27 January 2021

Back in the blogging game!

 Hello friends and fellow outdoor folks!  What a long journey this has been!  Relocating to the USA to work in Northwest Montana for a Wilderness Hunting & Fishing  outfitter, moving to Montana and working inside Glacier National Park, working for county government, going to Federal Fire Academy, being an Assistant Fire Chief, teaching firefighters, working on national incident management teams, and squeezing in some hunting sort of sums up the last 5 years!

This year we relocated to southern Japan for employment and have really restarted the fishing, beach camping, van camping, spear fishing and night free diving!  COVID has been a bit of a damper but we are back in the Land of the Rising Sun and back into the Yabanjin Lifestyle!

Looking forward to sharing our world with you, and rekindling some relationships with others who share our interests!

See you on the trail!


SK1 Out!

22 July 2012

The Imperfect Storm

(Spoiler Alert:  This is an excerpt from the draft version of my upcoming presentation on this important subject.)
See you in the Yama!
SK-1 OUT !!!

The Imperfect Storm

Mount Fuji’s ecosystem is in danger of collapse.

Observations and Opinions by Rick Sacca

July 21st, 2012
 
This storm has been brewing…

Introduction

Large segments of the Mount Fuji ecosystem are in danger of collapse.  Over the last 35 years multiple human and natural factors have changed, and have done so faster than the pace of change within the organizations designed to manage the various facets of this important habitat.  At the current pace, large-scale ecosystem collapse is possible in the next 2 to 4 years.  Significant issues and localized areas of collapse are already occurring right now. Second-order and other follow-on effects have the potential to be disastrous.  Mount Fuji, as we know it, is in danger.

 I offer my observations, conclusions, and suggestions in the hopes of fostering wider and constructive discussion of the many facets of this issue.  My hope is that harmonious collaboration between the various governmental and private agencies, as well as individual efforts, will produce immediate, near-term, and long-term solutions.  A wide variety of actions and inactions, shortsightedness and interdepartmental rifts have also allowed numerous factors to combine and create a larger synergistic effect, which I refer to as the “Imperfect Storm”.

My intention is to be as respectful as possible while making my observations, yet to provide candid observations and input for the diverse discussion of this issue.  My perspective is equally diverse, coming as a skilled hunter, an experienced hiker/climber, someone who has spent a lifetime involved in all manner of outdoor activities, and as a resident of Japan who is deeply concerned for her future.  In some areas, I also have the unique ability to make a comparison to the practices (successful as well as unsuccessful) of other western nations since I lived and hunted in North America, and have studied these systems extensively.  The most effective solutions we create must be a blend of modern science and international best-practices, while being uniquely Japanese, since this combination of factors is unique to this portion of the Japanese ecosystem.    

All honest discussions must begin with a process to discover the facts and current status.  Only after these are ascertained can any real solutions be identified.  I am presenting a significant number of factors involved in this issue.  I am sure that I am missing some issues, and I am certain that further discussion will reveal that some of my observations may not need to be addressed in the opening discussions.  I welcome all input on this subject, to further enhance the depth and accuracy of discussion and decision making.

What Has Happened?

hunting Statistics

A review of the Japan Hunters Association data reveals significant facts about the “average hunter” in Japan and clearly documents significant changes from 1974 (S-49) to 2006 (H-18), a period of just 35 years.  Please keep in mind that we have continued to change at similar, rates for an additional 6 years since this data was collected.  Important facts include:
*Total Number of Hunters dropped from 517,754 to 186,580, a 64% decrease.  Recruitment of new hunters is not being accomplished.
*Average Age of Hunters increased from 30-49 to 60-69 years old.  56.5% of our hunters were over 60 years old in 2007.  Now in 2012, the majority of our hunters are over age 65, and with my conservative estimates of hunters retiring before 70 years old,  we are on course to have no experienced hunters remaining active from the original core group of hunters from 1974 (S-49) by 2016.
*The number of hunters in their 20’s has dropped significantly from 87,920 to only 2,551 Japan-wide.  These hunters represent but 1.1% of all hunters, clearly indicating that the hunting tradition and the responsibility of managing the forest and its animal population is not being passed on to the younger generations.
Game harvest reports from 2000 (H-12) to 2007 (H-19) also illustrate that harvest levels are continuing to increase.
*Inoshishi/Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) harvest increased by 34% from 100,575 to 134,831.
*Nihon-Jika/Japanese Deer (Cervis Nippon-nippon) harvest increased by 26% from 96,708 to 121,488.
Crop damage reports indicate:
*a loss of 21,331,000,000 JPY ($270,869,943) in 2009 (H-21).
*Kamo-Shika/Japanese Serrow (Capricornis crispus) damage has dropped by 50%.  This indicates a significant decrease in this national treasure.
Note: Game density data is scientifically questionable since it is hunter-provided, and not acquired from trained field scientists.

