Harvest Characteristics of Brown Bears in Northern Hokkaido, Japan

A population study of the Ezo brown bear (Ursus arctos yesoensis) was initiated in 1975 in northern Hokkaido. One hundred fifty-two brown bear skulls collected from 1980 to 1985 were used to determine age. Most of these bears were killed in nuisance control hunts conducted during the early spring. The youngest age classes of bears (0-5 years old) constituted 67.7% of the harvest, probably a result of high hunting pressure. Subadults (2-5 years old) comprised 41.4% of the sample, with a preponderance of young males. The youngest females with cubs were 5 years old, and the female reproductive rate was 0.67 cubs/adult female/year. The brown bear population in northern Hokkaido is declining.