Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-10-13
SEAL HUNTING,
How the Polar Inhabitants " Stalk" and Kill the
Seai---Tedious Work the Icy Hunting
Ground.

Seal hunting varies with the time of
the year and the nature of the ice. for
the seals are seldom killed except on or
through the ice. Ii the warm. still davs
of spring they come up through their
blow-holes in the ice and enjoy roll in
the snow or quiet nap in the sun.
Then they are killed with comparative
ease The hunter gets as close as posi-
Die upon the smooth ice without alarming
his prey, the distance varying from four
hundred to one hundred yards. He then
lies ooWn, or more correctly speaking
REGIMES, upon small piece of bear skin,
winch as he moves, is dragged along and
kept under him as a protection against
the cold and wet. His weight rests
chiefly on his left hip, the knee bent and
the leg drawn up beneath him rpon the
bear skin mat AS long as the seal is
looking toward him the hunter keens
perfectly still, Or raising his head drops
it upon his shoulder, utterino a noise
similar to that produced by seal blow
ing
When the seal is satisfied from care.
tui inspection that no danger threatens.
Its head drops down upon the ice, and It
lndulges III few winks, but suddenly
arises and gazes around if it hears the
least noise, or 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 II detected by the seal, either stops
suddenly and blows and hops around
like seal enjoying a sun-bath, as his
experience suggests. In this way he
can usually approach near enough to
shoot his prey with rife or strike it
with 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 it's hole, upon the very
verge OF which it rests, seldom venturing
more than foot or two from it's safe re-
treat. II they could only rest contented
with fair shot, the Inuits would proba-
bly, secure more game than they now do,
for the most of those [ have seen them
lose III this way went down after the
hunter had approached in easy range
say twelve or fifteen yards. They are SO
ahx1ous, however, to make sure thing
OF it, that they often try to get too near.
L have frequently timed an Inuit as he
started for seal on the ice, and found it
takes about an hour from the time he
starts in pursuit until the shot is fired.
1t is amusing to see the countenance of
seal through spyglass. They have
such an intelligent and human look that
you can 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 [ was almost sure saw
that move that time, but I must have
been mistaken" Then, with a drowsy
look, almost yawn, down goes its head,
and the hunter begins to hitch himself
along again very cautiously. Suddenly
up goes the seals head so 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 seal
Tapping it's tail, and at little distance
it is really difficult to tell which is the
seal and which the man. Then you
imagine 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 man, and it's only an ook- jock. F."
When the hunter at last reaches the
point at 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, so 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 passing down in
to the water. [ remember standing and
gazing mournfully down into hole one
day through which seal that had shot
had just escaped, though his blood
tinged the water and the edges of the
ice, and while [ was lamenting my i'll
luck [ heard 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 I
had him by the ripper, SPRAYING on his
back, at a safe distance from the hole.
This was quite good luck for me, for
such an opportunity rarely occurs,
though l have occasionally known Too
LOGAN to recover a lost one in the same
way.
When struck with spear, they sell
dom escape, for the line is fastened to
the side Of thespear head, which detaches
itself from the staff and holds on the
flesh like 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
OF '' mar-me-an-ner" (which means can
CRY, . or is an expression used when one
Is angry. He gathers up his weapons,
sits down and igbts 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 seal absolutely asleep upon the
ice and then he can walk rioht nm a1Onp