My observations and forecast:
*There will be a tremendous loss in the overall number of over hunters, at least 40% in the next 2 to 4 years due to age.
*The decrease in hunters will reduce the revenue stream that funds research and the entire hunting establishment.
*Animal populations will continue to increase, unchecked, at the same or faster rates.  With governmental population culling numbers being suggested in the thousands or even tens of thousands of animals, this alone is a recipe for failure.
*Protected species such as Kamo-Shika will continue to decrease as their habitat is consumed by animals that were historically non-competitive, and will become further threatened.
Note:  Statistical increases in hunter harvest are mainly due to the increase in animal population rather than any notable increase in hunter skills.  The average hunter has but a 65-72% chance of harvesting one animal each season.
*Recruitment efforts targeting 20-49 year old new hunters is ineffective and/or insufficient.
*Crop Damage will continue to increase exponentially; deforestation will continue and increase.
*Vehicular/animal collisions will increase as will other undesirable human/animal interactions (accidents/attacks).
*Loss of topsoil will continue, taking with it more vegetation, trees, and will eventually cause disruption and damage to roads and communities.
*Disease will become more prevalent in the deer populations due to increased contact.  Historical diseases such as mange will proliferate, and new mucus-borne diseases similar to Chronic Wasting Disease and other neurological diseases will increase and compromise both animal and human populations.

What Has Happened?

Regulatory changes

A review of the regulatory factors which affect this issue is best done if divided into the various entities involved:

Individual Hunters and Firearms Owners:

*Some individuals, due to age, physical infirmity, or diminished mental faculties attempt to hunt beyond their limits.
*As with all sectors of society, a minute fraction of hunters and firearm owners invariably engaged in forms of misconduct which negatively affects all other hunters and firearms owners.  These were effectively exploited by some media sources and have soured public opinion.  The rate of gun related crime in Japan is virtually a non-factor when compared to western countries which allow individual gun ownership.
*Individuals engaging in unsafe, or unethical, activities should control their behavior, as each of us is responsible for the reputation and public image of our group.

Ryouyukai (Hunting Associations) Leadership:

*Must be selected based on their skills and character, not simply on age, length of time, or other irrelevant factors.  Leaders are responsible for conducting safe hunting operations and must perform the many roles as leader, safety monitor, organizer, and more.  They are obligated to ensure the safety of the other hunters and the general public.
*Ryouyukai are self-policing in the classic Japanese style where each member supports the leaders and the members in conducting a safe and responsible hunt, and everyone enforces the rules. 
*The Ryouyukai leadership, at all levels, actively serve as liaison and advisor to the Police Department and the Public Safety Department, as well to with timber industry, farming industry, land owner associations and the Japanese Self Defense Forces.
*There is no effectively organized recruiting method, designed to attract potential new hunters, to introduce people to hunting, and to help candidates train and prepare for the complex hunting and firearms testing processes.
*There is a lack of a significant marketing plan to promote hunting, game management, and wild game meat consumption to the public.

Police Departments:

*Some police agencies have resorted to knee-jerk reactions, implementing new and unnecessarily complex local rules and regulations.  While there are often aimed at culling potentially unsafe hunters, the true result is perceived as an attempt to systematically reduce or remove gun ownership for virtually everyone.
*Local interpretation is often made by individuals who have no knowledge or understanding of hunting or firearms use, and without consulting the knowledgeable members of the Ryouyukai leadership.
*Local internal policies have been implemented that make continued firearms ownership unnecessarily difficult, and deter new owners.  This drives away current hunters and prevents new hunters from beginning the licensing process.  
*My Comment: My local City Police Department have always been reasonable with me as an individual, however the entire system of testing, and unnecessary measures is discouraging to current hunters and a deterrent to new hunters, and helps create more injuries and accidents through vehicle/animal collisions and other negative interactions.

