Life Below Zero

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Yep, yer in luck! I was told 2 days ago that early Nov is "The Thaw" part (summer) of our show.

As well, Ill miss THR, as we gotta get outta here and make more for ya

This Summer I was able to get my kids more and more into the action, so I know its gonna be great :D
 
Looking forward to more LB0. Especially the Hailstones. Really enjoy the show. Keep em coming.. The kids being involved will be great. Take care Chip.
 
Yep, yer in luck! I was told 2 days ago that early Nov is "The Thaw" part (summer) of our show.

As well, Ill miss THR, as we gotta get outta here and make more for ya

This Summer I was able to get my kids more and more into the action, so I know its gonna be great :D


:cool::cool::cool::cool:

Great!, Good to hear this. Looking forward to it. Can't take much more of the "other" shows;) ( they are OK but not as good)
 
I really enjoy this show despite the unknown amount of staging and fakery. But this election is too important for me to just watch escapist entertainment. I'll DVR the show and watch it later in the week.
 
I really enjoy this show despite the unknown amount of staging and fakery. But this election is too important for me to just watch escapist entertainment. I'll DVR the show and watch it later in the week.

Unless truly,..or morbidly fascinated by something, I just wait til its over and get the recap in 5 minutes rather than dealing with the agony of it for hours, or however long. Presidential or other speeches work really well in that fashion.

Hope this is another good season for the Hailstone family.
 
What's with all the rehash shows that clip tape from last years shows and run them to viewers like none of us have ever seen the show. Really loosing it with all the "slight" name changes that are nothing new or on some series just a rerun of last weeks show. Wondering [hoping not] if LBZ is reaching the end of its run when the producers resort to using old tape rather than going strictly with new story lines.

I am a avid viewer of this series, but they will lose me if I see too many more of Chips caribeu hunts or Sue's "I'm going to eat it before it eats me" quotes. They may need to drop some of the characters and add some new blood.

There are a lot of characters living off the grid in Alaska that I think viewers would love to get to know. The days in the life of the current characters are becoming redundant and totally predictable. Is it time to move on?
 
What's with all the rehash shows that clip tape from last years shows and run them to viewers like none of us have ever seen the show. Really loosing it with all the "slight" name changes that are nothing new or on some series just a rerun of last weeks show. Wondering [hoping not] if LBZ is reaching the end of its run when the producers resort to using old tape rather than going strictly with new story lines.

I am a avid viewer of this series, but they will lose me if I see too many more of Chips caribeu hunts or Sue's "I'm going to eat it before it eats me" quotes. They may need to drop some of the characters and add some new blood.

There are a lot of characters living off the grid in Alaska that I think viewers would love to get to know. The days in the life of the current characters are becoming redundant and totally predictable. Is it time to move on?
I'm with you on that. For me, it often causes me to wonder - as I recognize a segment then get lost again - that I had missed a complete episode.

Then, contrary I'm sure to the producers hopes, I say: "oh well" and change channels. Once I feel I'm being "handled" as a viewer... I'm out there.
 
Hopefully the producers have tuned in to this forum and get the message. Probably not a better consentration of fans than here. Time to change it up and bring back the excitement.

I enjoy emblelishing the story line by doing some on online research about some of the things they use in the show, like the record ice breakup on the Yukon or [another series] the double murder of police officers in Tanana last year. There is a limit to how much real footage they can use, but its fun or at least gives added interest to do some side research.
 
Glad most of ya like it :D for those that dont, there are other shows on. I cant stand TV, I have never owned one, nor has the wife. Music is our thang :D I do, however, go to a friend who has recently squired a satalight dish for tV, and I watched LBZ tonight and was quite happy. My only complaint was that the camera showed the Caribou a bit closer than the naked eyes of the ladys were seeing.(200 or so yards) Also that the ladys made good hits on the Caribou, one went down like a sack of rocks, the other slow walked to ice chunks along the river side,and took 4 more shots before the 4th was connected, as it went behind a big chunk of ice with only its head showing, and the ladys had to keep at it till its brains were spilled....yet Nat Go didnt show the excellent "pink mist".......They often dont show kill shots, as they dont want to glorify death, but they are Nat Geo......who once thought using a 12 gauge was illegal "because 10 gauge is the biggest you can legally use in Alaska" they told us ~~LOL!!~~ .

