Tools for exterminating and repelling wild animals such as bears.

Abstract

Humans are being attacked by wild beasts, and some are dying, yet there are no effective countermeasures or means to address the problem. [Solution] This spear allows for adjustment of the depth to which the spearhead penetrates the body of a wild animal, thus serving as a means of human defense. The spearhead is placed inside a tube, and a wide, flange-shaped base plate is provided at the lower end of the tube. The tube has a bolt and nut that allows for adjustment of the dimensions from which the spearhead protrudes. When the spear is thrust into a wild animal such as a bear, the depth to which the spearhead penetrates the animal's body can be adjusted, making it possible to drive away or kill the wild animal. This is a tool for exterminating and driving away wild animals.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to measures for preventing damage caused by bears attacking humans, which has occurred frequently recently.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the damage caused by wild animals such as bears attacking livestock and humans has been increasing. It is not clear whether humans are entering the territory of wild animals or wild animals are entering the human living area, but it is certain that the damage is increasing. Countermeasures against this problem include installing fences at the boundaries of territories, creating cages for induction and capturing bears, shooting with guns to repel them, or making loud noises with bells or sounds to keep bears away. However, all of these measures seem quite difficult. Most animals usually act in search of food to survive, and if there is no food, it is natural for them to go to a certain place. It may be natural for bears to appear among the leftovers in the garbage in the city where humans live or to smell the food in houses and stores. There are countermeasures such as installing intrusion prevention fences or driving them away with loud noises, but they are difficult in various ways.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0005] In recent years, bears have extended their range into areas inhabited by humans. They have been seen in Hokkaido, the Tohoku region, and this year, at the end of September, even in Tokyo. It seems they travel from the forests of Okutama, along the Tama River, to the center of Tokyo. According to the Ministry of the Environment, as of the end of January 2023, there have been 197 incidents of bear-related injuries (218 people, including 6 deaths) nationwide. However, countermeasures such as people entering the forests wearing bear bells to make noise or setting traps and disposing of captured bears have had little effect, and there have also been cases of bears eating apples, watermelons, and other crops. There are also measures such as setting up fences and nets, and electric fences to prevent entry, but these are enormous in length and obstruct human passage. Experts say that it is not a good idea to turn your back on a bear and run away. It is better to face it head-on and slowly retreat. Bears are heavy and fast runners. On top of that, they're good climbers. One might think that ranged weapons are the only option, but there are various regulations on shooting them, and it's not allowed to shoot them indiscriminately. Ordinary people don't own guns, and it's not legal to own them. What should you do if you encounter a bear while working in the mountains or on the farm? I've been thinking about this for a long time. Wouldn't it be best if the bears understood that it's better not to approach human living areas, even without killing them? I thought it would be great if we could eliminate bears that are capable of killing people and then return the rest to the forest.

[0006] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2025-89209 (Patent Document 1) describes the Bear Walking Stick as a self-defense device that combines a rod-shaped or pipe-shaped handle and a striking tool at the tip. The handle is made from iron, light metal, or other materials, or a combination of multiple materials, with strength, hardness, and density such that it will not break even if bitten by a bear with its teeth or struck by its clawed forelegs, and also has enough striking power to kill a bear if swung down, even by a person with relatively inferior physique and strength. (Patent Document 2) JP 2025-9590 Bear Stun Gun The bear stun gun addresses the obstacles to using a stun gun on a bear, namely the inability to secure a safe distance and the difficulty in quickly inserting the electrodes deep into the body. The bear stun gun is designed to ensure a safe distance and to facilitate the quick insertion of electrodes deep into the body. (Patent Document 3) JP 2010-51300, a nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent, is a defense method using an inexpensive nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent to protect crops and fruits from wild boars, civets, monkeys, etc. The nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent is made of bamboo and nails, is inexpensive, has a simple structure and is easy to process, so there are no problems with malfunctions. By using the nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent as a defensive fence, or by installing it on the ground, on fruit trees, and in the air, animals and pests can be repelled. When the nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent is installed at the top of a defensive fence, it can provide protection at a height of approximately 70 centimeters. When installed at the bottom, the effect of repelling wild boars is improved. When a movable, ground-installed nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent is installed around farmland, monkeys and wild boars can be repelled. To protect fruit trees, it can be installed on trees to protect the trees from monkeys, etc. Furthermore, monkeys and other animals that bend trees and leap through the air to invade can be defended against by using an aerial, nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent device. Moreover, this is an inexpensive nail-and-bamboo type animal and pest repellent device that can be used in combination with other animal repellent devices to improve its effectiveness. (Patent Document 4) JP 2009-159932 The inverted Y-shaped projecting lattice animal repellent is designed to protect crops from animals such as monkeys, civets, and wild boars. There are no effective animal repellents available to protect crops from animals such as monkeys, civets, and wild boars. Measures focused on wild boars allow monkeys to invade from above the defensive wall, and measures focused on monkeys allow wild boars to break through from below. The costs of these measures are immeasurable, and sufficient protection is not possible. Therefore, the inverted Y-shaped projecting lattice animal repellent is designed to deter animals by combining two projecting lattice bodies with different vertical dimensions. The horizontal bar at the top of the shorter lattice is combined with the horizontal bar of the longer lattice, and the two or more points are joined with rings or the like without welding. It is a portable animal repellent that can be moved laterally and adjusted in angle, and can be folded, making it easy to carry and allowing for efficient use according to the harvest season. The tips of the projecting lattice bars cause pain to animals and frighten them, and the lattice shape prevents animals from entering. Furthermore, by inserting a lattice bar in the middle of the upper lattice box, the effectiveness of repelling animals that attempt to climb over the upper part of the protruding lattice inverted Y-shaped animal repellent device can be further improved. (Non-patent document 1) (Utility Model Registration No. 3122735) This small animal repellent is designed to provide a sustained repellent effect against small animals, is easy to install and remove, and is convenient to handle. A plate-shaped body 3 coated with a repellent 2 that repels small animals is installed on a part of a building 9, such as the girders, beams, columns, or roof, using a mounting device 7. In fields and other areas, it can also be attached to outdoor structures 17 consisting of support posts. A detachable lid 4 is fitted to the plate-shaped body 3 to seal the surface coated with the repellent 2. The repellent 2 consists of creosote oil. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The author then recalled the shakujo, a long staff used by monks and ascetics when traveling through mountains and fields. This shakujo, with its ability to scare away animals and insects by making noise and avoid unnecessary killing, and its ability to be used as a long staff, led the author to conceive of a tool that could be used as both a spear and a staff to scare away bears. Since portability is a key function, and it can also be used as a staff, it wouldn't be inconvenient to carry, and it could serve as protective gear.