Public Safety Department:

*The testing process for a hunting license is simply rote memorization of antiquated information.  There was no real information on decision making, shot placement, field dressing, food sanitation, health hazards, land navigation, emergency procedures, first aid, stewardship, or other important game management or field skills.
*The testing schedule is far too limited and discourages potential new hunters.  
*My comment:  The role of balancing all aspects of public safety is certainly quite complex, but hunting is discouraged at every step, which in turn directly creates other negative consequences, and as a result overall public safety is not enhanced, but I contend that public safety is actually diminished.

Local Governments:

*Lack of a distribution network to provide free wild game meat to needy citizens, families, and organizations.
*Excessive controls and prohibitions on wild game sales and usage, and lack of a public awareness campaign.
*Local governments need to maintain open communications and working relationships with the Ryouyukai leadership.

Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF):

*Stewardship of the land used by the JSDF is often focused only on training and convenience for the JSDF, has no scientific basis or regular input from experts and could benefit from the expertise of Ryouyukai leadership.
*Animal populations are completely out of control in the East Fuji Maneuver Area.  The excess population of Nihon-Jika is causing tremendous damage to the timber industry, natural forests, watersheds, farms, and Kamo-Shika habitat.
*Excess populations of Nihon-Jika in the EFMA are now encroaching on all of the villages at the foothills of Mount Fuji.  This not only includes the areas along the borders of the EFMA but Nihon-Jika are 5-6km into the City of Gotemba.  Kamo-Shika have also been pushed down into local communities and have been seen as far as 3-4 km into Gotemba city, at unprecedented elevations of only 400 meters.
Note:  In 2012 the JSDF agreed to a partial, but impractical compromise and allows limited pest control hunting.  My Comment: *The JSDF needs to both enforce and obey the land use agreement.  There needs to be regularly scheduled, open communication between the JSDF and the Ryouyukai, and a cooperative relationship, not an “us versus them” situation.  The JSDF should utilize planned rotational access to more areas of the EFMA for population control.  Their previous multi-year moratorium on hunting is one significant factor in the deer overpopulation that is destroying this area, and the city.

Contradictions:

*Incompatible testing dates work in conjunction with a different police testing schedule to create the need for an individual to wait more than one year, typically almost two years to begin actual hunting.
*Ryouyukai and Police give differing orders.  The Police Department insists that all ammunition be consumed within 24 months of purchase, regardless of condition.  The Ryouyukai complies by scheduling “end of the season” shooting sessions with the expressed purpose of consuming all ammunition left over at the end of the hunting season.  The Police then require that each hunter maintain a suitable amount of ammunition in the event that they are required to dispatch a hazardous animal at the request of the Police.  The Ryouyukai then decides that individuals with appropriately limited quantities of ammunition cannot be part of the pest control season (Yugai Kujyo) because they “do not have enough ammunition” and the Ryouyukai refuses to issue ammunition purchase permits, which encourages maintaining excessive ammunition.
*Some hunters are driven away from hunting due to this added unnecessary financial burden of wasting ammunition.  In my case, where each shell costs as much as 680 Yen each (almost $8.00 USD), the 1,000 Yen we get from our Bunkai for each day of active pest control hunting does not cover one bullet and an OBento lunch.
*Funds received from bounties on pest animals has been widely criticized as being mismanaged, not going to the hunters who are doing the important work of pest control (actually hunting, researching, tracking, timing animal movements, expending vehicle fuel, consuming daily food rations, and shooting expensive ammunition).  Instead the funds are utilized by various levels of the hunting establishment, distributed to hunters who never set foot in the woods, and used for other purposes.  This removes all incentives for the prolific hunters to engage in the important process of pest control.  These funds should be carefully earmarked and distributed more appropriately.  Individual hunters should be receiving the largest portion in order to directly offset their true expenses.  Remaining funds should be utilized for recruitment of new members and for public awareness campaigns at all levels.
My comment/example:  The February to March 2012 Shizuoka Yugai Kujyo (Pest Control) season began with three basic instructions: there would be 10,000 Yen paid for each pest animal harvested, these funds would be paid directly to the Bunkai for further distribution, and the animal snouts & lower front teeth were to be submitted for biological research.  These instructions were not followed.  The funding was redistributed in a nonsensical manner.  The biological research, while the results have not yet been published, will also be skewed because of the haphazard manner the data was reported, and the extensive washing of the snouts removed all traces of mucus-borne diseases, a key concern with the ever-increasing deer populations and increased animal density.
*Hunter safety is compromised when decisions are made on hearsay vice ballistics.  An example is the prohibition of the use of buckshot during organized deer varmint hunts, and the instructions to only use slugs.  This is contrary to standard safety practices in North America and Europe, which were developed using proven ballistic information, and actually enhance hunter and public safety.

