I know that there has been a few threads on hunting here in Japan lately, but I just wanted to let you folks know about the success that can be had.

I have been hunting Hokkaido for a few seasons and it is truly amazing. At times it is a lot more like culling than hunting, no limit on does, while one stag a day is permitted. Where I live the season runs from October 25th till the end of February. Five solid months of deer hunting.

It can almost get old, almost anyway. Hunters here seems to get off on numbers of deer, rather than the quality of the hunt. It's not unusual to see people hauling around 4-5 deer on the back of their rig at the end of the day, mostly shot right off the road, which hunters here rarely stray far from. That leaves a lot of hunting for able bodied people like myself. I have hunted pristine places last season that I am sure no one else took the time or effort to reach. I have built a couple stands hoping to connect with a real super stag, or maybe a very rare non-typical, of which I have only seen once. I get tired of shooting does, especially late in the season when they are quite pregnant. Other hunters seem to view deer more as varmits than the beautiful game that they are. These people have no problem popping loaded does that stand around like horses. The stags are much more secretive and are rarely caught out in the open. That being said, I bagged a total of 37 deer last season, and around 60 the year before.

Another bonus to hunting here is that deer meat is booming in Tokyo. There are a number of rendering shops that buy head or neck shot deer for up to the equivalent of $150. We've hauled in a pile of does to such places and more than once drove away with $500 in our pockets. But the money kinda screws things up as money usually does to most things you like. So I try not to focus on the money as much as the fact that I don't have to bone out and store all that meat. In fact a friend of mine owns such a shop and I usually trade him for sausage and pepperoni. Talk about some good eating! The deer meat here is great! Most of the farms in this area are dairies with surprisingly big fields. I'm not sure why, but the grass that grows here is superior to other places. Starbucks and Hagen-daz use the milk from this area for their whole Asia region, so I guess there is something special to it. Anyway, as you can imagine, the deer also have something special to them.

Obtaining the ability to hunt here is quite treacherous. I am not in military and wasn't able to take the tests in English. I was told by the police (who issue permits) that I set a precedent here as the first foreigner to pass the modern version of the Japanese tests here in Hokkaido. The permits have to be renewed every year, and tests have to be retaken every three years. The rigmarole is endless and anyone not living here has no chance of owning a gun. Case closed. Basically, rather than educating you on the safe handling of guns, the police are more focused on getting you to fail the tests. But once you have passed they become much more friendly. There are a number of times a year that I have to go to the police department and have my guns and paperwork checked out. There was a shooting in December I think of 2007 where a bonehead took his shotgun and shot up a bunch of people in a fitness center. Since then laws have become more restrictive. Owning a gun here is a lot of work. Fines are crazy expensive, for example shooting out your car window from a raod, would be a fine of $5000 and loss of gun permit for ten years.

The only way to hunt here would be if you are stationed here in the military or if you live here, have some variation of a resident visa, and are fluent in Japanese. Or you could buddy up with a hunter and go along with him, only to watch, or who knows. Getting a gun permit is only one part of the process. A hunting permit must also be acquired. The tests are given by a hunting organization affiliated with the government, and they are much friendlier than the police. But there is no English test and they like it way, understandably.

A friend of mine came over and hunted with me and a few friends. It turned out to be a great string of hunts and we were able to get a couple of nice stags. A lot of hunting here is walking and blocking, with the older folks doing the blocking. Needless to say it is nerve-racking as guys be shooting all over, bullets be flying every which ol way. I try to stay out of those big hunts, but our local hunting group (which a guy more or less has to join) has a year-end drinking party and the next day everyone is off to the hills for the big hunt. Just a couple months ago, a hunter doing the same thing got a bullet through his calf. They claim it was a ricochet. Nonetheless hunting with lots of people is dangerous as usually there are a lot of deer and a lot of shooting. Plain ol scary.

A couple years ago I posted a couple pics of the hunting I have done here. Someone took the pics and posted them on another site, claiming to be their's. I am not as worried about it as others on here seem to be, in fact I feel complimented in a way. What does bother me is when people claim that I am not the guy in the pics. I hope this puts a rest to it, but I suppose it won't be long and these pics too will be pirated and some other kinda shit will be stirred up, or trolled up. I am kinda tired of the pissin contest, so here is what I have to say: If someone would like to be part of a hunt here, let me know. Of course you can't shoot, but that isn't always the fun part anyway, only requirement is to put a hunting report here. Anyway, enjoy the pics, and if anybodys interested in hunting here, just let know. oregoneric@hotmail.com

Super Nice stag from a few years ago.