[0008] The mechanism involves passing the spear (1), a weapon, through an adjustable tube (2). At the end of the adjustable tube (2) near the spearhead (6), there is a base plate (3), similar to a sword guard, with a hole through which the spear can pass. This base plate is integrated with the adjustable tube (2), and bolt holes are drilled on the side of the adjustable tube (2). Nuts (4) that fit the bolts passing through these holes are glued to the adjustable tube (2). The position of the spear (1) inside the adjustable tube (2) is moved, and the bolt (5) is tightened to fix it in place. Because it is a sword guard, the length (H) from the protruding spearhead to the bottom surface of the base plate (3) can be fixed to any desired dimension. The longer the spear, the further away it can be thrust at wild animals such as bears from a distance. However, the greater the distance, the heavier the spear becomes, making it difficult to thrust the spearhead accurately at the animal. Therefore, a lighter overall spear is easier to handle. In this sense, the spear itself can be made lighter if it is cylindrical rather than a rod. As a result, the telescopic structure used in metal clotheslines, which allows for length adjustment, seems appropriate. With this, the length to the tip of the spear protruding from the front can be adjusted from about 2m to 4m, so it can be made longer in open fields and shortened to about 2m in wooded areas, and then thrust into a bear to kill the animal. Since the length from the base plate (3) to the tip of the spear can be adjusted, the deeper it penetrates into the animal's body, the greater the damage to the animal, and the shallower and shorter it will cause less damage, only pain. An amateur cannot know how hard and strong a bear's hide is, so this should be decided by experienced people or experts who have the knowledge to make that decision. This is just a hypothesis, but for example, if the penetration depth of the spear tip is 20cm and leads to death, and 2cm only causes pain, then it should be 2cm, and if multiple thrusts cause the bear to feel pain and run away, then that length should be used. If the penetration depth is shallow, the frictional resistance between the spearhead and the bear's body is also small, so it can be inserted and removed with little force, meaning that even women with little physical strength can stab multiple times. Holding the spear, one calmly thrusts it into the bear's face or body. The spearhead then penetrates the bear's body, but the tip of the adjustment cylinder (2) has a base plate (2) with a large surface area, so it hits the bear's skin beyond that and does not penetrate any deeper. The core of this invention is that the depth to which the spearhead penetrates the bear's body can be adjusted.I don't know how strong or thick bear skin and subcutaneous fat are, but let's assume that penetrating 2cm will only cause a slight pain, while penetrating 10cm will be fatal. If a bear penetrates 2cm and feels pain, it will run away, which means protection has been achieved, and I think that bears that have had this experience will not approach humans. If a bear penetrates 10cm and dies, and if this bear is the one that attacked and killed a person, then it will have been exterminated, and residents can live in peace. If we consider safety in normal times when this tool is not in use, the distance from the base plate to the spearhead should be kept within 0, and the spearhead should be stored inside the adjustment tube (2). If the base plate is considered the end of a walking stick, then it becomes a walking stick, and since the function of a walking stick is to carry it, it will not be cumbersome to hold. In this case, it would be even better if cushioning material such as a rubber sheet was attached to the bottom of the base plate. When using the spear, loosen the bolt (5) to expose the spearhead, and then tighten the bolt. Considering this, a bolt head with a larger diameter is easier to use. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] What should you do if you encounter a bear? Having a gun or machine gun might save you. However, these weapons are not available in Japan, and even if you could, they would be expensive, and you would also need ammunition. But with so many victims, some form of defense is necessary. However, if humans are encroaching on the bears' habitat, then it's a pity for the bears. It would be great if we could talk to bears, but that's generally impossible. I once saw footage of an old man scolding a bear on the Shiretoko Peninsula or somewhere, causing the bear to run away. If people understood that bears are dangerous when they enter areas where humans are active, I think these incidents would decrease. As a concrete measure, if we can drive them back into the mountains without killing them as much as possible, the problem would be lessened. I think it's also necessary to reduce the bear population as it has become too large, but this can only be decided by consensus among many people. Realistically, since it's dangerous for bears to turn against humans, it would be best if people understood that bears should not enter areas where humans live. For this reason, I believe that human-based self-defense equipment that can adjust the degree to which a bear is injured would be effective.