Other changes:

Societal and Socioeconomic Changes:

*Public image of guns has been degraded by media and anti-gun groups.
*Public understanding of hunting as a management tool is not taught at the family and local community level, and has virtually been erased from the average citizen’s understanding.
*A syndrome dubbed “Nature Deficit Disorder” (coined by Richard Louv) has been identified in many western countries, describing the phenomenon where our children are no longer in touch with anything natural or outdoors.  Their physical and mental wellbeing is jeopardized by constant indoor activities. 
*Commonly accepted definitions of terms like “Eco” and “Environment” have been skewed by media, deficiencies in the educational systems, and lack of firsthand experiences.  Ideas that all animals must be protected at all costs have replaced our understanding of our responsibility to manage the environment, and specifically our role to act in the absence of the apex predators, such as the eradicated Nihon Ookami/Japanese wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax) and Tsuki no Waguma/Asiatic Crested Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus japonica)  which were severely depleted by mankind.
*Many of the most senior hunters have lived through post-war depressed economic times and hunting was a vital part of daily life.  Conversely, modern times do not require hunting for true subsistence, but still remain an important part of population management.
My Comment:  Please consider how many early teens currently choose to engage in the activities that most of us grew up doing such as playing outdoors, fishing, insect collecting, hiking, and other activities, including hunting.  Not many.

Cultural Differences:

*The consumption of wild game was a staple part of Japanese history, just as it was in western countries.  The transition to a rice based diet for the masses began, yet the tradition of wild game hunting continued and was reserved for the upper classes.  Let’s not forget the “Fuji-San no Makigari” conducted in 1193 by Minamoto no Yoritomo:  Although primarily a military show of force, the staggering volume and variety of wild game harvested on and around Mount Fuji documents the vast animal diversity and availability.  I live and have the privilege to hunt in this historic location, adjacent to “Iimori Zuka”, and right near “Shishi Ke Bashi”.
*Religious mandates, at times, precluded the consumption of wild game by the average Japanese citizen.  At the same times, the religious establishment and the ruling elite continued to eat and thrive on wild game, and developing euphemisms to disguise their consumption such as “Botan”, “Botan-Nabe”, “Momiji”, “Sakura”, and “Yama Kujira”.

Missed Opportunities:

*Wild game meat is a delicacy in many countries, and a staple in some countries, yet is shunned in Japan, due to misinformation, inaccurate stereotypes, and the loss of traditional game meat cooking techniques.
*Extensive amounts of wild game is available for distribution.  Deer, Boar, Dove, and Sparrow are all considered as pests at critical levels, yet there is no market (charitable, or for profit) for these meats.
My Comment/example:  The Safari Club International operates the “Sportsmen Against Hunger” wild game donation and distribution non-profit organization in North America.  In 2010 they distributed more than 477,392lbs (216,996Kgs) of wild game meat donated by individual hunters and various hunting organizations.  This represented over 1,900,000 meals in one year!  We need to be allowed to create an organization like this in Japan.

Ecological System Changes Created by Humans:

*Large mammalian (Honyuu-doubutsu) predators (Honshoku-doubutsu) (aka: Apex Predators) have been essentially removed from the Mount Fuji eco-system.  Ookami (Japanese Wolves) were hunted to extinction (Konzetsu-suru) early in the last century.  Tsuki no Waguma (Asiatic Crescent Black Bear) have been hunted to near extinction, often times persecuted as a “danger” to humans, and ultimately relegating them to an anomaly in the forest rather that their former position as the apex predator.  No other small mammalian predator can fill this void, resulting in unchecked population growth of ungulates and swine.
*Small mammalian predators such as Kitsune/Japanese Fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica) have survived yet offer no significant predation of ungulates and swine.
*Planted timber forests (Cedar, Cyprus, and Tamarack) have replaced the diverse forests & the mast producing trees, and have forced animal populations into smaller living areas, increasing the density and further depleting natural food supplies. 
*Community operated cooperative farms, such as those previously in the current East Fuji Maneuver Area were “requisitioned” by the government in the 1920s, and farming became a localized family operated enterprise.  The population explosion of deer on Mount Fuji, and the subsequent consumption of virtually all available food sources, now have brought the deer herds to the local villages and have been wreaking havoc on family farms, creating incalculable losses for these families.

