To curb the spread of African swine fever (ASF), the wild boar population must be reduced. For that reason, hunters have already been granted several exemptions for boar hunting — they are allowed to use night sights and dogs and the state has ordered thermal drones to better detect boars hiding in fields. However, hunters in Tartu County believe that to stop ASF, they should also be permitted to use night sights without height restrictions and artificial light for hunting raccoon dogs, said Tõnu Peterson, executive director of the Tartu Hunting Club.

"In our opinion, the raccoon dog is a major factor in spreading ASF in the forest and even bringing it right into our backyards. They come to eat apples, a pig farmer might pick one up in the morning and take it to the pig farm in his pocket. Or they slip through fences onto farm grounds, carrying the virus inside. That's our concern, and raccoon dog numbers are high right now," Peterson explained.

The raccoon dog is a non-native species and can already be hunted without limits, said Tanel Türna, head of the hunting and aquatic wildlife bureau at the Environmental Board.

"We don't want raccoon dogs in Estonia because, from our perspective, they are an invasive alien species. Currently, hunters can shoot them during ambush hunts — if they see one, they can fire," Türna said.

The problem, however, is that raccoon dogs are nocturnal, which means the window of opportunity to spot them is very narrow, Peterson noted.

"A night sight would give us that opportunity, letting us reduce their numbers while using less time and resources. That's one option we've considered," he said.

According to Türna, the Environmental Board has the legal authority to allow the use of night sights and artificial light from vehicles in exceptional cases to combat the spread of dangerous wildlife diseases. However, granting such permission requires an assessment from the Agriculture and Food Board (PTA) on whether raccoon dogs pose a risk of transmitting the disease.

"If the PTA confirms that raccoon dogs may pose that risk, then we can move forward with them in cooperation," Türna explained.

Olev Kalda, head of the animal health and welfare department at the PTA, said raccoon dogs play a dual role in relation to ASF — they both spread it and help clean it up.

"As scavengers, raccoon dogs also feed on the carcasses of pigs that have died from ASF, and in that sense, they actually help cleanse the environment of the virus. On the other hand, if a raccoon dog carrying the virus makes it onto farm property, it can bring the virus with it. Ultimately, protecting the farm's grounds is the responsibility of the farmer. So, it's a dual role and which side outweighs the other still needs to be evaluated," Kalda said, adding that the PTA will meet with hunters in the coming days.

As for population numbers, Türna said raccoon dog levels have remained relatively stable in recent years.

"The raccoon dog is not a highly valuable game animal for hunters, especially nowadays. In winter, its fur does have some value, but hunting for pelts in Estonia is at a low point right now. In fact, we place more of an obligation on hunters, since we expect their help in managing populations of various ungulates and other species, and raccoon dogs are part of that work," Türna explained.

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