Life Below Zero

[caribou]

I personally pluck them. A couple quick pulls and all the important stuff is off and the skin on keeps what fat they have on while it slow bakes or stew. Mmmmmmm.....the wife even boils water and we dip the ingaluak in for a couple seconds and then straight down the gullet. They don't have muckh for wings or legs and alotta trappers will only brest them, as its a legal bait that is effective. The tail feathers are white with black tips, and sicne they are not migratory water fowl, we can sell the feathers in art work and such that other wild feathers would land us in jail for.....

Anyways, Dang, we just watched the show, ~~LOL!!~~ You tube....Surely got a laugh when I got unstuck, came to a halt and jumped off the ride to make a snow angel, something my kids love me to do, when we take them slideing and such. Also, we definitely wernt only 60 miles from Noorvik, it was 60-80 from Deering, which is 130 miles from Noorvik, but oh well...the rest was pretty much true, Im actually hopeing they will show that we came across our oldest son, who had fallen behind after we started filming, to avoid being in frame, with three Caribou to work when we were going back that day, they should have included that, but maybe next time? I liked it, this episode, was quite entertaining......oh, they left out use stuffing plastic bag material into the gas can crack with a willow stick ~~LOL!!~~

 

[Bull Nutria]

Navigation in open mostly featureless tundra?

I know gas is expensive, do you use known trails or landmarks to navigate? It sure looks like on tv that you are striking out across open country. I use a gps to navigate in open water where i can go point to point this saves fuel. i realize there maybe obstacles on your route that you have to go around like soft snow banks,rocks etc. Question is would a GPS save you on gas?

Could you have turned that leaky gas drum on its end verticle to keep the gas from dripping out.(probably unstable on your sled--but you could have lashed it down with your ropes etc) I did notice the plastic bag pressed into the crack on the drum on the show.

If I could vote people off the show I would vote off Sue and the dog team couple. the trapper guy really narrates well , however i think they are missing the best part by not featuring much more you and Agnes in your daily lives!!

Bull

 

[scaatylobo]

Bull nutria + 1

I totally agree with your last post.

Sue is nothing but a point of irritation to me,and I don't see her as having ANYTHING to do with the title of the show !.

Compared to ALL the rest of those featured on the show ,it appears as if she has more gear & food etc than all the rest put together.

 

[bassdogs]

Have to agree. A quick field dressing for small game is typical. Step on the wings, similiar method [w/o wings] for skinning a rabbit. Calling something a "crude" name is kind of typical. That SOB or POS rabbit.

Can we move on from the bash Sue stuff on this thread. I suspect by now that everyone has had a chance to express their feelings. I think it is putting Bou in alkward position as it would be inappropriate for him to make negative comments or otherwise about a fellow cast member. I am appreciative of all the info he has been willing to share with us. Am hoping that he doesn't grow tired of responding. Thanks Bou.

 

[Goblin]

hey Caribou

Love that show...Do u get to meet any of the other cast members?

 

[scaatylobo]

@ BASSDOGs

Sorry if y'all got twisted undies about some of my comments.

I was not under the impression that the title of this thread was CARIBOU.

I thought it was about the whole show,and I would not expect him - nor ask in any way for Caribou to comment about my thoughts or comments.

Unless they were directed at him,or about him.

And since the show FEATURES Sue and wasted so much camera time on her,I felt I was spot on making comment.

I am done with her after that last debacle of her "hunting".

 

[caribou]

Theres no rule that says we or anyone have to like folks on the show. I have never met Sue, but I must say, that that's probly how she actually lives. Im waiting to see her in the summer, I bet she gets busy. She is tendeing her business and shows how she makes $$ and pays for it all by then.
We haven't met or talked with any other folks on the show, but have worked with those who have worked with them.

