If you know us, you know we love a good adventure. Add in high-powered rifles and exotic wildlife and you’ve got our attention, fine sir.
While the news of bear attacks on an island in northeast Asia might not be something that would spring many to action, the fact that the reason behind the attacks is due to a lack of hunting, might be the springboard some of us have been looking for.
Earlier this year we covered the story of a fisherman in Japan whose last encounter with a bear (or any living creature for that matter) resulted in decapitation. After finding the man’s head floating down river, officials were able to connect it to a large brown bear in the area. The incident prompted officials from the country’s ministry of the environment, and the agriculture and forestry ministry in Tokyo to issue statements of warning for anyone traveling in rural areas to be on the lookout for large bears.
Since the angling incident, things have continued to escalate in the Land of the Rising Sun. In the last seven months alone the country has posted record numbers of bear encounters with 180 reported incidents resulting in 5 deaths. The previous high was from 2020 when twelve months worth of data added up to 158 incidents across the country.
Officials are warning that things will continue to get worse through the last two months of the year as a poor crop of nuts, berries and wild fruit are paired with a warm autumn that is delaying bears’ hibernation. As bears get more ornery this time of year, officials are warning residents in rural areas and farming communities to exercise extreme caution.
For many, the likely culprit of booming bear populations and decreasing crops is the obvious climate change agenda. While warmer temperatures can certainly play a role as described, this might only be part of the problem, while offering little in the way of solutions.
For those of us following the North American model of wildlife conservation and management, hunting is perhaps the most overlooked tool in the over-crowded bear manager’s playbook. While Japan does allow bear hunting, the activity itself is in a tailspin of decline. Much like what we are seeing here in North America, urbanization and the sprawl of cities is taking more of us out of the woods and thus making it harder to manage wildlife – particularly apex predators such as bears.
With efforts being made to appeal to Japanese hunters, some regions are taking matters into their own hands by trying to incentivize active hunters into getting into the field for bears. Akita, in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region, has been one of the hardest hit regions with regards to bear encounters. As a response to the 53 encounters the region has endured this year, Akira governor Norihisa Satake announced a bounty on bears at a recent press conference.
“As a prefecture, we will be providing financial support to those who hunt bears,” Satake said. Under the program, it was announced that hunters will be paid 5,000 yen (US$33) for each bear shot by hunters.
Earlier this year, the governor also introduced bear meat vending machines in an attempt to entice the local community into getting a taste for the massive creatures. The results of both experiments are too early to determine at the moment, but the falling number of hunters in rural areas is believed to have emboldened bears to a point where they are no longer scared of humans.
As anyone who lives in bear country knows, once bears become accustomed to humans, you are at a point of no return. In these cases, euthanizing these bears is about the only option these communities have left – assuming officials can get to the bear before it gets to local residents.
For those looking for a taste of adventure with an Asian twist, this might be a unique opportunity. With bears weighing upwards of 1,000 pounds, it’s a chance to take in the country’s beautiful culture and chase some once in a lifetime-style big game.
There is no archery hunting in Japan, so you’ll need a rifle or shotgun. Be sure to check out the prefecture in which you will be hunting in for additional rules and regulations.
Happy hunting.
