Life Below Zero

[kc.38]

Did you also notice that on this last show as Sue was bending over picking up her Tarmigan (after shooting 5 times) another one ran behind her so close that she could have hit it with the butt of her rifle. She was so busy telling us what a good hunter she was she didn't even see it.

 

[scaatylobo]

@ kc38

YES,wondered if I was the only one that saw that HUGE gaff.

But she shot at about 4 or 5 of them and only found 1 ??.

Sorry guys & gals = but she is not cut from the same stuff as the rest of the shows people.

And she appears to be THE square peg in a round hole ---- to this watcher.

I do LOVE the rest of the show.

Her "hunting" skills do not exist.

That is why I see her as BUYING most of her food,including what she sells to hunters [ that we NEVER see ? ].

 

[caribou]

Where do I start Hhahahahhahahahh.........

The crew stays in tents, and drink the local water after treating it, we just drink from the rivers ourselfs.They bring their own foods, and we eat ours, its often very different.

Metal cups are fine, as long as you have something warm in them, and in our own sort of way, we always boil our coffee, as most up this way do, and the settled grounds in the last gulp usually get swished and tossed, to clean the cup and avoid a cold lip, so the last drink of warm isnt usually drank on the trail.Cant easily make water from ice with a wooden cup, with out a rock to heat and drop in the cup, but thats what you do when you have to use such. I often set my cup on my manifold of my snowgo with chunks of ice in it and when Im done doing what I do, I have a good drink.

getting stuff here generally doubles the price, and if you have to buy locally, its worse.

Glen surely does have a muffler attached. Might be a good thing, because after the first shot, any and all Caribou around start running will not stop for at least a mile or two.....which is good and bad.....but then again getting a good shot on the fat ones in the rear of a running group can be hard. Fat Caribou are like any racing animals, and the chubbies fall to the rear, the skinny run fastest, so they sort themselfs out.

We see ourselfs as "working the land' not really 'surviving'. We get up, eat, get our work done, do our chores and relax. Might be that we just work for ourselfs, but we still have to work, just like any other adults on the planet, and we do so in a familiar way, much like the drive to work that so many know, and get done what makes us warm fed and happy. When were broke down, lost, crashed, sailing enormous waves or getting injured and getting it figured out, thats 'surviving', and still when we get home, to a camp or our tent, ect, then 'surviving' over.

 

[Potatohead]

So what do all of you Life Before Zeroians do with your down time? Like me, I kick my feet up and watch tv, handload, and play with the kids. Do you guys have any down time, without having to chop wood or something, and what do you do with it?

 

[PolarOpposite]

Hey Chip, I read your comments about coffee making. That's pretty hardcore. Nothing like a cup of boiled coffee.

I have a friend from the Mid East. Somehow we started talking about coffee. He told me that their usual way to make coffee is to bring it to a boil it twice. So, I made him a cup with the French Press and he was blown away. I explained that I had learned that boiling coffee pretty much obliterates the taste and boils away caffeine.

If you are not familiar with a French Press (perhaps France's greatest contribution to civilization) coffee maker you might check it out: 1) put ground coffee into pot, 2) pour in near boiling water, 3) wait 10 minutes, and 4) press down plunger and pour coffee.

The coffee maker is tubular. The plunger fits tightly in the tube and is comprised of a circular permanent coffee filter. When you press the plunger, you push the coffee grounds to the bottom of the tube. Just one moving part! No batteries needed. And they are cheap! I got mine for less than $30 shipped.

BTW, do you ever use a laser range finder?

All the Best. Cyril

 

[DeanDallas]

Chip that was the way my Dad made his coffee, you had to watch the grounds.
Of a weekend I always had time to stop & have a biscuit, jam with coffee.

 

[Rule3]

caribou,

My Wife and I have watched the whole series and really enjoy all the cast.

If this has been asked, apologies as I have not read the all the posts.

Our question is on diet, and health stuff. As you all have and need a high protein/fat diet do you ever get any kind of carbs fruit, pasta, veggies?
In "summer" or not snow can you grow anything??

Also in the village you live in is there any health provider, medicine that kind of thing or are you on your own there also?

Thanks, looking forward to another session, Is there one???

 

[BBQLS1]

I thought the same thing. I think he just has a tube to protect the muzzle from snow & other debris.A supressor would make no sense in the wild with no others nearby.

Other than to protect your hearing.