Theres a " Compilation" at the start and end of The Winter and The Thaw, as the seasons are separated by a few weeks, so a recap is made to keep the story in line for viewers. Made of small parts and segments from the previous season for review.

Being Nat Geo, its just not staged. No one cues a Wolf or releases a Caribou, or tells the fish to go, or puts a Wolverine in a trap for story or kicks. it really just happens with 2 cameras a dozen Go pro's and 3 guys working long days to keep it all working and still camp out. Go Pro shots are a huge percentage of the "action" , and indeed, Thats how its done. Were not fakeing a thing, more like doing it slowly, often leapfrogging with the cameras, because we have a seasoned crew now that knows that area, the places and can anticipate our doings and commings/goings with ease. All of the Village watches and helps, they see its happening as its shown, just tons cut out and the meat served..... We simply tell the crew "were doing this , this and this today, heres what you need and this is where well go" Then we give it a go. If, say, were gonna say something on the VHF, well tell em so, wait for the camera to be readied and then use the VHF. Not fake, just slow enough to get it on film. I made the mistake of telling my phone number once, and got so many calls that we changed it. Too real , sometimes, LOL!!.

Some times we have a Gopro on a pole, watching all over, sometimes they blend a few hours into minutes, or two kills into one and theyve added extra misses before to show diffaculty when they cant make you feel cold or tired. How do I explain snow machineing up here, with no roads, or flat surfaces? Maybe try Xcountry on a motox bike at -20, no pavement and all cross country......its a beating, and can wear you down like running a long time...as can driveing a boat for too many hours, sitting relativly still in a cold wet place......put a go pro on a clamp and we tend to ignor the camera and be ourselfs, and that when you hear and see us relaxed and doing what we do. sometimes we have 'specialty shots" and we get creative; put a go pro on a decoy, a fish net, boat front and back, on a spear, or in a Caribou chest were cutting up or whatever idea we come up with. Its often alot of jokeing around and getting a laugh, and letting the editors sort that out, but Gopro's really do make the show, I see so many bits and here n theres with them, I think they add a new dynamic.


Ive been a Subsistence Fisher, Gather'r ,Caribou Hunter for 25 years,and thats the theme well have till the end, when the cameras are gone and were forgotten, we will still be hunting Caribou. Honestly, the producers dont get to write anything unless its as were doing it or untill were done. Then they write what happend. Nat Geo is pretty strict about that too. If Sue is doing something or saying it, its comming from her, not a script. I hear she can tell storys with a certain charm and expression that makes her a good story teller. I know others that are like that too. Same with the rest of the cast , as far as I understand by working with camera men and others who work with the show. Then it gos to Hollywood to get reduced and a theme followed. Thats the way its done.They ask a ton of questions and take our answers and use it to explain our doings. If or when we run out of fresh content,then were done, were not actors.We , do , however, call the shots , and get to decide what and where were gonna happen.After all, it the real "Us" thats interesting, and if you look at my posts previous to the LBZ show, youll easily see what were doing at what ever timma year.
I have written about year round Caribou hunting here on the Highroad for years before we started getting filmed. Someday, when its all over, Ill be here, writing and posting more when the cameras and Hollywood wont interfear with my posting ability.

We do live this way, theres nothing staged about that. When were not being filmed, we still go for the High Wall and dance with the Devil, :D
Heres something you wont see on lBZ, as we do live between filmings ~~LOL!!~~

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=763203

:D :D :D

And ,if ya look it up, theres alot more, even some recent Caribou hunting, if its of any interest.
 
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Also, if anyone's interested is this; a Calendar of sorts, that explains what weve done in years past, and its this Calendar that got BBC to ask us for an interview.


http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com...-life-as-a-Subsistance-Hunter-Fisher-Gather-r

I would have posted it a few years back here on HR, but the 5 picture per post woulda killed me :D
Thers a bunch of vids starting on page 5 or 6, click on em, they look like blurry pictures. Well I actually think LBZ has become a way to "Post" to the masses ~~LOL!!~!
 