Inherited Knowledge:

*Traditionally inherited knowledge about stewardship and habitat management is no longer being passed on from one generation to the next.  The average 60 years old hunter grew up in the beginning of modern Japan and have never truly needed to obtain subsistence from nature directly, thus have lost this knowledge. 
*The current generation of 20-49 year olds, potential hunters, have virtually no experience in the outdoors.  Without this basic understanding of nature, the idea of hunting is simply beyond their comprehension.
*Teaching materials provided by the All-Japan Hunting Association for hunters has become inadequate in passing this information to new hunters, allowing for hunters to become licensed with virtually no understanding of the outdoors, simply by memorizing information from a text.
*Teaching methods and materials are outdated and utilize rote memorization, straight lectures vice interactive learning, and completely fail to utilize any modern teaching technologies.

                                            What are the true ecological conditions?

In the Planted Conifer (Shin’youju) Forests (Timer Industry Land):

*Since 2010 the most extreme example of the deer population running out of food and resorting to non-traditional food sources is the act of stripping away the outer bark of planted Cedar (Sugi) and Cyprus (Hinoki) trees and eating the inner bark (Phloem).  This is happening only after all other food sources have been depleted.  This action typically starts at the roots where the Outer-Bark is being bitten then pulled upward, sometimes to 2 meters, exposing the Inner-Bark or Phloem Layer which is then eaten through into the Cambium Cell Layer.  This is occurring on almost 90% of the trees in some areas, with many trees having bark removed around the circumference of the tree, effectively killing the tree.  These dying trees are a direct economic loss for the timber industry.  The dead trees also quickly forfeit their hold on the topsoil, resulting in further erosion and detriment to the entire ecosystem.

Mixed Deciduous (Datsurakusei no Ki) Forests:

*Since 2007 the deer are eating the bark of several species of trees in the same manner as the Conifers but to a much more devastating level that the Conifers.  Key tree species that are being destroyed are the various Birch & Scrub Oaks.

Sasa (several types of dwarf bamboo) Patches:

*Sasa, which both holds a lot of topsoil, and provides cover & nesting opportunities for an innumerable amount of small animal and bird species, has been completely and irreversibly depleted by the deer.  This is already causing these plants to release their hold on the topsoil and is creating runoff.  Some areas of runoff go deep enough to allow volcanic ash to be integrated into the runoff and cover previously viable topsoil, further diminishing the amount of viable topsoil available for recovery.

Essential Food Sources:

*The over-browsing, and complete consumption of plants interrupts the lifecycles of these plants.  This removes the plants which are keys to repopulating the plants each year.  A portion of all plants are normally left behind in a balanced eco-system and provide the repopulation of these plants for the next year.  When all of the seeds are being consumed, or the entire plant is being consumed destroying the root system, or depleting the energy stores in Rhizomes (Chikakei), the plant reproductive cycle ends, leaving no browse for the next year.
*The deforestation by the deer leave only the poisonous, inedible plants, a majority of which are introduced invasive species which are quickly taking over the barren land, and have no pressure because they are not eaten by the deer.
*Itadori/Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and their rhizomes have also nearly been depleted.

Rice Fields and Family Gardens:

*Ungulate and swine crop damage is occurring in villages and city areas as low as 250 meters elevation.
*Attempts to install mesh fences, electric fences, and a variety of other deterrents are now ineffective against the onslaught of the exploding pest populations, especially deer, boar, crows, and create additional financial burdens.
*The loss of family food crops, and the increase in expenditures for deterrents, is making family farming financially unviable, and causing considerable hardship, particularly for our elderly farmers, and small families.

What are some of the General options we have (Japan-Wide)?

 A.      Commit to open, honest, and regular communication.

 B.       Agree that change and adjustment is needed in the immediate future, mid-term, and long-term.

C.       Ensure all affected agencies/departments are suitably represented, yet establish a core group of decision makers.

 D.      Commission true field surveys to be conducted to provide timely scientific information for further decision making.

 E.       Increase the public information campaign highlighting the need for hunting as an ecological management tool.

 F.       Expand the recruitment campaign to increase the number of new hunters being trained and licensed.

 G.      Modify the training and educational process to modernize the information and streamline the process.

 H.      Create a small group of suitable credentialed professional hunters to conduct culling and invasive species eradication.

