The Matagi mainly pursue animals such as bears and deer during winter and early spring. They use various hunting methods, including makigari (a group hunting technique in which hunters surround the animal) and shinobi-ryō (a stealth-style hunt done alone or in small groups), both of which require advanced tracking skills. Their hunting practices are deeply tied to Yama-no-Kami (the Mountain God believed to rule and protect the mountains), and they perform rituals before and after hunts to show respect. They also maintain a specialized language called Matagi-kotoba, which includes alternative words for animals and actions. 

In terms of equipment, they traditionally carried kumayari (bear spears), later adopting firearms, and used tools like the nagasa (a long mountain knife used for cutting brush and processing game) along with fur gloves and snowshoes for survival in harsh winter conditions. Their social structure centers on the Matagi-gumi (organized hunting groups), led by a shikari (the head hunter who conducts rituals and gives commands). Some hunters were known as tabi-matagi (traveling hunters), who moved between regions and stayed at Matagi-yado (households that hosted them). Today, although traditional Matagi culture is declining due to changes in forests, wildlife protection, and depopulation, some groups continue bear hunting under special permits, while others work as nature guides to pass on their knowledge. With a strong ethic of respecting nature and using every part of the animal, the Matagi tradition continues to survive—though in a much smaller form. The god of the mountain that matagi pray for is an ugly female, so the female could not be matagi because the god gets jealous. Matagi also carried ugly fish with them to make the female god.