In Japan, Ezo deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) have been causing severe damage to agricultural crops, forests, and natural vegetation in increasing numbers. Decreasing the excess population (0.64 million) to an optimum level requires both the promotion of hunting and safe and cost-effective waste management of animal carcasses. In this study, two experiments were conducted in Esashi town (Soya Subprefecture, Hokkaido Island, 44°56' N, 142°35' E) in the early summer of 2012. A third experiment was conducted in midwinter of 2013. All experiments were conducted inside a temporary tin barn with no insulation. Average fresh weights of hunted carcasses obtained in the first, second, and third experiments were 109.4 kg, 65.9 kg, and 43.8 kg, respectively. Deer carcasses were buried in a plastic net in newly made compost piles, which included a mixture of milking cow excreta and wood chips.
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