I.        Create acceptance, and then demand for wild game meat obtained from population control harvesting.


That's it for now.  More details to follow!  Thanks for reading, and any input is always appreciated!
SK-1

27 December 2011

Papa's Got a New Hunting Rig!



SK-2 just bought me a new hunting rig! (Thanks babe!) It is a Suzuki Jimny, Wide Body, 1,300CC. It has a 4.5 inch lift done by replacing the torsion bar suspension with a racing set, a true LSD read differential, HID headlights, performance exhaust, and it actually has heat and AC, plus it has a radio! I am moving up in the world!
I will post more as I build it into a true hunting rig!
SK-1 OUT!!!

Ezo-Jika (Sika) Hunting In Hokkaido, Japan

I was finally able to schedule time to go to Hokkaido this year for another Ezo-Jika (Sika) stag hunt. Hokkaido is the northernmost inhabited island in Japan and ius know for it's giant brown bears "Hi-Guma", and huge Ezo-Jika (called Sika in the US and NZ). We went very late this year, missing the rut & post-rut by more than a month. I still was successful in taking two nice stags, one around 130kg and then the monster pictured here, at about 150kg!!!

Picture below is the SK-1 with my new friend and top quality guide, Eric Rose. I had the pleasure of hunting with Eric for 2 days and he took me to some of the land that he has negotiated access and hunting rights to. If it were not for his very well established network of land owners and ranchers, I would have never been able to get anywhere near this area which turned out to be some of the wildest country I have been to in all of Japan, and by the way, home to some massive stags!
The Trip: Imagine the opening scene from the Beverly Hillbillies...that was me with three members of my hunting club, loading our gear into a Pajero for the long haul to Hokkaido. One of my buddies, MW, has been with me on all of my previous Hokkaido hunts and we hunt together almost every weekend. He has killed more deer in our area that anyone I know, averaging over a hundred a year! The other two guys, TK and MK were both on a hunt with me for the first time, and only one had ever been to Hokkaido. As it turns out I was 17 years younger than then next youngest guy, and 28 years younger than the oldest...you can do the math and see who would be doing all the work!
A four hour highway ride got us to the ferry terminal in Oarai where we boarded and were off to Hokkaido. 19 1/2 hours later we made it to Hokkaido Tomokamai port, then had a 6 hour drive to Hiroo to check into our Ryokan (a small hotel that caters to hunters and timber workers).
Day one was pretty much uneventful due to the fact that there was almost no game in our planned area due to the heavier snow that we predicted. Mid afternoon saw us traveling down to Erimo Misaki where the snow was gone but the cold (-12C.) and high winds made scouting tough. Late in the afternoon we stumbled across 3 deer feeding in a deep ravine. A closer look revealed 2 small stags and one large stag. One shot later and the large one was down, but it took an hour to dress him and carry him out of the ravine. Picture the scene with the first-timer snapping photos and the oldest member struggling with his over sized pants, and me elbow deep field dressing. I knew it! He turned out to be the biggest stag I have ever taken so I was quite excited!
The next day we got completely skunked, seeing but a handful of hinds, and no significant stags. MW took a nice Ezo-Kitsune though (Hokkaido Fox). That night my buddy Eric drove down from Kushiro and picked me up and took me back up to Kushiro. (Thank you again to Eric and his family for letting me crash at their place!!!!). Morning came way too soon and at was a 'brisk' -13C. when we loaded up the truck and headed for the hills. We drove to some of the ranches he has rights to and glassed a whole lot of terrain. We saw some very big stags, but were unable to get into a suitable location for a stalk. The day was filled with some amazing animals in some awe-inspiring terrain, but no deer on the meat hook that night. I also got to meet some of Eric's rancher buddies, and helped out with preparing antlers from a previous hunt, and I even learned a few new tricks in skull preparation.
Day 2 of Kushiro hunting has us setting out on foot to hike, glass, and stalk. The plan was to hike into a deep winding river valley and work our way up the river bottom and on the highland pastures from the bottom corner of a block of land to the opposite corner where we would end up at another ranch for a ride back. Little did I know that this would be a 7+ hour effort, and the block of land looks to be about 10km x 12 km on Google Earth, with no roads in it! We hiked up and down frozen slopes, scrambled across slippery banks along the river, rappelled slopes using Kuma-Zasa as improvised rope, trudged through 2 foot deep Kuma-Zasa grass bent down by the weight of a few inches of snow, crunched through snow and ice that cracked so loudly that we were sure every deer in the county had heard us, had only one boot go through the ice (knee deep only!).. We spotted some very nice stags sunning but were unable to get close enough for a shot. At one field we unexpectedly jumped three huge stags and I missed 2 snap-shots. This was enough to get me down, but Eric kept pushing through, confident we would be successful! We also stumbled on a nice stag that had expired overnight. A close examination showed no injury from hunters, but rather a poorly healed broken rear leg, and clear signs of a horrific wild dog attack overnight. That certainly did not help our hunting either!
