本研究的主要目的在探究唯一未列入台灣野生動物保育名錄的大型哺乳類-臺灣野猪(Sus scrofa taivanus)，是否被過度獵捕，而造成其族群數量明顯減少，以及各類獵法的使用情形和獵捕效果，此應有助於其族群的永續經營。我們在 2002-2006 年間以半開放式問卷深度訪談分佈在南投花蓮以南山區之 21 鄉 61 村 276 位農民或獵人其農地被野猪危害與所採用之防治或其對野猪之獵捕概況。結果發現農民利用獵殺、驅趕與圍籬三類方法來防治他的危害，其中獵殺法使用率顯著高於其它兩類。獵殺法中又以設置索套陷阱(snare traps) 最常被利用，其次是鐵夾(steel jaw)，再其次為獵狗圍獵(dog chasing)。防治效果則以獵狗圍獵效果最好。就獵人而言，主要以陷阱、獵槍與獵狗三大類工具來獵捕野猪，其中以陷阱(如縛腳式索套、鐵夾陷阱) 最常被使用，其次是持槍沿路狩獵(road hunting)。就獵捕數量來看，多數獵人表示其近十年來之獵獲量明顯減少，或一直很少，且多數資深獵人認為原因可能與發生在1995-1997年間之過度獵捕有關。其數量變化與其他4種共域的大型動物--臺灣獼猴(Macaca cyclopis)、臺灣山羌(Muntiacus reevesi micrurus)、臺灣長鬃山羊(Naemorhedus swinhoei) 與臺灣水鹿(Capricirnis crispus swinhoe--相較，係唯一有明顯下降者。整理1992-2006 年間較完整之動物相調查文獻，顯示以上 5 種哺乳動物的相對數量中，以野猪與水鹿顯著低於其他 3 種。比較 1992-1996 年和1997-2006 年兩個年代間之變化，僅野猪的相對數量顯著下降，山羌顯著上升，其他動物不變。而文獻與訪查結果相比，除訪查之臺灣獼猴數量超越山羌而與文獻不同外，其他物種則皆相同。所有資料均顯示目前臺灣野猪族群數量很低，面臨的狩獵壓力大，值得有關單位採取更積極的保育措施。

The purposes of this study were to determine whether the Formosan wild boar (Sus scrofa taivanus), the only non-protected, large mammal in Taiwan, was over-hunted consequently with number declining dramatically, and to examine the preference and efficiency of various hunting methods used. This should be beneficial to the sustainable management of its population. A total of 276 farmers and hunters from the mountain areas of 61 villages, 21 townships, southern Taiwan were interviewed from April 2002 to October 2006, and 99 reports of fauna study in Taiwan during 1987-2006 were reviewed to learn their damage control and wild boar hunting. Instead of fencing and driving, killing was used more frequently by farmers for preventing crop damage. Among boar-killing methods, snare and steel jaw traps were most frequently used, followed by dogs chasing, with the last one the most effective for capturing. Traps, traditional gun and hunting dogs were three major tools used by hunters. Of which, traps (e.g.,foot snare and steel jaw trap) were used most frequently, followed by road hunting using traditional gun. As for the boar population, a majority of respondents claimed that boar harvest had been decreasing for the past decade. Most senior hunters believed that overhunting between 1995-1997 was probably most responsible for this situation. Among five large mammals, those respondents indicated that wild boar was the only
species whose relative abundance decreased for the last decade, both in the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Range. Based on the compiled references of 1992-2006, the abundance of boar ranked notably behind that of other protected species like Formosan macaque (Macaca cyclopis), Formosan muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi micrurus), and Formosan serow (Naemorhedus swinhoei), and was as low as Formosa sambar (Capricirnis crispus swinhoei) in Central Mountain Range Area by both interviewed and paper reviewed data. The reviewed data also revealed that wild boar abundance was significantly lower in 1992-1996 than in 1997-2006. Apparently its status needs further monitoring and an urgent conservation
measure is needed for this species.