 

[bldsmith]

Using a suppressor even with full power loads can often result in a second or even third shot on an animal. The main advantage, other than the hearing safety, is the animal cannot tell where the shot came from and often runs in the direction of the hunter. Or they are confused and trot off rather than full run. I witnessed this on a pig hunt where they ran directly at us after the shot and later on a coyote where he just sauntered off allowing for 3 follow up shots. Was not until the bullet skimmed his head that he kicked it into high gear. My crappy shooting is the only thing that kept him alive.:banghead:

If you look closely at the end of his rifle you will see tape covering the front of the can. This is to keep out the snow.

 

[PolarOpposite]

I have read that in Scandinavia and Europe hunting with suppressors is quite common.

 

[lemaymiami]

I can think of one other very good reason to hunt suppressed -particularly in Alaska. My brother who hunts just north and east of the Matsu (that's just north of Palmer) area tells me that interior bears in his area can be counted on to come to the sound of a rifle shot and arrive in hungry predator fashion. I don't know if that's the case so far to the north but I know my brother considers hunting solo to be pretty dangerous where he is just because of the bears trying to take a kill from you... He spends a fair amount of time subsistence hunting for the last 35 years so I pay attention to his accounts...

 

[RPRNY]

Saw an episode today. Mrs. Hailstone dropping picked caribou cows on the run at 200 odd yards with iron sights and a Mosin! Quite a woman. Quite a shot. Well done.

 

[caribou]

I always figured I should use a muffler for years now, and maybe have OSHA say its cool

Fact is , only the first shot is usually the only shot that the Caribou are not on the run. You will see her on the show, and me in posts past, shift from rested to free and swinging, for the second and later shots, following through while squeezing the trigger, just like Goose hunting.

A good suppressor would mucho help out that situation.

Here in Noorvik we have a Clinic with EMT trained health aids, and a lot of locals trained for emergency response of every kind and loosely knit by situations and needs. The folks here are always sorta the same, everyone helps, only the leadership changes.....so it is the Fire dept is the auxillery Police force, is the Search & Rescue, is the Militia and is the 4th of July commity, etc etc......in a small village , the movers and does move and do as the most experienced are given leadership, depending on the need, and everyone gets busy..... They will get you to Noorvik, get you to Kotzebue who will send you to a Hospital for surgery and such in Anchorage. Its best to learn how to help yerself.If that dosent help, get communications. We use VHF-marine radios and a common channel, as well as sat Phones and telephones out on the land, in the villages

We pick a ton of Greens, Onions and Leaves, Roots and Berries and save them up for winter.Were gonna be doing that full blast inna couple days , when we return to camp. We can buys stuff in the village, but the quality is politely called 'old'. A browned head of lettuce, 1/2 price is 9.50$, 3 red, 3 green apples and 3 oranges is nearly 24$, so getting it every now and then is oK, but getting the local stuff and fresh is best . We devote a medium sized freezer to the efforts.

Ive had and broken many a french press I do love my coffee, jam on biscuits, thats good stuff. Coffee should be its own food group...... maybe it is Juice, from Beans...

 

[PolarOpposite]

Hey Chip, Sorry to hear about the broken french presses. Mine is adult proof, I think it's made of lexan.

I've noticed many new laser range finders compensate for slant range, and noticed when Agnes made adjustments when shooting downhill at the fat caribou.
She was on a roll!

I've been watching since the first episode. All the best. Cyril.

 

[Rule3]

Hunting and limits or seasons

Caribou,

As your Wife is Native, does she (or your family) have to follow game and fish limits and seasons?? Does she need a license?If I recall on one episode she could shoot seals but other couldn't ( or something like that)

So when hunting caribou can she take as many as necessary ( I know you all respect the animals and would not take more than needed)

 

[caribou]

All Folks in the state of AK have to follow the same hunting and fishing laws. The laws and bag limit varies from game unit to game unit, Im in GM Unit 23

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/wildliferegulations/pdfs/gmu23.pdf

There are only distinctions between federal laws and state laws; Sports (trophy/commercial)and Subsistence (meat or self use) Hunting/trapping/fishing. In AK , all edible meats must be salvaged and brought out before the antlers, sorta making everyone a subsistence Hunter anyways...

If there's "Lots" of any one thing, say fish, then everyone can get at em, commercial, sports, subsistence.
When numbers of something decline, they will stop the commercial/sports and keep the subsistence going, but when numbers of the target species really fall, all hunting/fishing/gathering of them stops.

When commercial Marine Mammal Hunting was outlawed in 1972, the Feds took ove the bag limits and conduct after the catch.Im sure, its because they control migrating animal bag limits, allowed subsistence Hunting to continue for those who could show a history of self use rather than commercial use. Eskimo's qualified easily, but you must reside where you hunt, for Fed laws, so there's no Anchorage Whaling captains and such. So any thing caught had to be eaten , 'cept Sea Otters and Polar Bear (although most Bear meat is eaten) and any by product, such as skins, Ivory and such have to be made into something of a customary/tradional hand craft and or artwork before it could be sold, as only Natives may possess the items in a raw state. Thats the "Native only" aspect, the only example I can think of.
Often, when theres a village with 95%+% Native in population, it may appear "Native only" but thats misleading.They have to obay the law and none can be discluded.