We ended up at the other ranch, exhausted but totally satisfied with such an amazing hike, the sight of some great stags, and the beauty of Hokkaido at it's wildest. Eric still had a few more rabbits up his sleeve though-When talking to the rancher, he recalled seeing a great stag coming to one of his remote fields "every afternoon at 3:00pm"..."sure" I thought, but it was certainly worth a try.
We carpooled back to Eric's hunting rig and drove toward the area the rancher recommended. We 'decided' that the deer lived in the mountains to the west and would come down from them to the field so we would need to hurry to get in place to ambush them as they got near the fields. Not a good plan...as we approached three stags were a few km to the south working their way north (coming from the exact opposite way they were 'supposed' to). Change of plans: We regrouped and 'decided' they would travel north, cross a public road into a pasture, continue on across that pasture then a set of railroad tracks, then to the field they were supposedly going to. We ran 800m down the tracks to set up an ambush when they made it over the tracks. The deer decided otherwise and traveled west with no intention of crossing the road, pasture, or tracks! We ran back, drove a few km further west to get ahead of them and finally picked out a single track dirt trail that was not in use that we might be able to swiftly stalk down toward the deer. A very quick but stealth stalk ensued, crouching, duck walking, and then crawling toward where the deer were likely to head, then there was nothing! I looked everywhere and could not see the deer! Miles of open terrain and I lost them in just a few minutes! "Wait! That looks like antlers!" They were right in front of me in a depression in the land that was not visible from a distance, slowly and cautiously grazing westward at about 50 meters from me. Every time I saw their antlers all drop to graze, I slinked along trying to be invisible behind just a thin strip of uncut meadow grass. I stopped and took a good USMC kneeling firing position and held fast. The next minute seemed like 10 minutes but they traveled the next 3 meters westward and began to emerge from the depression. The biggest stag was a little spooked, sniffing the air, and I decided I could wait no further. I squeezed off one round and he crumpled. He tired to stand once and fell back down for good. This monster was down! My Savage Arms single-shot, bolt action 12 gauge, with Federal Premium Vital-Shok 3 inch magnums with Barnes Expander bullets was certainly worth the 680 Yen (over $8.00)!
Eric and I took some time to marvel at the magnificent stag, took a round of pictures to preserve the memory of this fine animal and this fantastic hunting experience, and then got to work dressing him out and ready for transport.
That night I had to return to Hiroo and we departed the following morning for Gotemba once again. That 19 hour ferry ride and 9 hours of driving that I dreaded, was barely enough to help me recover from the extreme effort that Eric and I went through on the trail, but was a great way to end a hunt, with time to re-live every aspect and detail of the entire hunt. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
I wish I was a better writer and could explain better how memorable this entire hunt was!
I am already dreaming of Hokkaido next year!!!!
See you in the Yama!
SK-1 OUT!!!












18 November 2011

All-Japan Hunting season 2011-2012

Hi everyone! Hunting season is upon us here in Japan! Our national season started on November 15th. I have yet to make it to the mountain so far but will be in the woods starting tomorrow morning-look out Mr. Boar!!!!
Our "yugai-kujo" or population/pest control season just ended a 10 days ago. We had permits to kill 300 deer (either sex) and 50 boar. With the help of one of my Marine buddies we put two very good sized bucks in the freezer.
Not sure how much time I can put to the blog this season but I hope to get back up to full speed in the next few weeks (no promises though).
As always, if you are interested in hunting in Japan, please drop me a line. If you would like to swap some venison or boar meat for an item you have harvested/caught/or a local delicacy, please drop me an email.

See you in the Yama!
SK-1 OUT!!!