My oldest son, the Seal Hunter
- Thread starter caribou
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allaroundhunter
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Sam is right on with this one. It is fascinating hearing all of the stories from up there, Caribou. Keep 'em coming and stay safe!
MCgunner
Member
Well, it's the independent spirit that I admire, the self sufficiency, the lack of an entitlement mentality. It is alive in Texas, but you have to get to the lesser populated western half of the state to find much of it. It seems to thrive in the "last frontier". The cities breed dependency, probably up there, too, what cities you have up there, which ain't that much. 
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caribou
Member
Well, there is a "city"mentality that slowly infilters here, , especcially when folks from a city arrive with "Im here to "Take My Bear" (no Bear is yours till its dead at yer feet) or actually yelling at kids to "get off my property!!" on the fencless tundra village where we all walk where we want. Often its people with "great ideas" about shooting rut Caribou (BARF!!) and trying to keep the antlers and give away the meat that no one will take, and some with land ownership issues when people stop to camp/hunt/fish , as we all have lands where theres seasonal gatherings/use, and we mutually share its access.
I know this does not happen elsewhere much, folks mutually shareing and acessing, but it would be the death of Hunting if a guy couldnt go to the ever moving animals.
After a short fashion most come to an understanding that this isnt Rome, its the Arctic, and its best to see the way its been done sucessfully before critsizing such.
As well, Eskimo folks will adapt and adopt anything that makes life better, warmer, fatter and secure and something thats efficent and durable, so new ideas are slow to implement , cause a lotta good ideas dont last the winter here.........
Sometimes it really cool to see a village pull together and work in a Search, Deaths, Feasts, celebrations and such, as wll as the redistribution of "Stuff" and the way every one is fed and usefull in their own way. Some Hunt, some fish, some babysit, some sew, some work inthe regional Lead/Zink Mine, etc. ect. but as large extended familys, its a huge social network that would be lost if we somehow no longer interacted.....I fear this will come with a large population.
Untill then, heres a vid(Klik it) of my 17 year old daughter pulling and clearing her Whitefish net, she set for fun , Food, and profit, as the fish trade for dog feed at 1$ each locally, or a gunny sak of fat males , 30 to a bag for 100$ /20 egg laden Females inna bag for 200$ (a preferable fish eaten frozen with the eggs and seal oil), especcially in another village that has no Whitefish. Usually the trade is for other fish or foods, gasoline or ammunition.
Her friends come to help and recive a share for the dinner table, and just to have some fun and somethingto talk about after ward....An Inupiaq saying go's "yer best friends are often the ones you sweat with"
I know this does not happen elsewhere much, folks mutually shareing and acessing, but it would be the death of Hunting if a guy couldnt go to the ever moving animals.
After a short fashion most come to an understanding that this isnt Rome, its the Arctic, and its best to see the way its been done sucessfully before critsizing such.
As well, Eskimo folks will adapt and adopt anything that makes life better, warmer, fatter and secure and something thats efficent and durable, so new ideas are slow to implement , cause a lotta good ideas dont last the winter here.........
Sometimes it really cool to see a village pull together and work in a Search, Deaths, Feasts, celebrations and such, as wll as the redistribution of "Stuff" and the way every one is fed and usefull in their own way. Some Hunt, some fish, some babysit, some sew, some work inthe regional Lead/Zink Mine, etc. ect. but as large extended familys, its a huge social network that would be lost if we somehow no longer interacted.....I fear this will come with a large population.
Untill then, heres a vid(Klik it) of my 17 year old daughter pulling and clearing her Whitefish net, she set for fun , Food, and profit, as the fish trade for dog feed at 1$ each locally, or a gunny sak of fat males , 30 to a bag for 100$ /20 egg laden Females inna bag for 200$ (a preferable fish eaten frozen with the eggs and seal oil), especcially in another village that has no Whitefish. Usually the trade is for other fish or foods, gasoline or ammunition.
Her friends come to help and recive a share for the dinner table, and just to have some fun and somethingto talk about after ward....An Inupiaq saying go's "yer best friends are often the ones you sweat with"
RevGeo
Member
caribou,
it is so nice to see the term 'social network' used when it has nothing to do with twitter, facebook and all the others. 'Redistribution of stuff' without somebody screaming about socialism vs capitalism.