As well, after Statehood, through the late 60's the Native Tribes sue'd in Fed courts for their property, since it wasnt until 1924 that Natives were allowed to own land, vote, etc, and land ownership was up in the air, they had no 'deeds", but since Natives had not sold nor traded or been defeated in combat to sign any treaties to give them up in the first place to the Russians or American governments.......and settled for 10% of their original lands,and $ $ in 1972, locals and settlers were deeded into Native allotments and Homesteads both 144 acres, often split among several locations. Living there or divided by tribes, and the lands were deeded to tribes in common, so indigenous folks here own land in common as share holders, and have a land managing corporation, Northwest Alaska Native Association, NANA, that has a Lead/Zink Mine, that occasionally gives out dividends, due to metal prices.The oil $$ corporations are on the north Slope, who own the lands that oils being pumped from. The NANA owned Red Dog Mines profits pay 90% of the North West Arctic Boroughs Tax's, and are the largest employer in the Borough.They lease land plots to shareholders to make camps near productive areas, They also protect, patrol and manage lands to keep Hunters Hunting, with no fences and very very few roads, I believe less than 200 miles in borough a little larger than Indiana. 90+% of folks here are shareholders, and Because I live here, the local Native corp allows me access to lands for hunting/fishing/trapping, and support my family. They allow very limited commercial hunting, but private property is private property, same as anywhere down south.

They also used the fed $ to put Health clinics and train Health aids to meet the village's needs, where the care is pretty spares and expensive.Their health care model is a left over from Indian Reorganization Act the local "IRA" Gov, and when the suit for land claims was over, they seceded title and further claim to those lands, now monuments, National Parks, Wilderness, and reserves, in exchange for Federal funds to build a health care system for the far flung residents of the North.In an essence, they traded land for health care and can tell you how good or bad Gov run health care already is.


I cannot dig fossils or minerals outta the Native owned lands, without a permit, but my wife and kids can, but I can get stuff outta the Ocean, so managing the boat and watching in the water is productive as well.

We are surrounded by various plots of Fed, State and Privately owned lands.

For subsistence fishing/hunting laws, the state says residents can subsistence hunt anywhere, the feds so only the locals residents of the area can hunt/fish/ gather under laws of subsistence. Usually subsistence bag limits are larger than Sport limits, for instance, we can hunt 15 caribou a day on Fed lands, 5 per day on State, but any State resident can hunt that limit on any state or private lands, but only locals can get that limit on Fed lands, just across the river. so its a tricky game when you travel. and hunt all the way....

 

[bassdogs]

Wow!! On our last trip to Ak in 2011 I picked up a fishing and hunting reg book that was about the size of an old phone book in a major city. Really can't imagine keeping all that straight. With drastically different size regs and hunting seasons between districts, it has to be a nightmare.

Great summary of the hunting and fishing variations with Fed and State along with locals, native etc. Guess when you live it everyday it becomes a bit more manageable.

 

[Rule3]

Thanks Caribou for that excellent summary.

Certainly more convoluted and confusing than our fishing rules and regs here in Florida. We have Sate and Federal waters, nothing is constant. Bag limits vary, even how to measure different fish varies, some from the mouth to the v in the tail, or fold it over. others to the tip of the tail. Some are sport fish other are not, Size limits etc,

We have Federal (Coast Guard) State (FWC) County (Sheriff), City (Police) They all can stop and board your vessel for no reason (call it a safety check)
Always bring a Lawyer when you go fishing.

Hunting is just as bad.

 

[caribou]

Regulations are not too confusing here, our game Untit 23 is larger than Indiana and yet has less than 9, 000 people. We basically have State laws on lands and waters till were dealing with Fed laws, and few conflicts there, except weather your a local subsistence user (Feds) or a state resident subsistence user(state laws), and thats the big argument in Alaskan Subsistence laws; Feds say only locals can have at a resource under such laws, and the state says everyone whos a resident of the state can subsist anywhere. The feds will track down and prosecute folks who bird hunt or hunt whales, Seals and such, if they live in a different place than they hunted. No Anchorage whaling captains........its not confusing, but, hunting or Fishing on the Ocean is all federally controlled.


Quite often Federal bag limits are way more than State, Birds, Caribou, Fish and such, for example I can catch 15 Caribou per day on Federal lands and 5 per day on State. Fish and bird limits are wide and high too, unless theres a shortage, but not often, with as low a population density as we have.

