Overview
- Hokkaido reports 76 municipalities and two organizations plan spring captures in 2026, the most since the program began in 2023.
- Sapporo opened its campaign with eight hunters searching around Whiteflag Mountain, with further work scheduled through April 30 at sites including Mount Moiwa.
- Teams are trialing small drones with infrared cameras to locate bears by heat signature, reducing risky close checks of dens.
- The program targets the residual-snow season to deter bears from populated areas and to pass field skills to younger hunters as veterans retire.
- Sapporo logged a record 362 bear sightings this fiscal year, which officials link to a severe failure of acorn and wild-grape crops.