Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Natives IIIlegally Kill Gray Whale in Kuskokwim River

Kamo:

Good one there!

You know how much money a guy could make bringing several pallets of R&R? You gotta wash non-traditional food down with non traditional beverages.

A Mosin Nagant in the hands of 20 inebriated natives ain't nothing to laugh at. 😉

Humpy, Chinook, Beluga, Gray.....what's the difference? It's all pink on the inside.

Art, I've heard of whales going up river to die do you think that could've been the case? Do greys (or any whales) regularly go up the Kuskokwim?

60 miles is a long way for a whale to go in freshwater.. First whale seen there in anyone's memory. That was part of the problem cutting it up, no one knew how.

I have heard first hand accounts the stench was/is incredible!

Yeah if butchering a whale isn't part of ones upbringing I'd imagine that the learning curve could be steep. I wonder how many bears will follow the stench.

Not heavy bear country, so not a lot to start...

How about wolves and coyotes? Then there are the birds.

Yeah, you are used to making fish filets, and can you imagine trying to smoke the filets ?

Just dealing with the incredible quantity of food is unreal... and without near enough room in all of the local freezers combined.

A Native coworker was talking about how good fermented walrus is... "...but it gives the whole village really bad gas!"

I'm not a picky eater in the slightest but I draw the line somewhere and Seal flipper or fermented Walrus is where my line is. 😳

I've had roast sea lion and went back for seconds, whale is a bit chewy for my taste, not sure if the seal oil I got was rancid or not, but I figure since my dog wouldn't eat it when drizzled over his kibbles that was a sign.

I think I'll pass on the fermented marine mammals.

Fresh, first rendering, Netsik (Ringed Seal) oil is almost clear, thin and has very little fish odor. It is really good for dipping dried Sheefish and dried Caribou meat in.

You can tell right away if any seal oil is first rendering or subsequent as they get darker with each rendering and the amount of heat used. The first rendering happens at room temperature or slightly above.

Dark seal oil is best used in someone else's house.

As for fermented seal or walrus flipper, too many people want to take the shortcut of putting it in a Ziplock bag to ferment and they get a really nice crop of botulinium growing. Thanks, I'll just have more muktuk,

Ed

Hi Ed! So, would the good stuff be labeled EVSO(Extra Virgin Seal Oil)?

Jeff

Only if the seal had never had sex... duh!

The seal oil I had was very clear so first rendering. I don't know how it had been cared for after rendering or how old it was. Maybe it was perfectly good and I just don't appreciate seal oil. I'd be up to trying it again especially with some dried fish or caribou.

Tupperware and walrus.........





Both like a tight seal.

Lots of methods of preserving meat do not require a freezer. Dried, salted, pickled, smoked, jerked, come to mind. I doubt they could Irradiate the meat, but a sealed beef steak so treated will store for at least 10 years, at room temp. (NO bacteria, no break down).
Only reason for the meat to go bad, would be not enough labor in time.

Glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read that, would have gone out the nose for sure.

Glad too. Would hate for you to waste a good ale.

Unfortunately I just started my two week work imposed dry spell, so no ales, lagers, stouts, ambers or pilsners were at risk