Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-10-20
SEAL

thAlNA N0s tsbS oe9
Hensei.
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SEAL HUNTING.
How the Polar lnhab;tAhts - Stalk ., cad KIN NE
Seai...Tsdiess Work on the ICY HsntiAA
Ground.
tArctic Corr. New York Herald.l
Seal hunting varies with the time of
ths seay and the nature Of the ice, for
the seals ate seldom killed except on or
through the ice. In the warn, stitll days
Of spring they come up through their
how-holes In the ice and enjoy a roll in
the snow or a quiet mp IN the sun.
Then they are killed with comparative
ease. The hunter gets as close as posi-
BILE upon the sfiocth ice without alarming
his prey, the distance varying from four
hundred to one hundred yards. He thefi
lies down, Or more correctly speaking
reclines, upon a small piece Of bear skin,
which as he moves, is dragged along and
kept under him as o protection against
the cold aud wet. His weight rests
chiefly on his left hip; the knee bent end
the leg drawn up beneath him Upon the
bear skin mat. As long as the seal is
looking toward him the hunter keeps
perfectly still, or raising his head drops
it upon his shoulder, uttering a noise
similar to that produced by a seal blow
Ing:
When the seal is satisfied from a care
full inspection that no danger threatens,
its head drops down upon the ice, and 1t
INDUCES IN a few winks, but suddenly
arises and gazes around if it hears the
least noise, OF sees the least motion any.
where. The hunter takes advantage Of
the nap to hitch himself along by means
OF his right foot and left hand, preserv-
ing his recumbent position all the time.
and il detected by the seal, either stops
suddenly and blows and hops around
like n seal enjoying q sun-batb, as his
experience suggests. In this way he
Can usually approach heal enough to
shoot his prey with n rifle or strike it
with a seal-spear or oo-nar. Often, how
ever, just as he is about to shoot or
spear his game, it slips suddenly into
the sea through its hole, upon the very
verge of which it rests, seldom venturing
more than a foot or two from its safe re-
treat. Ii they could only rest coutented
with a fair shot, the Inuits would proba-
bly, ecu more game than they now do,
for the most of those l have seen them
lose in this way went down after the
hunter had approached in easy range
say twelve or fifteen yards. They are SO
anxious. however, to make n sure thing
of it, that they often try to get too near.
l have frequently timed an mutt as he
started for a seal on the ice, and found it
takes about an hour from the time lie
starts in pursuit until the shot is fired.
1t is amusing to see the c~ountenance of
a seal through q spyglass. They have
such an intelligent and human look that
you a almost imagine they are think
ing. For instance, you will see one
start up suddenly and look at the hunt
er, who, by that time is perfectly still,
with an intense scrutiny that seems to
say, 81 declare l was almost sure / saw
that move that time, but / must have
been mistaken" Then, with a drowsy
look, almost a yawn, down goes it's head,
and the hunter begins to hitch himself
along again very cautiously. Suddenly
up goes the seals head 80 quickly that
the hunter hasn't time to subside as be-
fore, but begins to roll about, blow off
steam and lift his feet around like q seal
tapping it's tail, and at n little distance
it is really difficult to tell which is the
seal and which the man. Then you
imagine a smile onthe face of the seal as
though he was saying to himself, 81
caught him that time. What a fool I
was to be frightened, though. I thought
it was a man, and it's only an Cookbook"
When the hunter at last reaches the
point Mt which he considers it safe to
risk a shot you hear thereport of his gun
and see him Immediately spring to his
feet and rush for his prey. If the bullet
strikes the head Or neck of the animal it
rarely gets away, though sometimes even
then it slips out of reach, 50 close do
they keep to their holes. If it is hit
anywhere else it almost invariably
escapes the hunter, though it may not
escape death. Often the hunter reaches
the hole in time to seize his prey by the
hind ripper just as it is passingdown in
to the water. / remember standing and
| gazing mournfully down into q hole one
day through which a seal that I had shot
had just escaped, though his blood
tinged the water and the edges of the
ice, and while l was lamenting my ILL.,
luck l heard a splash behind me and
turned in time to see the seal come up
through another hole. He looked
awfully sick, and didn't see me until l
had him by the ripper, sprawling on his
back, at a safe distance from the hole.
This was quite good luck for me, for
such IN opportunity rarely occurs,
though l have occasionally known Too
LOGAN to recover q lost one in the same
way.
When struck with n spear, they sell
dom escape, for the line is fastened to
the side Of thespearh head, which detaches
itself from the staff and holds on the
flesh like a harpoon. Sometimes, how
ever, the seal will slip away after the
spear is thrown, and, instead of striking
him it strikes the ice where he had been
lying. This is very ~aggravating after
the cold and tedious labor of working up
upon it has been accomplished, butthe
Esquimaux bears his misfortune with
equanimity. It is seldom that he says
more than "ma-muk-poo now" (no good)
or " mar-me-an-ner" (Which means ssan-
gry," or is an expression used when one
is angry. He gathers up his weapons,
sits down and lights his pipe, and, after
a recuperative smoke, moves on in
search Of another opportunity to go
through the same process.
Sometimes he is fortunate enough to
find a seal absolutely asleep upon the
ice, and then he can walk right up along
side Of him and put the rifle barrel to
his a before firing. In ome parts Of
the Arctic, ms at Iwillik (Repu1se Bay
there is a species called wandering
SEAL" which in the spring are known to
some upon the ice in great numbers,
usually through q large crack, and move
quite a distance from the open water.
This affords the natives a grand oppor-
tunity, and the entire village, men,
women and children, repair to the spot
and by getting between the seals and the
water cut off their escape, so that they
fall an easy prey to the clubs with which
they are slaughtered by the men. In