4 Okayama schools serving wild boar, deer as part of lunch program

If you are going to eat meat then wild meat is best for many reasons, it tastes much better for a start, the animal was not killed for sport but consumed, people excercise and join together to get food. It's a great idea. Humans from day 1 have been doing this...survival. Mass farming has made us forget many skills.

In 2012 it was estimated that around 48 million yen worth of damage was done to the city’s agriculture and wildlife industries from these animals.

If deer and boar had an economy, I wonder what the estimated damage done by humans would be to them?

Anyway, it always seems to me that damage estimates are way over-inflated.

As a result, 3,392 deer and 811 boars were trapped.

Trapped? What kind of trap we talking about here? I hope they are not using those nasty foothold traps.

This makes a lot of sense. Overpopulation damages forests, and the carcasses are being recovered. Wild boar and venison are tasty and healthy.

As a result, 3,392 deer and 811 boars were trapped.

Sets alarms ringing with me too. Doesn't sound like it's a quick, easy painless death. How long do the animals have to spend 'trapped' before someone bothers to come along?

What kind of traps are we talking about?

It may be the year of the horse in Japan in general but it's the year of the boar in Okayama? Those pesky and foraging wild boars and deer eating up crops is sure a problem.

Good idea. Deer meat is delicious! Wild boar is probably good, too. Cue the predictable whining and grumbling from the foreign community.

I agree those meats are tasty and good that they are used and not wasted.

I love deer. Never eaten boar, but I'd like to.

Beats what we used to have for school lunch back in my day. Still can't forget those cold mash spuds served with ice cream scoops.

As long as the game meat is tested for radioactivity and deemed safe for children. Only then would I say it is a good idea.

Not sure would call those pests but sure, if there is an overpopulation that needs to be culled, of course the meat should be eaten. It is surely going to be healthier that that from factory style farming.

"a delicious feast of soup with plentiful amounts of boar’s leg meat served in a soup rich in carrots, tofu, and green onion."

Sounds scrumptious!

When are they going to add squirrel soup to the menu?

As long as the game meat is tested for radioactivity and deemed safe for children.

This is happening in Okayama. Have you ever looked at a map of Japan?

Sort of reminds me of a sick Christmas card I got one year - Mr & Mrs Claus in the foreground and in the background Rudolph witha wooden leg, and Santa is saying "Ill ask you one last time woman - where did you get the venison for these sandwiches??!"

I have no problem with eating deer or boar that has been killed humanely. But getting caught in traps leads me to think possibly not. And I love the line "accepted into the meat processing plant" - like it is some kind of exclusive club?!

@JohnBecker

Radioactiive Pollen that travels for miles and lands on forest floors DO NOT CARE ABOUT MAPS. Do some research

@JohnBecker

Here John I will give you a Link to the study of the spread of contamination across Japan and Low and Behold Okayama is Listed along with every other Prefecture and of course the MEXT 1 meter estimate (to hard to give an ACTUAL 1 meter reading in a Helicopter).

Fukushima nuclear disaster-implications for Japanese agriculture and food chains written by: Hrabrin Bachev and Fusao Ito Institute of Agricultural Economics, Soa, Tohoku University, Sendai

On Page 8 you will find Okayama and the estimated Radioactivity Reading

http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/49462/1/MPRA_paper_49462.pdf

If J Govt had the manliness of the Belarus Govt we would know the radioactivity readings because there would be tests to ascertain what they are. I just hope the children will be okay eating wild game meats because in a radioactive free society it is much healthier to eat wild game. Wake up J Govt and STOP Hiding the facts because you do not look good for the hiding.

Sounds better than eating whale meat! Which contains many different poisons including mercury and PCB's.

I agree with YuriOtani, it sounds better than the whale meat they constantly serve here in Nagasaki Pref for kyuushoku.

@Timbo

Wild boar is probably good, too.

It's pretty good. Lots of stores selling it in the country, and some onsen and yamagoya, etc serve it too.

Don't care much for whale meat. Was surprised by how common kangaroo meat has become back home. Kangaroo sausages are quite tasty.

Wild boar has in the past been known as yama no kujira, or mountain whale. This was likely a Buddhist nomenclature justifying eating of boar by a society that was vegetarian (fish and fowl OK to eat). Likewise, rabbit was a perfectly fine food as it 'flies' and the counter for rabbits is the same as for other birds even today. Little known facts of Japanese culture.

Well, I have eaten it. Neighbors share if it is killed on their land. A trap is set in a circle of say, sweet potatoes. The boar go in and get their leg trapped. I have heard them scream in the night. The next morning, the hunter will find it, shoot it between the eyes and cut the leg. That is the way it is done. There used to be groups of hunters with teams of hounds walking the forests and shooting one or two at a time. Housing increased and the hounds were replaced by GPS on the traps that notify a hunter of a trapped boar. We took in one abandoned hound and had her for over 10 years. Darling dog. There were a few years when we saw boar and their offspring regularly on the streets. Don't see them much anymore. The babies, called uribo, ate our neighbor's persimmons. Don't know about having wild game for school lunches. Seems like it should be studied more. One boar could way about 300 kg. So, it doesn't seem like a mass culling would be necessary. hmmmm.....

If these game animals are living around humans I would be a little worried if the boars are eating out of garbage dumps, or the deer are eating plants covered with herbicides/pesticides. On the other hand I know that factory farmed pigs will be fed mountains of out of date bread still wrapped in plastic, so maybe it's no worse.