Caribou

Great post about how the filming is done. Having a couple camera men around has to make it hard to do what you need to do to survive. Actually with you life style a lot harder especially with the hunting aspect.

I see you made another post as I was starting this post. I glanced at it and It looks like I will be spending some time going through the link.
 
Caribou -=- Am a fan and that's why I made my comments. When a show becomes too redundant and predictable, then viewers do move on. I'm not taking a shot at your lifestyle or that of the others on the show. Very few of our lives are "film worthy" day after day after day. As for the show recaps and summaries, what you say might be accurate other than these rehash shows are preceded by a 3.4, or more marathon of the previous season episodes. I personally get turned off when the guide menu says "NEW" for an episode that is 99 % old footage.

Real or authentic doesn't necessarily make it interesting when the same story or theme has been used repeatedly in previous episodes. My comments about Sue [I'm not a hater] were directed at the producers who clip and paste those comments that she makes. They could do her a favor by not focusing so much on the "eat or be eaten" thing.

Didn't see last nites show yet, was watching all the election stuff but have it on the DVR for today.
 
Bassdogs/Caribou: Am in total agreement with bassdogs. That is NOT to say that LBZ is not a great show in comparison with the glut of Alaska shows now on TV. I've watched LBZ from the first episode and re-watched the episodes when they aired. The first two seasons were wonderful. I LOVED this show. However, the following seasons, after LBZ became popular and garnered some ratings, we saw the changes and they were not good.

LBZ was great to watch in the early days because the show was not an insult to viewers intelligence. But, as always happens when a show catches on, there is a waste of viewer's time and their intelligence by constantly recapping the past. LBZ takes it further by recapping the segment just shown before a commercial. This seems to now be what all the reality shows are doing.

The constant, loud and overly dramatic music and the unnecessary narrator are slaps to LBZ viewers. How did viewers get along in the beginning without the music or someone explaining everything that was happening? The lack of music and narrator is a part of why people watched. The music and narration is an assault to the ears.

One personal critique is the addition of the very boring Glenn. It's obvious that the producers felt the need to fill the void left by Erik Salitan when he's off making an actual living by throwing in another single life point of view. Unfortunately, Glenn cannot shine Erik's bunny boots! As soon as his segment comes on, he is fast forward'd. The episodes are great without Glenn.

The reason so many caught on to LBZ in the early seasons was that we got to see the real personal lives of the Hailstones, KavikSue, Andy and Kate and Erik. Unfortunately, the producers felt that they needed to sanitize their real lives by adding some "drama" and phony situations. Andy was clearly told to tone down his reactions.

I would watch a spinoff with the Hailstones. Chip and Agnes are upstanding, hard working, kind, caring, responsible individuals... characteristics which are lacking in TV shows.

Would also watch spinoffs featuring Erik and Andy/Kate. Love KavikSure, however, she has been around the block when it comes to exposure on TV.

So, Caribou, I get what bassdogs is saying; IMO, it's nothing personal against you. It is how "reality" show producers feel they need to make unnecessary changes to cater to as many people as possible. I will continue to watch only because I've become invested in learning how your family lives and thrives in such a harsh environment; how Erik loves his solo life in the bush; and the abilities of Andy and Kate to not only keep building their CalicoBluff property by themselves, but to watch their truly loving relationship!

Thank you, Caribou for keeping me abreast of your, Agnes and your girls' lives. IMO, you convey everything that 99.9% of the world would love to be: happy!!

PS: Caribou.. noticed that you are still not shooting. Is your legal matter still not over with?
 
Not a problem Bassdogs, I figured to explain the process.
Doing something like a "Reality show" can get tangled in "reality's" new meaning. Before, we would have been a 'documentary'.

My core is this; If we can do it, we do. We took kids along over the years, grown men are not too much aharder to take along. Our lives are cyclic, for sure , with the seasons, and were not actors :D

The new season has stated, the compliatios will start and finnish the seasons, so be ready for more of those ~~LOL!!~~
 
Caribou,

On the new episode , If I recall your oldest Daughter stated she got a new rifle.