[0010] Furthermore, although outside the realm of invention, I believe that items that make noise with every step, like a Buddhist staff, would be effective and useful. Also, since a Buddhist staff is essentially a long walking stick, its function is simply to be carried around, making it easy to distribute, inexpensive, and a realistic solution. In addition, I don't think it would be difficult to incorporate features such as using GPS to automatically report the location of the attack to relevant authorities, or using items that make loud noises to deter attackers.

[0011] Japan is a country prone to natural disasters, but it is truly regrettable that families, citizens, and people are lost in incidents like this. I hope that such accidents and incidents will cease as soon as possible. Human resources are priceless; they are the most important things, both lives and assets. For that reason, I believe that efficient, inexpensive, and effective measures to eliminate wild animals are crucial. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing an overall overview of the present invention. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing the different forms of each part. This diagram illustrates the various forms and states of each part of the tip, handle, and grip of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] This is a spear whose length from the base (3) to the tip can be adjusted. Therefore, it is a spear whose tip length can be adjusted to penetrate the body of an opponent such as a bear. If the tip length is shortened and it pierces the opponent, the opponent will feel pain and run away, which is a successful defense. For ferocious wild animals that must be exterminated, the tip length can be increased to increase the penetration depth, which may allow for killing or injuring the animal. The method is to stab the bear or other animal with the spear with the handle (8) shown in Figure 1. Hold the handle (7) and the handle (8), aim at the target, thrust out the spear (1), and if it pierces, it is a success. However, to hit the target and pierce deeply, it is better to hold it with both hands for greater stability and penetration power. For a right-handed person, hold the handle (7) with your left hand and the handle (8) with your right hand and thrust at the target. The handle (7) slides and rotates freely, so you can move it to a position that is easy to use, and then tighten the bolt (5) to fix its position and orientation, making it stable. I think it is most versatile to keep the spear fixed at a length of about 2m under normal circumstances, but if you are likely to encounter a bear, it is a good idea to set it to about 4m and keep it at a safe distance. However, if you miss your first thrust, you will need to shorten it and change your grip, so I think it is necessary to practice this beforehand.

[0014] The spearhead extension H from the base plate (3) should be determined by listening to the opinions of many people and experienced individuals. A shorter extension means less penetration depth into the animal, making it easier to insert and remove the spear multiple times. With experience, one can learn the optimal penetration depth and repeatedly thrust the spear. If the animal feels pain and retreats, it will have been repelled without being killed, and the animal that has had this experience may not approach human living areas in the future. However, if a black bear is stabbed in the chest area, the bear may cover the painful area with both hands. With a disc-shaped base plate (3), the spear may not be able to be removed due to the bear's hands getting in the way. To prevent this, the base plate (3) could be made spherical to make it difficult for the bear's hands to grasp, or a pincushion-like projection could be added to the surface of the base plate (3), but this can only be determined through experience. A conical shape might be better. Furthermore, as shown in the lower right of Figure 2, the spearhead can be modified to act as a syringe, allowing for the injection of anesthetic, thus putting the bear to sleep. [Industrial applicability]

[0015] If this invention is implemented and常备されれば, in many households, facilities, and work sites, when encountering wild animals, it can be dealt with, so that lives and bodies can be protected.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0016] 1. Spear 2. Adjusting cylinder 3. Seat plate 4. Nut 5. Bolt 6. Spear tip 7. Handle 8. Shaft 9. Slide cylinder It should be noted that there is an unclear word "常备されれば" in the original text which might need further clarification for a more accurate translation. The above translation is a best effort based on the available context.

Claims

[Claim 1] This wild animal extermination tool features an adjustable cylinder (2) through which a spear (1) is passed, a base plate (3) with a hole for the spear to pass through is provided on the spear tip side of the adjustable cylinder (2), a bolt hole is drilled on the side of the adjustable cylinder (2), and a nut (4) that fits the bolt (5) that passes through the hole is attached to the adjustable cylinder (2), and by moving the position of the spear (1) inside the adjustable cylinder (2) and tightening the bolt (5), the length dimension (H) between the spear tip protruding from the base plate (3) and the bottom end of the base plate can be fixed to any dimension.

Images