| The type of sled
that is being pulled behind the dogs is not like the typical dog
sleds you see in a magazine. It's just a flat, cargo type of sled
with a little square box tied down on it that I sit on. If anyone
thinks I'm sitting in there all snuggly warm with blankets all
around me--it's not that way. These sleds are for pulling gear
and cargo or whatever else the dogs have to pull. They are wide
open. That's why it's so easy to get thrown off. If you aren't
hanging on when they're bouncing over the ice chunks you can get
thrown off pretty easily. I've been doing quite well the last
few days, as I've been able to stay on.
The sled
An interesting thing
that's happening to me on this hunt is that I think I only have
half of my mustache left. Whenever I practice shooting, the right
side of my mustache keeps freezing to my bowstring. I can actually
see the hairs frozen to the string! Also my eyebrows have taken
a severe beating from the binoculars. Every time I look through
them my eyebrows stick to them and I loose a few more hairs. I'll
probably look like Mr. Clean when I'm done hunting here.
Something that's really
working well for me is how I keep my range finder warm. I have
an extra long cord on it so I can actually stick it down next
to my lower stomach area. This way it stays warm all the time
so that the batteries don't get cold and I can take it out easily
when I need it; check the range, and put it back in there without
it freezing up. Anything with batteries has to stay close to your
body or it's all done in a real short time.
The dogs
One of the things
that has been interesting to me is that the sled dogs' main diet
consists of seals. I offered a cookie to one of the dogs and he
refused it. That would never happen with my dogs! The Inuits hunt
the seals for the dogs and that's all they'll eat. Since I've
been on this hunt the last 10 days, they've eaten four full seals.
Those seals weigh about 200-250 pounds each. The dogs have eaten
all of them! One of the dogs evidently is partial to caribou because
the other day when I was petting him, he sniffed my coat and then
bit a chunk out of it. That really impressed me! I no longer pet
the dogs while I'm wearing my caribou clothing.
Caribo skins
Something that has
not been impressive to me since the trip started is the caribou
skin clothing that keeps us warm--it sheds all the time. So part
of my main diet has been caribou hair. Everything I eat or drink
or even think about has caribou hair in it. You get used to it
after a while--you don't have a choice.
Most of the day has
been spent pretty much like all the others--looking for big bear
tracks and stopping and glassing off the pressure ridges, except
now we're working our way back towards Resolute because of our
low supplies. I'm not looking forward to returning to town tomorrow
without harvesting a bear.
Til I get a bear
I'm planning on extending
my hunt if I don't harvest the size bear I want in the next couple
of days. I'm dug in just like a Minnesota tick. This type of hunt
is brutal, but I came here to fulfill a boyhood dream and hopefully
I'm going to do it. I talked to my "little tomato" tonight
and told her that I was staying until I harvested a bear or until
they have to come over in a boat and pick me up off an island
in the spring.
|
About
Ray
