montoya 0 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 any hunters out there? --------------------------------- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061024/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_life_japan_bears_1 As Japan's people grow older, bears grow bolder Tue Oct 24, 7:05 AM ET Scarce acorns, silent guns and rural depopulation are bringing Japan's bears out of the woods. The number of Japanese black bears caught feasting in fields of sweet corn, apples and other crops has jumped this year, with the animals increasingly undisturbed by hunters, whose ranks are dwindling as the population ages. "There are plenty of bears out there who've never even heard a gunshot, so if they do see people, they think it's OK not to run away," said Hidetake Hayashi of the Shinshu Black Bear Research Group, which monitors bears in Nagano prefecture. Black bears can grow to about 1.5 metres (5 ft) in height and weigh 100 kg (220 lbs) or more. Docile when left alone, they can be dangerous if caught unawares, and recent newscasts have reported attacks on humans. The number of hunters in Japan has fallen from almost half a million in the late 1970s to about 150,000 in 2005, according to Dainihon Ryoyukai, the Japan hunters' association, so people might appear less intimidating to their ursine neighbours. In Gifu prefecture, rangers have shot 121 bears since the start of April, six times as many as in the previous 12 months, the Yomiuri daily reported. Gifu University's Professor Toshio Tsubota, who heads the Japan Bear Network, a nationwide body involved in bear research, said a skimpy acorn crop this year was the most likely cause of the rise in number of sightings. The shortage of their favourite food has forced the bears to seek other sustenance before hibernating at the end of autumn. A longer-term reason was rural depopulation, Tsubota added. As fewer villagers venture into the woods to chop down trees for firewood, the border zone between forest and village has eroded. "The villages have thinned out," the Shinshu group's Hayashi said. "Bears may now think it's all right for them to be there." But ultimately, he said, there was no clear single reason for the sharp rise in sightings. "You'll have to go and ask the bears," he said. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 They had a Bear Map on tv last night. Seems there have been lots of bears hanging around and getting themselves shot as well. Link to post Share on other sites
offthewall88 0 Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I've only been in Japan for 5 months. My girlfriend and I went for a little weekend drive last week into Gunma. Driving back from the Prince Hotel at Minakami/Fujiwara we nearly ran one of the blighters over. We were both caught by suprise; he/she ran off into the bushes and I did a quick u-turn and pulled off to the side of the round. After a couple of minutes the bear wandered back out and had a sniff round the car. Didn't really seemed that fazed by the whole thing actually. Judging by its behaviour i can understand how they'd be coming into conflict with humans. I for one was stoked though. Apparently you're pretty lucky if you see a wild bear in Japan - especially 2 hours drive from Tokyo! Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 yep, 8 and a half years and no sightings for me! Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 3 years in the sticks and enough days and nights in the mountains and I never saw one either 2nd day back in Canada and I see a grizzly Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Cool. I'd love to see a bear. How big was the grizzly Toque? Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 A report in today's paper. 2,500 bears shot in Japan this year. That's from a total population of approx 30,000. It seems the bear "problem" will be resolved fairly soon. Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 2500?! Sounds like those dwindling numbers of hunters ain't having being much a problem! Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Both of those numbers seem really high to me. I wouldn't have guessed there were 30 000 bears here. Does anyone here take precautions (like bear bells) when in the BC? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 We recently found this amusing. Drunk at the time, so now a week or so later I don't remember which bit was so funny. It would help if I could read it. http://www.city.nanto.toyama.jp/webapps/www/info/detail.jsp?id=1233 Link to post Share on other sites
best snowboarder @ niseko 0 Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Seem high to me as well but bears are on the local news almost daily right now. It would be really interesting to know how many there were. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 I checked with soubriquette, and 2,500 dead bears was the number in the Asahi Shimbun. Whether that is right or not I can`t say. At that rate, I predict a quick solution to the bear problem. Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Lots of bear soup. I was invited to a "bear soup party" last week. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 my wife has now got me expecting to run into a bear whenever I go out for a trail run-not inconceivable I guess as bears were sighted in mountains close to here a few years ago-seems odd that they would come come so close to a huge metropolis like this. Link to post Share on other sites
nisiko 0 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Check out the hakuba now report for bear news (and photo of bear in Aokiko!) Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by mina2: Lots of bear soup. I was invited to a "bear soup party" last week. Bear is yummy in my tummy Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 What does it taste like? Link to post Share on other sites
69 5 Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 Bear soup parties?! What's the main event? The soup? Link to post Share on other sites
js 0 Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by lin: What does it taste like? 'Bearly' edible is my guess. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 Tastes like Bear Link to post Share on other sites
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