Collaboration of an university with Deer Culling Certificate in Hokkaido – the case study of Rakuno Gakuen University

Abstract

 While adaptive management system of deer population has been introduced in Hokkaido since 1998, the goal to reduce its population has not yet been completed up to now. Yezo Deer Association launched the Deer Culling Certificate (DCC) in order to train deer managers or cullers since 2015. DCC followed the model of the Deer Stalking Certificate (DSC) in the UK. Established in 1997, DSC has trained more than 32,900 of candidates awarded the level 1 certificate and more than 6,000 candidates awarded the level 2 certificate. DCC has issued the 180 level 1 certificates and 3 level 2 certificates by 2023 fiscal year. Rakuno Gakuen University provides the Wildlife Management Course in the Department of the Environmental Sciences since 2014 and collaborates with DCC since 2018. Students who wish to be certified by DCC must attend the specific contents of the seven classes of the Wildlife Management Course to take the examination of the level 1 certificate of DCC. Twenty-seven students were awarded the level 1 certificate by 2023 fiscal year.