As for navagating, well nothing that requires batteries helps. A compass and knowlage of the land /ice are the main ways of staying where you wanna be. We do use a Trail system, with willow wands marking routs between villages, but we use them to get to a point and then its all X country from there and back to a know , packed, easily driven trail. Often, after hunting and with a full load we haed to the nearest point on a trail we have going for us, and get there. Saves gas and helps when the load is big or part of it remains behind and such. As well, folks can track you if your known to leave land or go up a ridge at a certain point, yours'll be the only tracks going that way.

I oersonally do not berate food Im hunting, seems odd thing to do...., though I DO eat Beef and only because I Hate Cows..... ~~LOL!!~~

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I oersonally do not berate food Im hunting, seems odd thing to do...., though I DO eat Beef and only because I Hate Cows..... ~~LOL!!~~

Hah! Hilarious..

Im from Massachusetts, Where everything is berated.. Constantly... Sarcasm and ball busting is performed in ways that would be a common source of fist fights down here in texas... I used to joke around back home, and in a southern accent say "them's fightin words"... Heh at the time I didn't realize was actually true in most of the country.

 

[scaatylobo]

@Caribou

I am curious as to how it feels to be a 'celebrity' .

After all you are watched by a 'few thousand' at the very least,so we kind of know you and your family.

Has it effected your life yet and if not yet,are you ready for being a celebrity if that should arise ?.

We all on here would recognize you if we saw you,so imagine that many more will.

Do you even travel to other states .

 

[bassdogs]

Celebrity status? Good question. Have seen or heard about characters on some of the other shows who grow weary of the cameras and loss of a "life" after a season or two. The father / owner in Air Alaska is an example. Part of it I think was the pressure of running a business and wanting to enjoy his senior years. I did read though that the youngest daughter had to talk him into doing the show in the first place. I live in the next county over where the Backyard Gold show is filmed and have crossed paths with a couple of the lead characters. They are yumming up the attention for now, but well see in the long run. People around here are pretty private with their lives. Personally my life would never attract any ones attention, but can't imagine what it would be like everytime I opened the back door to go outside and Pee.

 

[caribou]

I live here in a small village in the Arctic, and belive me, theres no fan club

I went back to Montana to see my dad before he passed away, let my wife meet him, that's about all the lower 48 I cared to see again.

Most all the town is as normal about me and our doings, as they see the work in progress.

This here internet and on only a couple sites do I write or even get 'fan mail', so its easy to keep up on.

Season 2 might arise, and its no loss of life here for us, we simply do as we do, amnd if they cant get it, we just keep on truckin', or it wouldn't be real, and were not paid to act.

The money anit great at all, so I aint gettin' rich. We actually made less $$ this year, but that's because of other troubles that will soon bring all that money back.

 

[Bull Nutria]

well you have a fan club on THR!! I have been reading the posts many THR members are watching you with great interest, envy, and enjoyment.

You say you are not paid to act, that is a good thing and makes the show REAL--most "reality shows are obviously scripted and come across a bogus BS with fake crisis situations etc. You and Agnes are just doing your thing and these camera guys are following along(mostly getting in your way I'm sure).

I enjoy the parts where you guys are sighting in the seal rifle, i'd like to see you guys do more shooting with your other firearms, a "show and tell' on your gun collection would be interesting also.

I don't understand why they would not pay you well for puttng up with all this camera man humbug? Well i suggest that you work in some free adds for your wife and daughters fur clothing sales and anything else you make for sale. You gotta get something worthwhile out this hassle!

Keep on doing your thing it comes across very naturally and sincerely.

good luck ,

Bull

 

[scaatylobo]

@ Caribou

I think its sad they don't pay you well for the intrusions and their hampering of your hunts etc.

And yes,you have a real fan club that totally enjoys have real time feedback with a celebrity.