It looks like a Ruger? A Mini 14 or Mini 30??

Glad to see the show back! Looking forward to all the new episodes.

As to the Naysayers, all the individuals have something different to offer. Is Eric gone for good?
 
I gave the girl 300$ for her birthday (what else would a 20 year old want?) and she came home with a used Mini-14. The scope was set for 100 yards and the magnification set low, but since its her first scoped rifle, she's still getting used to it. Im sure youll be seeing her use it alot as the episodes are made, shes quite happy with it, although it may lose the scope, as shes not so happy with it. I was recommending a short 3-4 power Leupold for her , and I think she's shopping around for such. The dang thing had its rear sight removed, so she has to make due for now.

Music, editing and such are way beyond us, we just stick with whats happening and what we can do. We do, however, talk and nit pick the Editors for correctness and time line, belive me , after we shoot, we have qustion/answer phone callls to get it right , as they dont always understand what were up to as well. There is a big effort to correctly portray us as we really are. If Andy didnt like how he was comming across, it would be his choice to mind hisself on film, because the editors will actually show it all...like when Sue showed Bunny tracks and called em Moose.....well thats what happend. I bet Sue is more carefull now, but not the editors, they take it as its filmed.
 
What ultimately kills popular shows is when the producers move past the initial storyboard they think production bling [music] and ramped up drama will carry the audience thru the next few seasons. They think they know better and forget or refuse to listen to audience feedback. If they get it right, the show survives but if they think they have all the answers, the show will die and we will be left with many years of reruns.

Unfortunately when we get to the new season and provide some feedback, the current season is already in the can. Only hoping that they listen enough to mold some of our comments into the next season if the show makes it.

What about the shooting Chip? Really looking forward to the episode when you grab a rifle and bring down some game. Also wondering about the "gas" issue as I see how quickly I can burn thru a tank of fuel in my 40hp outboard. On a past season episode you guys hauled a leaky 50gal drum, but most times its just a few red cans. When you're 30/40 miles out with 2 snow machines, chainsaws, & ice augers where does all the gas come from?
 
I too enjoy this show. As a side note: If you have Netflix (or other sources) check out "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga". It follows two or three trappers WAY OUT in Siberia along the Yenesei river. Fascinating. Much in Caribou's experience, obviously, everybody is using Mosin and surprisingly to me SKS rifles. The main guy somehow applied to be a trapper during the Communist era and was employed by "the People's Collective" as a trapper starting in 1970. They flew him out there and dropped him off with some supplies and an issued rifle and a can of ammo. Presumably sable was a commodity that the USSR was able to turn into hard currency on the global market, one which they had little access to.

Just fascinating.

Love LB0! Big fan!
 
I am very familiar with the behind-the-scenes goings on and how "reality" shows work. It was very clear that because of the backlash Andy was getting on Facebook and other social media sites that his real personality would be toned down. He was getting pummeled and labeled as an "abuser" and someone who needs to attend anger management classes. Yes, it is his "real" personality which is shown on the final product; however, before filming producers get together with the talent and discuss issues. Producers probably showed him the feedback he was getting about his "temper." IMO, he did not have a temper or needed anger management. Kate lives with him and accepts his quirks; he should not change for a few complaining squawkers. But, it's very clear that either he is checking himself and does not blurt out his true reactions to situations or his reactions are being edited out. The producers want to cater to as many people as possible and they cave in quickly to any supposedly "improper" personality traits.

If any LBZ producers are reading this: bring back the original Andy!!! (And please drop the dramatic music and the unnecessary narrator!) This is the last I will comment about the production side of LBZ... am so much more interested in reading Caribou's posts!

@BassDogs: I'm also waiting for Chip to pick up his rifle and bag a caribou!!! But, do enjoy seeing Agnes and Chip's daughters doing a great job...
 
For me, it was painful to watch Andy throw those temper tantroms, directing his anger at who ever was around him.....i'm glad he's better about keeping them in check now...

As for Sue, i've got to the point where i mute that part of the show, i can't even stand to listen to her any longer...

Chips cheery attitude really lifts the show up......good on you Chip!

DM
 
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