Your posts show a world that really does exist beyond the avarice of 'modern society'. In some ways I think maybe I was born in the wrong place to the wrong folks. You are truly blessed.
Thank you for posting these breaths of fresh (albeit cold looking) air.
George
it is so nice to see the term 'social network' used when it has nothing to do with twitter, facebook and all the others. 'Redistribution of stuff' without somebody screaming about socialism vs capitalism.
Your posts show a world that really does exist beyond the avarice of 'modern society'. In some ways I think maybe I was born in the wrong place to the wrong folks. You are truly blessed.
Thank you for posting these breaths of fresh (albeit cold looking) air.
George
paintballdude902
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caribou- when i get outta the service im packing up the truck and moving in with you. you can set me up with one of them cute alaskan girls
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caribou
Member
My reference to "social network" is to the many large extended familys and everyones "Place" in a village and the 11 villages in our Indiana sized region as a whole.
This of course does not apply to Govornment ~~LOL!!~~
Paintball, if your not a cousin, you will be desirable to plenty of these woman.~~LOL!!~~
Trade, sales, giving is extensive and wide with connections and bonding on many levels.
Inupiaq Eskimos had a season simular to Christmas, well before christianity came along. with the light of day being a couple hours of of dusk and the cold setting in, this was the time of year when people set traps, netted/trapped fish and fed well off their summers catch, as well as minor gift exchanges and gameing, contests,tradeing,dancing, story telling and much sewing and building/crafting was done, in preperation of the comming DEEP cold, looking forward to the extended daylight of late january and brighter longer Febuary, everyone needed outdoor gear at its best, as the Hunt and roaming would soon begin.Everyone had at least the minimum to carry on with in the commin COLD and the chase out there in it.
Todays Xmas is used to this same effect, with gifts, basketball tournaments and flying or driving from village to village, hours away from each other. We do not have Homeless or hungry people here. Broke, sure but not cold and hungrey.
The fatherinlaw warned that as a child they were told that the poor were taken care of as well as the old, infirm and orphand, and that a really Rich man was a provider who could do such, very different from todays rich man who accumulates and keeps his riches while others do without. As well he said the consequens of not helping others was to be denighed help in your time of need or having a starving cold person come and cut your throat, wear your clothes, eat your food.......
This of course does not apply to Govornment ~~LOL!!~~
Paintball, if your not a cousin, you will be desirable to plenty of these woman.~~LOL!!~~
Trade, sales, giving is extensive and wide with connections and bonding on many levels.
Inupiaq Eskimos had a season simular to Christmas, well before christianity came along. with the light of day being a couple hours of of dusk and the cold setting in, this was the time of year when people set traps, netted/trapped fish and fed well off their summers catch, as well as minor gift exchanges and gameing, contests,tradeing,dancing, story telling and much sewing and building/crafting was done, in preperation of the comming DEEP cold, looking forward to the extended daylight of late january and brighter longer Febuary, everyone needed outdoor gear at its best, as the Hunt and roaming would soon begin.Everyone had at least the minimum to carry on with in the commin COLD and the chase out there in it.
Todays Xmas is used to this same effect, with gifts, basketball tournaments and flying or driving from village to village, hours away from each other. We do not have Homeless or hungry people here. Broke, sure but not cold and hungrey.
The fatherinlaw warned that as a child they were told that the poor were taken care of as well as the old, infirm and orphand, and that a really Rich man was a provider who could do such, very different from todays rich man who accumulates and keeps his riches while others do without. As well he said the consequens of not helping others was to be denighed help in your time of need or having a starving cold person come and cut your throat, wear your clothes, eat your food.......
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Sav .250
Member
I`ve seem this before. It was on the Alaska hunting forum.
Dr Dave
Member
QUOTE: 'The fatherinlaw warned that as a child they were told that the poor were taken care of as well as the old, infirm and orphand, and that a really Rich man was a provider who could do such, very different from todays rich man who accumulates and keeps his riches while others do without.'
And that, my friends, is the definition of a rich man. Thanks, caribou.
And that, my friends, is the definition of a rich man. Thanks, caribou.
