Japanese hunters consult BASC on deer management

David63

Well-Known Member
Delegates from Rakuno Gakuen University in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan, have visited the UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), to learn about training and standards in deer management.

Hokkaido Island in Japan has a problem with large populations of Sika deer and hunters are keen to encourage more people to take up shooting.

Before arriving at BASC, the group visited the New Forest, Sparsholt College, Vicars Game and the Deer Initiative. At BASC, the group discussed how to maintain high standards in deer management through training, education and best practice.

A spokesman for Rakuno Gakuen University said: “We have a problem on Hokkaido Island with an overabundance of Sika deer. We have come to BASC to learn how the deer populations are controlled in the UK and how training is used. By visiting BASC we hope to learn and improve on our natural resources.”

They spent most of their time with Nick Lane from BASC who was delighted to have provided an insight into BASC’s deer management. BASC plays a lead role in setting high standards. the delegates from Rakuno Gakuen University will be able to put these practices into action on Hokkaido Island.
 
:drool: On my bucket list but sadly unobtainale for anyone who doesn't speak Japanese as hunting license is only conducted in Japenese-no exceptions.
And if you think English firearms laws are tough take a look at Japanese ones!! The police can arrive unannounced 1x per year to do a visit and you have to let them in at any time. Part of the firearms test is you have to be able to pass on the skeet range (rules me out again as I'm rubbish on anything without a scope) and for our first license your restricted to a shotgun and slugs!! You may if your lucky get your hands on a rifle after about 5-10 years from memory. Japanese gun crime is one of the worlds lowest but they make owning a firearm really difficult.
 
:drool: On my bucket list but sadly unobtainale for anyone who doesn't speak Japanese as hunting license is only conducted in Japenese-no exceptions.
And if you think English firearms laws are tough take a look at Japanese ones!! The police can arrive unannounced 1x per year to do a visit and you have to let them in at any time. Part of the firearms test is you have to be able to pass on the skeet range (rules me out again as I'm rubbish on anything without a scope) and for our first license your restricted to a shotgun and slugs!! You may if your lucky get your hands on a rifle after about 5-10 years from memory. Japanese gun crime is one of the worlds lowest but they make owning a firearm really difficult.

+1
​I was lucky enough to visit Japan in '76 for 6 weeks and would love to make it my home ,even for a limited period.
 
What was the outcome from the visit. Would be very interested to know how they are going to use the information gained in the UK?
 
It is actually possible to hunt there now as a visitor but the invitations and permissions are incredibly complicated without a sponsor - there is an Japanese American guy trying to develop the hunting over there but it goes pretty slowly for him. An Italian shooting aquaintance of mine managed to do this hunt in February this year and said the size of the Sika stags was immense - deer that would be gold medals here were two a penny in parts of the forests he visited.

Sadly the Japanese all but erradicated their hunting culture after the war and there is no domestic firearms ownershp to speak of, so the deer have just multiplied unchecked in the mountainous forested interior.
 
Also from my understanding of Japanese firearms law, it is illegal to even touch a gun if you don't have a license. At one time before the deer started to cause a problem then you could visit, you could hunt with a guide, and then the guide would shoot the animal as you weren't allowed to fire the gun. Just shout bang!!
 
What was the outcome from the visit. Would be very interested to know how they are going to use the information gained in the UK?

Cris,

Let us look at it another way. How does a Country over run with Sika deer and no modern history of sporting firearms handle the issue. Of course, they look abroad and among others the find a small island with similar issues.

In Japan they struggle managing to marry the need of the very few (hunters) with the need of the many (urban dwellers in a society where only Yakutsa have guns). Guns are bad history.

In the UK we don't manage the needs of the very many hunters with the few available bits of suitable land for hunting (not bloody deer management) in an urban dwellers back yard. The Gangsta tag equally applies to anyone with a gun (insert terrorist if you like cammo). History of guns these past two decades is bad.

Balancing legislation, public perception, resource management, political direction and a large amount of pixie dust might just work, in Japan ;)



Stan
 
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