Train companies try to put the brakes on collisions with wild deer

By Shigeki Wada

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alex2000 at 09:47 AM JST - 19th May

I am a conductor for CN in BC. Lots of wildlife is attracted to the grain that falls from hopper cars.

The headlights on the Locomotive just tent to freeze the deer in their tracks. At night we turn the headlights off, then blow the whistle to try and scare them away.

But please note that this is because we would rather not kill a deer, not out of fear that we will derail. A 16,000 ton train vs a 200 lbs deer, the train wins.

I can't imagine that the passenger engineers in Japan are worried about derailments or accidents. Are they that concerned about killing a few wild deer?
societymike at 11:31 AM JST - 19th May

30061015 at 11:18 PM JST - 18th May And with virtually no legal way to own guns in the country, Japan will >continue to have deer burger on the roads and rails.

you can legally own hunting rifles in Japan
Altria at 11:38 AM JST - 19th May

Need a gun turret on top of the train to blast wildlife out of the way.
franz75 at 10:02 PM JST - 19th May

Altria: a bazooka should be better if you don't want to have the dead deer remaining on the tracks.
flammenwerfer at 10:36 PM JST - 19th May

the item that is my JT user name would do the trick...:-)
Molenir at 01:42 AM JST - 20th May

Sounds more like it would make a delicious deer bar-b-q then clear the tracks. Probably have to stop and eat before continuing.
OssanAmerica at 04:39 AM JST - 20th May

I can't imagine that the passenger engineers in Japan are worried about >derailments or accidents. Are they that concerned about killing a few >wild deer?

Somebody's going to get stuck having to wash the trains down.
Smythe at 04:57 AM JST - 20th May

Alex2000 plus in slamming on the brakes instead of coming to a sensible slow top, there is damaging the outer wheel rim on the locamotives, well diesels, for way back when I use to hear a lot as I was a temporarty Express Car Man on the CNR that operated from Edmonton, Alberta.
OhioDonna at 05:21 AM JST - 20th May

Our highways have become more dangerous because of the exploding deer polulations. I live in an area where the coal trains run day and night but I do not know how many deer have been killed by the trains. They are huge diesels and I am guessing that there is not much left when a deer is struck. I hit a deer in my little Saturn but thankfully neither one was hurt. My car was covered with deer slobbers and the deer was on his knees in the roadway when I looked to see what I had hit.
grafton at 06:47 AM JST - 20th May

How the hell does a train driver “manoeuvre carefully”? (Please note that I have corrected the spelling of manoeuvre so as to save the confusion that might follow on from the spanner/wrench dilemma).

OhioDonna at 05:21 AM JST - 20th May

“Our highways have become more dangerous because of the exploding deer populations”

Our highways have become more dangerous because of the deer population explosion.

However you write this it still sounds seriously crazy.
30061015 at 12:46 PM JST - 21st May

you can legally own hunting rifles in Japan

Yes, after you get an expensive govt enema, but for the average person its virtually impossible.

While it may be difficult to promote hunting in Japan because of gun laws and fear of guns, I have never understood why Japan doesn't have an archery only season for deer. I have taken many deer with bow and arrow and

The modern compound bows used today kill as efficiently and humanly as a firearm. Hunting with a bow would seem to be a logical extension of traditional Japanese culture and its professed love of nature. Since much time afield is spent enjoying nature with a bow before ever getting at shot up close at a deer, hunting in this way invigorates the senses and reconnects the human soul within the spiritual context of the natural world.

It is a huge waste not to utilize this resource. Instead of building park golf courses, municipalities should be investing in archery ranges and promoting hunter safety courses in the schools. Here in Montana, a 12 year old can pass a hunter safety course in two weeks to hunt deer with a rifle while accompanied by and adult. Hunter safety is taught in Montana by volunteers who care about maintaining a healthy deer herd and the future of hunting. Because rifle bullets can travel miles and still be lethal, many suburban areas in America restrict deer hunting to archery only districts for safety reasons. There is no reason bow hunting and resource management education cannot be done successfully in Japan.
Osakadaz at 12:56 PM JST - 21st May

I was on a train in Hokkaido that had to slow down and halt because of deer...beeping his horn at the deer and they were like 'we shall not be moved'...got some great pics.I thought it was quite charming.
knowitall at 10:35 AM JST - 22nd May

The lack of hunters today is a direct result, in my opinion, of the government's successful campaign to make the general population frightened of guns of any type. I was all set to go through with the "expensive govt enema" to get my gun and hunting license, but the wife was adamant about not having a shotgun in the house. The answer was no, even after explaining that it has to be locked up in a safe except when in use (you can have your license revoked if it is not locked up when the police come by for a spot inspection). I gave up for the sake of family harmony...

Bowhunting is illegal in Japan because it "causes extreme pain and suffering to the animal" (their words, not mine!). Laws haven't been updated to reflect the improvements in bow technology.
XXXXX at 03:21 AM JST - 23rd May

oh deerest, they want to make contact and all they think about is their trains running behind schedule. Pictures please!
Nessie at 07:27 AM JST - 23rd May

He cited a decline in the number of hunters, a drastic fall in the number of natural predators such as foxes and feral dogs, and global warming as factors responsible for the increase in deer population.

Don't forget wolves. There were wolves in Japan until about a century ago.