Hunting and wildlife damage in Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture

Abstract

On the background of the increasingly serious wildlife damage problems, we investigated how local hunting activities are transforming. From the capture data of wild deer and wild boar, hunter attribute data, and a questionnaire survey targeting hunters in Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, this study discussed that hunting activities have been significantly transformed against the backdrop of wildlife damage. The questionnaire results also suggested that hunting activities, which started as a way to prevent wildlife damage, are becoming socially and culturally significant for hunters.