 

[DM~]

How about those native SPRING duck and goose hunts? And big time collection of eggs? If I did that, the feds would put me in the crow bar motel...

From my time in and around native villages, many of the laws may be the same for native/whites, but the natives mostly just ignored them... I saw many cases of this myself...

DM

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Regulations are not too confusing here, our game Untit 23 is larger than Indiana and yet has less than 9, 000 people. We basically have State laws on lands and waters till were dealing with Fed laws, and few conflicts there, except weather your a local subsistence user (Feds) or a state resident subsistence user(state laws), and thats the big argument in Alaskan Subsistence laws; Feds say only locals can have at a resource under such laws, and the state says everyone whos a resident of the state can subsist anywhere. The feds will track down and prosecute folks who bird hunt or hunt whales, Seals and such, if they live in a different place than they hunted. No Anchorage whaling captains........its not confusing, but, hunting or Fishing on the Ocean is all federally controlled.


Quite often Federal bag limits are way more than State, Birds, Caribou, Fish and such, for example I can catch 15 Caribou per day on Federal lands and 5 per day on State. Fish and bird limits are wide and high too, unless theres a shortage, but not often, with as low a population density as we have.

Do you find the bag limits restrictive to the point where you could get more game if ther was a different bag limit?

 

[caribou]

Bag limits are very generous, and hard to expand apon. besides were gonna fill a sled, if its a one day or 5 day hunt to do it, so we work at a pace that makes the work worth while, but not too much to do inproperly. Even gathering Seagull or Geese eggs for a couple 3 days each spring (June here) dosent dent them, they just lay more, but we know when to knock it off and not damage the egg layers, and still they have babys all over teh estuarys. We also hunt moulting birds , gatherd in flocks of babyless Geese or Male ducks, and we get em with sticks so we dont shoot holes through em and such, its alotta fun


No difference between any colors people wize with game laws, Feds say you have to live there (Local or Rural) and it has to be a place where gathering eggs and unlimited bird hunting is possible, like Unit 23, where I live. The only Race based Hunting laws are subsistence hunts for Sea mammels, thats it. State laws say you must simply be a state resident to gather eggs and hunt birds, so we carry two bird stamps, Fed and State. The rest depends on the lands you hunt, and who administers them. The feds do give hell to folks who dont reside in the area, and tailor laws to such, often with trophy destruction if you move outta the area.


Yes alotta locals, Non Native and Native ignore game laws or dont buy licenses, but most all those who make a liveing at it are licensed up and find that following the laws is helpfull to keeping populations of target animals healthy, and to get their fur, Ivory and such tagged so they can sell them, legally.

 

[DM~]

No difference between any colors people wize with game laws, Feds say you have to live there (Local or Rural) and it has to be a place where gathering eggs and unlimited bird hunting is possible, like Unit 23, where I live. The only Race based Hunting laws are subsistence hunts for Sea mammels, thats it.

Yes alotta locals, Non Native and Native ignore game laws or dont buy licenses, but most all those who make a liveing at it are licensed up and find that following the laws is helpfull to keeping populations of target animals healthy, and to get their fur, Ivory and such tagged so they can sell them, legally.

Hey Caribou, I do watch and like the show and your family looks to be a great family. My parents raised us kids to be good decision makers and taught us how to raise/find/hunt our own food and take care of our selves too.

But, I have to say, IF I had a dollar every time a native told me "game laws" were "white man" laws for "white man", not natives.....I'd be able to buy you a case of ammo and hand deliver it to you! lol

DM

 

[buck460XVR]

No difference between any colors people wize with game laws,a.


Yes alotta locals, Non Native and Native ignore game laws or dont buy licenses, but most all those who make a liveing at it are licensed up and find that following the laws is helpfull to keeping populations of target animals healthy, and to get their fur, Ivory and such tagged so they can sell them, legally.

Basically no different around here. Seems regardless of where you are and what you hunt/fish, there are always a few that feel they are above the law, are driven by greed, or just don't care. These are the same folks that whine the loudest when animals/fish are scarce. Difference between where you live and I live, is that folk's lives and their livelihood don't depend on it. One of the things that impresses me the most about your show is the close relationship and the bonds between the people, the land, the fish/animals that live there and the respect given to such. Unlike "Gold Rush" that displays exploitation and wanton destruction of the terrain and habitat.

 

[Rule3]

Caribou,

Are you allowed to reveal if and when there will be another season on TV??

There are just to many Alaska shows on now and most pale to LBO.

Pretty soon there will be Real Housewives of Alaskan Pawn Shop Pickers or something