most dogs but very experienced dogs will do big loops and pick up where the boar left the area and go pull him up. This is more prevalent in areas with high hunting pressure and high numbers of wild dogs. When we first encountered this we didn’t believe it until we saw it with our own eyes. 

    Boars may also release this scent by accident when they are stressed from being caught by dogs, this results in a foul smell as you approach the area where the dogs have caught a pig. More details: The preputial gland (penis gland) is a blind sac connected to the end of the penis. It is identified as the large swollen area near the end of the penis. Urine and cells shed from the walls of the urine canal (also called smegma) and collect in this sac. There are also sweat glands surrounding the entrances of the sac. The preputial fluid also contains a pheromone called Muskone. Collectively, all this creates a foul-smelling fluid that humans detect as boar odour. It’s believed to play a role in mating and attracting of a sow. Boars can release this fluid on purpose or by accident when they urinate and a boar that marks with his feet glands may then mark the same spot with his preputial gland. 





    LIP & TUSK SCENT GLANDS
    Wild boars have tusk or lip glands; these are scattered microscopic glands found in the upper lip above the tusks. These are used to mark objects by rubbing up against them and chomping their jaws to produce a foamed saliva that contains the scent. Boars will also rub this scented saliva on sows during mating or on rival boars during fighting. Boars are famous for leaving scented marks on tree trunks and branches using their tusks. Tusking can vary from a single slash to trees that are torn to shreds even causing a trench to form around the base of the tree from the vigorous tusking. Lone boars tend to tusk trees more often than boars that travel in groups. They can also produce this scented foamed saliva during social interactions and while feeding and rooting up ground. We believe these glands play a decent role in the scent the boars leave behind for our pig dogs to track. This scent will be found on trees, wallows and in diggings. 

    CONCLUSION
    These are the main glands we think play a significant role in the scent left by pigs for our dogs to track them. There are many more glands in various locations that may or may not contribute to scent marking or tracking. Hopefully this information will help some understand how scent is left behind and how our dogs track them. With more observations in field using this information, you might be able to make better decisions about what your dog is doing when scenting and help him in the right direction.