Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-07-20
OFFERS,
PROFIT IN HUNTING THEN

A letter from Alaska TO hOreSi ana
Stream says The fkin ot the otter u
worth more THAI that Oi any other AMI
nal excepting to royal ermlle' u
brings IN Alaska from tbO TO slbD, ul'
like all other skins Oi this country, II
needs little assistance from th6 iuf
dressers arts tho black hairs Rfe not
dyed and tho white ones mol sewed ~,
therein differing greatly from tho imi,
taiiOn called "pointed beaver" and
from tho far seal, the raw pelt oi which
has no more beauty than that OF q calf
They are very wary animals, and ara
worthy Of being considered game, for
none but the most expert hunters are
successful In their pursuit. Unlike the
fur seal, millions Of which return an,
nually In great herds to fryboloil
Islands, whore they arc driven and
slaughtered by clubbing, tho ottera 90
singly or In pairs, aud their range IL
large ono, | believe they are found on
the western shores Oi lielning straits,
and they have been plentiful from OuI
westernmOSt possession, the island Oi
Alton, along through the Aleutian group
through tho Gulf of Alaska, and the
Indians OF VancOuyoFs island kill them
on the western coast while IN spring
making their way north,
Men Of all nations Join In their pur'
suit. and even undergo the hardahipa
incident to marriage with native women
for their sake,
The otter was to u certain extent pro-
tected. No white man could kill them,
aud no firearms could bo used IN hunt
ing them, Int with inadequate force Ia
carry out the law IL soon became q dead
letter. A number 0i white men OF yari'
ous nationalitics had Scttlcdupon the
island Of Ounga (noF the south point
OF Alaska pcninsulnl, and employed
themselves In otter hunting, In 1879
the treasury department gave special
permission to such whites IN were mar
ried 10 native women and intended tc
remain in the Territory to hunt them,
which permission put otters at a dis
count and women ut u premium But
very little ceremony was needed to give
them full rights TO both otters and
women, which without II they had
owned
These squaw.mcn by their steady
hunting, frequently with guns, are
greatly reducing the supply. At Alton
where they were once abundant, but
seven were killed last year, and in Other
resorts they are decreasing. A Skin
worth So per square foot is worth work
ing for.
The method Of hunting the otter, as
practiced by tho Indians OF Southeast
em Alaska, and l presume much the
same elsewhere, is M follows' The
hunters go in companies of three
canoes, each carrying ten paddlers, the
one in the bow being armed with
spear or bow and arrows, Lately mus
kets have been introduced, which arC
loaded with buckshot: but this is illegal
and tends to drive the animals from
their breeding grounds, which are Oh
rocky islands Just to the norlhward o.
Cape Spencer.
The animals seek these islets in May
and the hunters rendezvous at them
When an otter is seen approaching they
endeavor to form q circle to seaward OF
it, as quietly as possible, and then close
on it. When alarmed the otter dives
and endeavors to make its way to sea
Although less able to remain under
than the seal, its first dive will
sometimes last for half an hour; but il
quickly discovered and followed on re-
appearing, it soon becomes tailed, and
falls to the lot Of the boat who first
wounds it. Great care is taken to hit II
in the head, and some of the Indians
are expert shots.
ANY dispute of ownership is referred
to old Kah-hoo-doo-sak, who listens tc
all of the evidence, and gives a de-
cision which is never questioned. Will
loughby was present ut one such arbi'
tration. The old man gave the skin
worth $40, to one of the contestants
who was to pay to the other seven
blankets, worth $2l.
All captains of companies report tc
this chief the number Of their otters,
and he keeps tally. This year 12l
have been tallied, worth probably at
least $4,000. The Indians say they
don't kill the female at this spring sea-
son, but the skins of unborn sea ottel
pups are frequently on sale. | suppose
that they do refrain fully as much as
does the ordinary supporter of game
laws in New York from killing does
when in the Adirondacks and out Of
meat.