Big group of stags after hunting season


Huge stags after season


After quite a hike I found this decent stag


Big dead stag at rendering shop


Friends nice stag


Copenhagen

Those are some SUPERB Sika stags !
Thanks for sharing.
Whats the reference to Copenhagen on your last photo ? It,s not like I see Tivoli in the background anywhere.

Awesome. Check your mail ;-)

Thanks! I have one more picture of a HUGE stag I took. I'll have to post it up later. The copenhagen refers to the name of the snuff in my lip. A guy from the local pro hockey team got me started a few months ago. Everybody's got to have a bad habit I guess.

quote:

Originally posted by Hokkaido:
Thanks! I have one more picture of a HUGE stag I took. I'll have to post it up later.

Hell, bigger than these ones you have posted ?
I have 1 gold and 2 silver CIC scored heads.I keep on wandering from my computer screen to my hallway comparing.
Those Japanese Sika are awesome.It is predominantly Japanese Sika we have in Ireland or so I am reliably informed. But I think they may have shrunk in the wash or something like that !

Hello Sika98,
I am not sure why the deer are bigger here, but they definitely are. I think it has something to do with the way people hunt. Most hunters are older and don't get out and walk much. They don't seem to be real interested in horn size either. The only way people measure horns here is by running a tape measure along the outside of the base of the horn to the tip, ending up with a simple number like 70cm. It is a very crude way to score these deer, do you by chance have a link to the proper way these are measured? I could try it out on a couple of racks I have laying around and see how they compare to deer on your island. Maybe you could post some of your pictures?

I have contacted a sika deer expert in New Zealand and told him of my exploits. He simply explained to me that after hunting a lifetime in NZ, most hunters would never see trophies of the size I have already taken here.

Here are a couple more pics, the first one is one I took a couple years back. This is the only non-typical I have ever seen. Most hunters here reckon this deer to be over ten years of age. The guy standing next to him is a real monster and would be the trophy of a lifetime for anybody here.


The second pic is of my largest deer to date. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of pushing this wounded deer, who we thought would be piled up just over the next ridge. After seven or eight ridges it was getting dark and I took my buddies advice to come back the next day and let the hawks, eagles, and crows show us where he was. It worked, but there wasn't much of any photo opportunities left after six or seven huge eagles went to work. We packed him out and measured him at 98cm and 95cm. Not my proudest moment, but as you surely know, these big stags can be tough as hell, and seem to have endless amounts of blood.

Great pics, thanks for posting.

Did a little web search and www.cic-wildlife.org will lead you to how we measure heads this part of the world.
I tried to post a few photos of our Sika but managed to cock it up.If you look at my prior posts I have managed to post a few in them.
Great Sika,thanks for sharing.

Damn nice sika stags there in Japan!! I'd LOVE to have a chance to hunt Japan.. maybe hunt a few days, plan out and pull off a Mt. Fuji climb, and then a tack on a few days in Tokyo for some Asian relaxation and fine dining!! Could it be done??

That sounds like a helluva greeat vacation if ya ask me!

Here's one for your non-typical lovers!




Taken by my lady, here in southern England. This was the second season we had watched this fellow - previous year the right antle actually grew downwards to give an unusual 'Swastika' effect.

PM examination showed no break or other obvious cause for the abnormal growth pattern, other than a miss placed pedical.

Rgds Ian

Hokkaido,
Well??? I'm curious!! Let me know!

Hey there Scotty,

It could totally be done. I am just a two hour flight out of Tokyo, or 14 hour train trip. The season here runs from late October till the end of February, just let me know when you're thinking. I hunt so much that having another person along is really no hinder to me. Send me a PM.
Eric

Ian, that is a very unique stag! I have seen lots of them and can't recall anything like that.

Very nice hunting partner! She wears some impressive sized boots! Looks like she put a good shot on him too! Sweet!

Hokkaido

Many thanks, my hunting partner hastens to explain that cold feet rather than a set of flippers is the real reason for the pacs!

The shot was quartering on and as usual 'Artemiss' placed it very nicely.

Usual problem, try and teach a woman to do something. A couple minutes later she is sat on her rump, able to group to an inch at a hundred yards - looking up at you and saying 'aren't they all meant to go through the same hole?'

Rgds Ian

ah the secrets out Hokkaido,you have made it to deerhunter here in Oz mate.

man that is to cool
love to hunt deer but maybe a bit much but I would be willing to suffer
beautiful country as well

cool pics.

He clearly sais accompain so just take it easy.
"venare non est occidere" coming along is not shooting but it is having hell of a good time . lets not start another war please