 

[caribou]

From my understanding, no one gets paid well 'untill' season 2......then things 'might' get better. I think its a weeding out process, as well as getting things set up and see if they are "do-able"

Im glad you fellas, and gals, like it Ill be doing my best, and , of course, Ill post here

 

[Malamute]

Hey Caribou! Been watching this thread, and the one going on bushcraftusa. I've watched a bit, but havent been able to see much yet. Maybe when work slows down a little! Looks like a cool show, nice to see the footage of you and the family out making a living!

 

[homers]

Caribou,

What do you do for internet access?

 

[lhartman89]

I haven't posted in this thread yet, but I want to start off by saying I have been watching the show and like it a lot. One thing I wanted to say/ask is that I heard it is cheap for them to film in Alaska. I've noticed lately that they have been playing a lot of different shows that are filmed in Alaska. I am guessing because it is cheap? I hope they do another season of Life Below Zero. I do like watching you and you wife hunt and seeing the way you live. I gotta say that I am a city slicker and don't know if I could do the things you do. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us all here and I hope to see more about your families ways.

 

[caribou]

Here in Noorvik, Im on the Phone exchange line, for internet. Theres small satalite dishes as an option , too.

I think the companys get to get a big tax break when they produce here, but the cost of producing here, according to several different sources is almost triple what it would cost in California. They need the tax break so's they can operate.

Shuks, they encounterd 8.65$ a gallon gasoline in Kotzebue while following the wife on a Seal hunt, 100 gallons at a time, between two boats and the open Ocean. Things take 5-7 days to get here, express(!!), and they often think they can have their Starbucks hot,~~LOL!!!~~ or something from down the road. Its funny when they have to explain to someone in LA that theres no hardwhere store down the road that dosent exist They were shocked when no one would rent them a boat, because everyone uses theirs, and not for recreation, there were no spare, unoccupied houses to rent or that at -40 its pretty tough on people who have never been that cold or rode 120 miles for their first ride , ever, on a snowmachine.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaa, learning curve

 

[hso]

Time for me to play the mean ol' moderator and ask everyone to stay focused on the firearms related topics and drop the drama around "Sue" (some of you are beginning to sound like a bunch of old gossips around the bingo table). Remember that this is a TV show and caribou is kind enough to explain what his and his family's experience is like, but that luxury isn't extended to the other participants in the show.

 

[bassdogs]

OK a firearms question. Bou, it seems that your wife does all the shooting. Don't you also carry a firearm? Does her native status give here hunting access that you don't have as a non-native? How many caribou can you take on a hunt like the current one?

 

[rcmodel]

I watched last night and one very odd thing that struck me was a bunch of flies buzzing around in the window of the little hunting shack.

How the heck do they survive in sub-zero weather when nobody is there to heat and cook for them??

rc

 

[Dr T]

To help focus this a bit more on topic:

One thing I have wondered about is the cleaning and maintenance of the firearms used in the Arctic. You encounter cold, blowing snow, and ice in the winter (and sometimes in the summer), and in the summer it really looks a lot like a marshy swamp.

How often do you clean the rifles and what do you use for bore cleaner and lubricant?

Another question: What types of firearms win the Darwin Award for things that DO NOT work well enough to keep around?

 

[scaatylobo]

Gotta leave

Guess I gotta leave this thread as I was under the false impression it was about the TV show and not about only one member of that show.

BUT as a parting shot I was hysterical after watching SUE on this last show --- fact is I turned it off after her second appearance since it was too sad to watch her whispering to the camera man [ woman ? ] about the "critters out to get her" :banghead:.

 

[ghitch75]

I watched last night and one very odd thing that struck me was a bunch of flies buzzing around in the window of the little hunting shack.

How the heck do they survive in sub-zero weather when nobody is there to heat and cook for them??

i do HVAC and Refrigeration work......flys can seem to stay froze for a long time and when they warm up they come back to life...don't ask me how or why they just do...

 

[DM~]

Yeaaa, when i was a kid, i'd catch all kinds of insects in the summer, freeze them and use them for fishing later... They have some kind of antifreeze in them.

DM