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caribou
Member
Gunboards, Ak huntig forums,I post onna couple other forums, several here see me 'around ' LOL! I do like writing and shareing, seems most take it well, but its a combinaltion or hunting/fishing/trapping/gathering/arts and crafts, so some stuffdoesnt make it to some forums.
I try to post as 'Caribou' but onna couple other sites the name was taken.....you are what you eat
I try to post as 'Caribou' but onna couple other sites the name was taken.....you are what you eat
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caribou
Member
Nathan,Im trying desperatly to get more ammo before I run out, a bit here a bit there.
I personally own 3 M-39's, the one I use, its a a '42 Sako, and a back up/replacement thats a blank '68 barreld and a minty Straight stock thats #300 something of the first production run.
As we went and as the kids grow,we introduced and taught our kids to shoot..... we shoot for accuracy and every kid of mine as well as the wife own one or two as well a .22lr, 12 gauge and a pistol for self defense........adds up after 7 kids.
I personally own 3 M-39's, the one I use, its a a '42 Sako, and a back up/replacement thats a blank '68 barreld and a minty Straight stock thats #300 something of the first production run.
As we went and as the kids grow,we introduced and taught our kids to shoot..... we shoot for accuracy and every kid of mine as well as the wife own one or two as well a .22lr, 12 gauge and a pistol for self defense........adds up after 7 kids
.Thats good to know, im sure ammo there is hard to come by and shipping from here to there is double, right? But aimsurplus has plenty for now . Mine is a yr 1942 Sako same as yours. I also have a B barreled 1942 and a VKT 1943 both are closet queens.
BTW what part of the arctic region were your boys hunted? Alaska is such a beautiful place but not for everyone as its extremely cold. Also just like Texas we have extreme summers here and very humid, hahhaa.
BTW what part of the arctic region were your boys hunted? Alaska is such a beautiful place but not for everyone as its extremely cold. Also just like Texas we have extreme summers here and very humid, hahhaa.
T Bran
Member
CARIBOU
Thanks for a great snapshot of your way of living. It seems to me that with money or without you are a very wealthy man. Glad to hear that your way of life is still here. The majority of the folks think meat comes from a supermarket. Though I live in a city the majority of my meat once roamed free and is not shot full of chemicals. I also grow my own greens and fruit. Do you have a warm season long enough to grow any produce or is collecting what grows wild your only option ?
Keep the posts coming they are very interesting I especially liked the pics of your wife processing the seals very cool.
Troy
Thanks for a great snapshot of your way of living. It seems to me that with money or without you are a very wealthy man. Glad to hear that your way of life is still here. The majority of the folks think meat comes from a supermarket. Though I live in a city the majority of my meat once roamed free and is not shot full of chemicals. I also grow my own greens and fruit. Do you have a warm season long enough to grow any produce or is collecting what grows wild your only option ?
Keep the posts coming they are very interesting I especially liked the pics of your wife processing the seals very cool.
Troy
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caribou
Member
Were in the Arctic here, in North Western Alaska, and not humid at all, its a dry cold.
Theres afew plants the can be grown quite well up this way, but it would require staying in one place all summer, something Im not willing to do, as I can pick and harvest from many areas and variety of plants with proven local uses and recipies that make th emost of whats on hand. Not a sweet diet by any means, suger is a big tempter......in years of bad weather we move to get plants/berries we need and hunt the animals around, as
I use J&G sales to get ammo here, via a forwarder outta Seattle. and shipping is the killer........
My wife has her VTK '39 and weve been talking up outfitting with M28-76's and using those on fur among the Caribou herds, with hand loads.......should save on ammo ~~LOL!!~~
Theres afew plants the can be grown quite well up this way, but it would require staying in one place all summer, something Im not willing to do, as I can pick and harvest from many areas and variety of plants with proven local uses and recipies that make th emost of whats on hand. Not a sweet diet by any means, suger is a big tempter......in years of bad weather we move to get plants/berries we need and hunt the animals around, as
I use J&G sales to get ammo here, via a forwarder outta Seattle. and shipping is the killer........
My wife has her VTK '39 and weve been talking up outfitting with M28-76's and using those on fur among the Caribou herds, with hand loads.......should save on ammo ~~LOL!!~~
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saltydog452
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Off topic
How in the world can today's conveniences like fuel, guns, ammunition, clothing, etc. be logistically available?
