I left
home early yesterday morning, March 2, and flew for almost two
days. Traveling tires me out. However, I always seem to meet interesting
people while I travel. I met several young people aboard the plane
who told me they had hired a guide and were going to walk to the
North Pole. They said they hoped to be there some time before
May. (They evidently have to be there before May because that's
when the ice breaks up.)
Arrival at Resolute
Now that I've arrived
in Resolute Bay, I realize that my long-awaited hunt for a polar
bear is here. The average temperature is somewhere around -35°
to -40° below without the wind chill. I'm staying at the Qausuittug
Inns North and we had musk ox for lunch. It actually tasted great.
I've met a few of the other hunters, Joe Cocozzo, a retired pro-football
player; Sam Fejes, owner of Fejes Guide Service in Alaska; and
Big Dan, a dairy farmer. Some of the other hunters are staying
at the South Camp Inn. This town is so small you can stand on
one side and throw a snow ball to the other side! There are only
about 150 people that live here.
The first thing I
did after getting settled was take my PSE Gorilla "twins"
out of my SKB bow case and hung them outside for several hours
so that I could get the feel for shooting in such cold weather.
It's late afternoon. It's so cold that my kisser button keeps
sticking to my lip each time I take a shot, and because my mustache
is freezing from my breath, it's sticking to the string. My bows
are shooting very well in these sub-zero temperatures as I practice
shooting at my Block target.
There are several
kids of all ages out here playing who have gathered around to
watch me shoot. Most of them speak good English. They are amazed
at how accurate archery equipment can be. They have all kinds
of questions to ask me--such as where I'm from, how many children
I have, and was I really hunting a bear with my bow. It's great
spending time with them.
I met my guides David
and Phillip earlier, and tonight they want me to come to their
home and try on a caribou skin parka and pants to make sure they
fit right. Tomorrow morning we're going to start out early with
the sleds and head north. I have no idea where we're going, but
we may be traveling up to a 100 mile radius from Resolute to go
look for bears.
Looking Out The Window
Everything outside
is white on white. The wind is blowing and everything is just
white. I'm looking out the window through my Swarovski binoculars
and I can see the team of dogs out on the ice in the bay that
we'll be taking in the morning. David and Phillip are packing
the tents and gear on the sleds. I'm really looking forward to
tomorrow--it's a big day. I'm really pumped up about this hunt.
But my thoughts have turned to my friend Pat Aucoin. This was
his hunt, but just four weeks ago he called to tell me he had
broken his arm. He asked if I could take his place because he
knew I had a hunt lined up for 2003. I feel very sorry about his
misfortune; however, he told me he would be "vicariously"
with me on this hunt.
We'll ride the dog
sleds hoping to cut a track on a big bear and then we'll set up
camp at dark wherever we end up. I believe the temperature will
keep dropping the further out on the ice we go, so I will definitely
have to wear the caribou skin suit.
Only Bowhunter in Town
It looks like I'm the
only bowhunter in town. There are six other hunters that have
bought tags from the Inuits. Tomorrow everyone will be heading
in a different direction. They are all using various types and
sizes of guns. I'm the only one here with a sharp stick. I'm real
confident about my bow and shooting in this very cold weather
here.
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About
Ray
