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Hunting, Fishing, Gathering.....

1K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Caribou 
#1 · (Edited)
Its been awhile since Ive posted much here, but I do lurk quite a bit.

Soooooo, so I dont conflict with those who pay me, Ive had to leave out a bit of our "Spring", but I assure you, the camera here has been well traveled.
The oldest daughter, Tinmiaq discovered that she could criss cross the US cheaply on buses, so she took a 7 week adventure Greyhound style. Apon her return, she fired up he fishing boat ,as Shes a commercial Salmon Choker in Kotzebue Sound in summer, and took her bro, sister and a friend out to the Ice Pack and made Meat, Eskimo style, with Gun, Harpoon and Ulu's........its still a work in progress.

I was inspired to outfit the daughters ride, but she couldnt wait I guess, as I was only 1/2 done with the harpoons hooks and grub box I made for her. I guess this last Fall, while I was in the pokey, the ladies left the Sealing Gear at our Kiwalik camp, so making Harpoons were first on the list. Each boat needs at least two, and if each person bring their own, alot can be done. Seals, Beaver, Turtles, Walrus, etc even fish, can be harpooned.
In making the daughter her own boating gear, she'll leave mine alone :D
Harpoons are necessary for securing an animal that live and dives in water. The harpoon not only adds injury, but the float/shaft thats attached to the heads line indicates where the animal is under the water, as well as helps keep it afloat after it dies down there.
Hooks with handles are necessary to get ahold of things in teh water so short and long poles are used.
Her new bilge pump, VHF radio and other this and thats we ordered hadnt yet arrived, but theold stuff would do well enough.

So, heres the start of of a scrap Hickory strip, 2X1-1/2, and with plane, rasp, electric drill, I placed a steel rod into a tight fitting hole I drilled in the front of the shaft. I drilled, filed and sawed finger rests from some Caribou antler and tied all on with wrap and pegging 200lb. Blue Tuna leader.
I had copper pipe to wrap the front end in for weight and strengthen/reinforce, as the steel rod takes alot of hit and transfers it to the wood. Just wrapping the woods end with Tuna leader will do if the weight and feel of the wood is right for throwing too.
So I rounded and sanded it, having felt the raw shafts proper "lay" in my hands and mounted the rod and finger rest accordingly. The wood is ever slightly 'bent' about 1 inch tip to tip, and lays a certain way, so I go with it.
The rod is sharpen'd for a stabbing point, as the shaft can be picked up and is used as a spear. 60 lb Beaver waking up in the boat and a firearm wont do ~~LOL!!~~ but a spear does.

The head is made from antler, with a steel triangular blade sharpen'd razor sharp







I used lash and peg with the tuna leader taking alot of tension.








So whilst Im up to this and that, the ladys are running their nets for Whitefish and Pike. Not doing bad, either, though I can t get the pix off the cameras memory, I have only the one from the SD card; After cutting fish for a couple hours each day, they like to pick greens and hunt for Mammoth......and it all pays off quite well, until the fish pass by and the greens get too 'woody'.
Plenty of both are put away for later and the next 'crop/catch is planned and sought.....





Whitefish snacks, very puzzling for the wife and her older sis...


Mammoth tooth found whilst picking greens along the muddy banks where the greens grow along the rivers edge....easy walk, easy boating. The oldest daughter back from her bussing about swears she will never, ever move away from her Arctic home sweet home....but she loved the visit!


Kushiimuk........the green available in gatherable quantity's with 60 gallons put away so far



The stems are seperated from the leaves, the leaves cooked, the sour stems eaten fresh or frozen for later.



After cooking, they are stored in a barrel in a cold storage. Mold on the top become a sort of "lid', is peeled back and the rest underneath is fairly fresh.


And the Harpoons went to sea with the kids.
 
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#3 ·
It needs to make it till Sept, when it will freeze hard and portions broken off to thaw in a large bowl. Its basicly a spinach, to describe it relativly. Think of thawing spinach rather than opening a lid in mid winter. The mold is about 1/4th inch thick, and made from steaming the large uncut leaves and placing them across he top so the moldy lid has integrity. We just keep eating fresh stuff untill freeze up as it becomes available in various ways with various other greens and berries. The "lids" are removed when the bucket or keg is being divided. Once frozen, they keep untill eaten....Ive never seen one make it till Spring (May/June).
 
#4 · (Edited)
Meanwhile, the kids went on a short Seal hunt. Luckily we live but a couple hours drive from the ocean and they were not even gone a day....


This one is young.




Looks like a harpoon hit on its side. This is an average 7 footer

This one came in at almost 9 feet long. Its got wicked Polar Bear bite and scratch marks. The scars run deep and thick on its hide, so it'll likely not be of normal use, but could just go on my wall as a cool artistic piece...~~LOL!!~~

Giving the Seal a drink of fresh water. This is an important reminder to a Hunter to be at peace with the prey and the death afflicted wasnt out of hate but as a Hunter/prey interaction, and all due respect apon the animal. Makes one a Hunter not a Killer.




Holding a 900lb Seal by the mouth and probably putting a rope through its jaw, as this ones harpooned. A rope give you something to pull a large carcass with, either in the boat , on a sled or onto ice or land. I keep a come-a-long in the boat for such things.


Cleaning the intestines


Showing the hunt in a short dance :D




Captain Tinmiaq.....
 
#5 ·
Soooo, the work never ends......

Intestines, they will have he meats "Kaak" scraped off by hand, and the inside "tube" cleaned, blown up and dried, and later used for various things that are made of waterproof gutskin.






And the meats are separated, by Ulu, from the fat and pelt. Then the meats are cut into progressively smaller sizes as they dry over the course of a week, and then preserved in the rendered blubbers oils...

















The day after the meats are done, the blubber is drier and is then flensed from the skin. The oldest and middle daughters joined their mom and not one hole among three hides :D about 60 gallons of Blubber will render down at ambient temps until its all oil. This takes about 4-5 days. Then its ready to store dryed meats in.




The bigger chunks are sliced into smaller slices, and render quicker, with all blood removed, which is fed to the dogs.







Skins all rolled up ready for cleaning and tanning.


Blubber reduction....
 
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