Getting Internet Access would seem to be impossible w/o checking/banking/credit card access.
No disrespect, just curious.
Thanks for your posts.
In this life, if one of the kids snaps a soccer shoe lace, somebody has gotta go to the store right damn now for a replacement.
salty
How in the world can today's conveniences like fuel, guns, ammunition, clothing, etc. be logistically available?
Getting Internet Access would seem to be impossible w/o checking/banking/credit card access.
No disrespect, just curious.
Thanks for your posts.
In this life, if one of the kids snaps a soccer shoe lace, somebody has gotta go to the store right damn now for a replacement.
salty
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caribou
Member
Our villages, 11 of them, in a borough larger than Indiana 7,800 peope and 380,000 Caribou have power plants, schools, post offices and small airstrips.
If it can fit in a box, we can get it, if it dosent, it will come onna barge in summer or off an expensive airride. Gas is 8.89$ because of shipping it here.
Telephone 25 years now , internet and such 10 years now, running water 3 years now. Still dirt tracks, no police, and bread is 12$ a loaf, so we do for ourselfs as much as possible.
American made Trade in Guns, food, cloth and other convieniances and nessesitys have been available for trade and sale since 1826 in this region, and since 1,500 BC(Siberian iron) from across the straights since men got to this contenet
If it can fit in a box, we can get it, if it dosent, it will come onna barge in summer or off an expensive airride. Gas is 8.89$ because of shipping it here.
Telephone 25 years now , internet and such 10 years now, running water 3 years now. Still dirt tracks, no police, and bread is 12$ a loaf, so we do for ourselfs as much as possible.
American made Trade in Guns, food, cloth and other convieniances and nessesitys have been available for trade and sale since 1826 in this region, and since 1,500 BC(Siberian iron) from across the straights since men got to this contenet
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caribou
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Yep, there was a land bridge that people could have crossed like the megafauna did, from Siberia, as well as an ice fringe and open water that boats could easily follow. I belive europeans did this into the north eastern united states as well, but contenuing waves of Asians nomads could have sent in alot more genes, and who knows what genes were there anyway
average build, darker skin,average in hight,Slant eyes, light on the body hair, most look a bit like Northern Chinese, I'd say
I dont know about Mongolians much more than Ghengis Khan and his dynastys, but people here have relatives in Siberia, and Siberians have relatives over here.....in the crumbling of "The Wall" back in '91 many familys although very old were reunited.
Siberin Y'upik occupie American St.Lawrence islands, while American Inupiaq lived in the divided Diomeads,we kept little Diomede, they took Big Diomede, and some were on the mainland near and north of todays city of Providinia.
Up here in the Kotzebue Sound, untill the 1890's, when the American reindeer herding industry took over the Reindeer skin trade, Siberian traders arrived every summer for the Trade Fair held near present day Kotzebue, and traded much fasionable white Reindeer skins, as opposed to black/dark brown American Caribou. Wolverine, Pine Marten, Arctic Fox, Lynx, Wolves and such, but with the gold rush,The Siberians lost the cornerd market on furs with the arrival of traders and whalers, but diversafyed, and with trade the main emphisis, peace came and war came to a halt and traders penatrated deeper and deeper into others territorys as they consolidated into posts. The Inupiaq of this region did not want to have their souther neighbors "Y'upik" and pushed them out untill they occupied the coast to the Russian tradeing fort at St.Michael.
With trade, goods and Genes flowed across the straights for thousands of years, as archeologists have recently found a buckle that was cast in china in a very old houses tunnel during excavations this summer, so theres definitly some asian this way
average build, darker skin,average in hight,Slant eyes, light on the body hair, most look a bit like Northern Chinese, I'd say
I dont know about Mongolians much more than Ghengis Khan and his dynastys, but people here have relatives in Siberia, and Siberians have relatives over here.....in the crumbling of "The Wall" back in '91 many familys although very old were reunited.
Siberin Y'upik occupie American St.Lawrence islands, while American Inupiaq lived in the divided Diomeads,we kept little Diomede, they took Big Diomede, and some were on the mainland near and north of todays city of Providinia.
