Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-01-10
HUNTING THE WALRus.
How the Sport is Carried on In Raf.
fin Land.

London Globe.-As the buffalo has
been exterminated from the animal
Mhgdom, the dodo and great aux
from the bird world, and the whale
now virtually being killed out so
speedily that its early humiliation
is inevitable, SO a like fate has he
laiien the walrus, and it can now only
be obtained in the remote Businesses
OF the Arctic seas, whereas 100 wears
ago 1t abounded on the shores of
Anticosu and the Gulf
OF st. Lawrence. But the unrestrained
lust Tor the slaughter of every oil
yielding marine creature which pre.
vailed in those days caused a whole
sale butchery OF the walrus by Amer.
ican, British and colonial whalemen
and today one cannot secure a soil
tary specimen of live walrus any
where south of Hudson Strait.
There, however, venturesome voy-
ayers still pursue them, since with
their growing scarcity has come an
increase in the value of their hides,
tusks and oil. A favorite resort for
them now is Frobisher Bay. one of
the great flords that penetrate into
the heart of Baffin land. into which
1t strikes back 200 miles. Here. in
one OF Its numerous unnamed har-
bors, the walrus hunters will build
themselves hut on shore. covered
with felt and thickly banked with
snow, so as to increase its warmth
in winter, laying up their little
schooner at anchor, as the business
VIII not pay to engage a steamer.
Some Eskimo tribes are settled i'm
this bay, and with the aid of these
the hunting of the walrus, as well as
the musk oxen, polar bears and sill
yer foxes, Is done. The natives are
faithful and honest, expert hunters
and unwearying helpers; and in their
rude kayaks, or native boats. ore
equal to any emergency that the
waters of this isolated region may
create for them.
WARNS hunting Is a very risky
pursuit, as these animals become
very dangerous when they have their
young with them or are chased by
boats or kayaks. June and July are
the best months to stalk them. as
they are then hunted on the outside
Ice, which is broken up into frag.
ments, or pans and not frozen into
vast sheets like the shore ice. Large
boats, as well as kayaks, are essential
to the hunt. to pursue the quarry and
harpocn II when shot, else II will
sink The herds have always a
Waterman, and IL angry will make
Tor the boats and attack them. It
is not uncommon for an Infatuated
bull walrus TO charge a boat and rip
a plank out Of its bottom with n
single stroke Of his powerful tusks.
uness stopped by a rife bullet as he
approaches, and IL he seriously in
jures boat II has to be hauled up ON
a pan OF ice and the crew remain
there till another skin is sent out for
them, and the injured one Ia lowed
home TO be repaired, while a days
hunting is usually lost when such a
mishap occurs. More than once
boats have been upset and men
drowned by herd OF walruses at.
lacking them, and many an Eskimo
family bas lost It's bread winner by
having his frail skin kyak ripped
apart by savage specimen. himself
being thrown into the water and then
killed by his assallants tusks. These
natives do not. however. lace them
selves into the manhoes OF their
boats as do the Greenlanders, or the
fatalities would De greater. They
swim like fishes. and when attacked
abandon the boat, i've below the
water and make for a pan of ice. onto
which they Chamber until rescued.
The mode Of nshing is for a
wooden whaleboat. with a crew Of six
or eight men. TO proceed to the chase
accompanied by native in kyak
to fling the harpoon, this being the
most satisfactory way OF killing them.