In Japan, the use of firearms to culling in areas surrounding the main road would be an effective option to control overabundant deer. This culling practice is linked to the laws and regulations regarding road and traffic; however, wildlife managers lack knowledge of these laws and regulations. We have identified Japanese regulations and conditions, and have focused on problems and prospects of the existing laws on sharpshooting, which was practiced at the National Route 453 in Shikotsu, Hokkaido, as a model case. Under these laws and regulations, strict safety control by blocking traffic and attending to public interests for culling is required in order to engage in culling around the road. However, the Road Law and Road Traffic Law do not specifically support road usage for culling intended for wildlife population control. Consequently, those laws require a viewpoint of wildlife management to solve conflicts that occur in and around the road.