Up here in the Kotzebue Sound, untill the 1890's, when the American reindeer herding industry took over the Reindeer skin trade, Siberian traders arrived every summer for the Trade Fair held near present day Kotzebue, and traded much fasionable white Reindeer skins, as opposed to black/dark brown American Caribou. Wolverine, Pine Marten, Arctic Fox, Lynx, Wolves and such, but with the gold rush,The Siberians lost the cornerd market on furs with the arrival of traders and whalers, but diversafyed, and with trade the main emphisis, peace came and war came to a halt and traders penatrated deeper and deeper into others territorys as they consolidated into posts. The Inupiaq of this region did not want to have their souther neighbors "Y'upik" and pushed them out untill they occupied the coast to the Russian tradeing fort at St.Michael.
With trade, goods and Genes flowed across the straights for thousands of years, as archeologists have recently found a buckle that was cast in china in a very old houses tunnel during excavations this summer, so theres definitly some asian this way
saltydog452
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Thank you
for your reply, the history lesson, and an armchair peek into your lifestyle.
I'd like to know more if it isn't too intrusive.
Since internet access depends on satellite relay, I would have thought that it wouldn't have been realistic to expect satellite access.
How about Emergency Medical Care?...Dental?
A book, 'The Grapes Of Wrath' delt with subsistence living down here. Are you aware of a book (books) that offer a deeper glimpse into the life that your folks live?
Where do the building materials come from?
Respectfully,
salty
for your reply, the history lesson, and an armchair peek into your lifestyle.
I'd like to know more if it isn't too intrusive.
Since internet access depends on satellite relay, I would have thought that it wouldn't have been realistic to expect satellite access.
How about Emergency Medical Care?...Dental?
A book, 'The Grapes Of Wrath' delt with subsistence living down here. Are you aware of a book (books) that offer a deeper glimpse into the life that your folks live?
Where do the building materials come from?
Respectfully,
salty
KodiakBeer
member
Find a book called "Arctic Dreams" by Barry Lopez. It will tell you most of what you want to know about people in the Alaskan and Canadian arctic. If you think about it, surviving (actually thriving) in the most inhospitable region of the planet is not only a testament to human endurance, but to human adaptability, ingenuity, genius. It takes skills and brain processes that were lost to the rest of us hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Lopez talks about Eskimo's being able to navigate in arctic darkness in white-out conditions using subtle nuances that anyone else would miss. The direction of the "ruts" on the ice under their feet created by the prevailing wind direction. Or the "loom" of coastal formations which they can't see, but hear by echo or feel by changes in wind direction or velocity.
He also speaks of a sort of "zen" where hunters live in the moment, processing data subconsciously while consciously thinking of other things - They hear the cry of a distant raven or see a wet rock in a creek that should be dry. They don't note these things in a linear fashion like you or I might trying to process them objectively, but just take them in until the caribou is suddenly in front of them.
It's a fascinating book by a scientist who is trying to understand how these inexplicable things are done. I don't know how much he gets right, but he's one of the few people who have really tried to figure out how they do these things.
Lopez talks about Eskimo's being able to navigate in arctic darkness in white-out conditions using subtle nuances that anyone else would miss. The direction of the "ruts" on the ice under their feet created by the prevailing wind direction. Or the "loom" of coastal formations which they can't see, but hear by echo or feel by changes in wind direction or velocity.
He also speaks of a sort of "zen" where hunters live in the moment, processing data subconsciously while consciously thinking of other things - They hear the cry of a distant raven or see a wet rock in a creek that should be dry. They don't note these things in a linear fashion like you or I might trying to process them objectively, but just take them in until the caribou is suddenly in front of them.
It's a fascinating book by a scientist who is trying to understand how these inexplicable things are done. I don't know how much he gets right, but he's one of the few people who have really tried to figure out how they do these things.
Caribou, would be nice if you have a Swiss K 31 and try the GP 11 performance on arctic game. They are very accurate rounds esp with open sights. Just a thought...
http://classicarms.us/firearms.htm
http://www.allans-armory.com/aaresult.php?PageId=72
http://classicarms.us/firearms.htm
http://www.allans-armory.com/aaresult.php?PageId=72
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