Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Life below zero

Jesus that Sue is horrible shot, yes slow night on the boob tube..

Not great at riding snowmobiles either!

I've never seen her hit anything. Watching her form, she has a very bad flinch and I almost swear she closes her eyes in anticipation of the shot.

But but!!, can you hang with her?

And I wish the Hailstone's would get some half decent rifles! Chip may not be able to own modern firearms, but there are also plenty of BP he could get into!

yeah he needs a good knight or at the least a cva optima. He could do some damage then

He can hunt with modern rifles again, he's off probation etc.

What is that rifle Agnes Hailstone uses, that Chip was shooting on the show yesterday? Is it a Lee Enfield? It seems that for the money they make from the show, a scoped Model 7 in 7-08, would be a wise investment, given the number of animals they miss/wound with the open sights......talk about spraying and praying....

I believe he has a thing for Mosin Nagants, so that is what the family gets to use..

At least that part of the show is reality. Not like the hunting shows where no animal is ever missed or shot in the guts.
It's not pretty, but we know that's reality that it happens sometimes.

but I agree with you, if they got some decent guns with optics they would probably save themselves quite a bit of time and money in the long run.

a damn shame that reality is spray and pray. With irons. At unknown distances, and wind, in herds. I get it. I understand it. But I cannot handle it.

A lot depends on what the editors do with it;
We can hit a nail once, but if 3 camers (lots of go pros) catch it, you might see it hit 3 times and even in slow motion.

We use Finnish Mosins because they are accurate, reliable and the weight keeps recoil very mild dosent kick Agnes;'s shoulder off.We used to have a vast collection, but most of that was sold off apon my conviction to pay for Audio forensic Specialists and lawyers.
Were fine with open sights and if we would want a scope, then well get one, or use one from the collection.
The only troubles the Mosins ever get is getting clogged with snow, just like any other rifle, and with all the wood, our hands dont freeze to the steel, it balances quite nicely and the cleaning rod keeps the chamber swabbed and the snow unplugged from the barrels end, the sling is on the side and the straight bolt handle makes for an easy grab in deep cold..
I gave the wifes M1A NM a workout and Ive been plugging away with it plenty, but its still not quite what I like in sights, and getting used to the peeps is gaining. The only problems I had with the M1a was a cracked feed lip that let my rounds all come out at once, and actually on camera LOL!
We have always been able to afford any rifles we want, and we use what we like. ''Only accurate rifles are interesting' said Atkins or some writer such as he.......and we agree. The Finish M-39's are hard to beat.

Another reality is that we haven't lost any animals. They just take time to die, and its not a perfect world.We shoot them and let them keel over. Growing up in Montana, I was taught that after a shot, dont chase them right away, let them die or laydow or whatever and then track and retrieve. In the open Tundra, blood on snow is no mean feat of tracking.
As far as ''Shooting into the herd' thats just BS. The one and only time you see anything close to that was a herd passing and the producer didnt get a ''Kill shot'' on the Caribou we had down, so they were urging Agnes to shoot 'over' the animals that were passing; she wouldnt, but she smiled, and shot the ground about 20 feet in front of her, (its a hillside) and you can plainly see the bullet strike, and the rock/snow fly, if you look for it.
Caribou are like fat puppies, Fat Caribou run slower than the skinny ones, so often the camera follows the 'big knot' while were shooting the last few who are a bit strung out from the rest.Once we had a Cameraman who could listen and remain calm, all was well.
Until my conviction, I was the Hunter in the family, and shooting a moving Caribou is a skill I have and as I was convicted just before the show started, Agnes was learning the techniques and terrain I had previously been at. The one nice thing about all that was that I got to take her places I had previously hunted alone and she had only been to occasionally.

I am a Felon no more. Since last Dec 12th, when Judge DiBennadetto set aside my conviction with no contest from the state.
I , my Lawyer and the FBI are hopefully dealing with the Alaska State Troopers, and thats that.

When I was able to use BlackPowder weapons, I had only Pyrodex to shoot, and if you have ever tred that at -20 you will know that hang fires , misfires and nothing at all is about 1/2 the shooting. A hangfire had me shoot 400 feet over a Muskox on one....LOL! In AK, Felons must use BP made before 1898 or before, or a replica thereof. No inlines, no scopes, nope.

I used to post here as Ehailstone in the way back past, but gave up most of my internet forums ( I couldnt leave a couple )when we started the show.
Now Im around home until mid January, so I rejoined, looked at the Alaska forum, and ''BINGO!" here we are LOL!!!

Cheers guys, Im glad to post and read here again.

Chip, Welcome! Glad to hear a bit more of the info.

I'm very glad to see and hear first hand that what one sees on TV isn't reality at all. That its much different.

Since the wife and I have shot irons just a bit to fair distances, a suggestion for you on the M1A is that you try different aperture sizes in the rear sight. It helps crisp up the front and the front is all that really matters. As to cracked lips, the cold does things to lots of things that normally wouldn't happen.

Congratulations on setting aside the felony!

I don't use pyrodex, don't like the stuff at all, but sometimes like you had no choice. Prefer real black very much. still have a case of dupont from 64... it still does what it was meant to.

You have reconfirmed to me that most filmed stuff is a lot of garbage. I swore off hunting shows after being involved in filming a few many years ago and seeing how damn fake it all was.

Jeff

Welcome back! I enjoy the show, realizing all the time that what we see is at the mercy of some editor. I am always intrigued by what you folks eat - do you ever get fresh vegetables? Best, John

Indeed , for the most part of course, it is what you see, no one tells us what do say or what to do, and we talk to the cameraman and producers as we do it (they both film).

Its not at all 'fake' rather what it 'IS', is T.V., which is highly edited by non hunters in Hollywood. Unless someone watches us live, there is simply no other way to get it on a screen. To me, ''Fake' would be "Realease The Salmon!, Cue the Caribou!!, get the dummy animals in a herd!!!, now scatter them!!! '''''' , etc, etc....and since whats filmed its actually whats happening, I downgrade 'Fake' into "edited', and the real gets made into a viewable story of what happened.
A side line to that also is that when we , say, cut fish, it takes 10 minutes to film such, when my wife can have a salmon cut and hung in under a minute. We always say ''Were not paid to do what we do, because we do it anyways, were paid to be patient and not kill the crew'' and we remind ourselfs of this quite often.

''But'' there is always an editor looking to 'enhance' things with moody music, a commercial interruption at a busy moment, a couple repetitive shots and drawing out things (seemingly) for some great effect.
Most all of the problems with getting the crew, the producer, the editor ,took a couple seasons to ''Tune in' and get the same crew to learn the terrain, the trails, the cold, the animals and such, and by the third season, the jackass stuff was pretty much over and we seem to have a good handle on keeping the story as it happens.

Nat Geo got rid of all the scripted set up stuff; Alaska State Troopers, Live Free or Die, Legend of Mick Dodge, etc, etc, and Port Protection is being revamped and might be back, the others are all just re-runs now, only Life Below Zero and Wicked Tuna survived the culling to ''docu-series'
3Emmys and were on our 7th seasons filming.

For fruits and veggies, we gather a wide variety, though 'greens and Berries' are most of that, and we have one very expensive store in the village, where we buy Apples, oranges, Potatoes and canned food. Food is expensive, gas is cheaper (now 6$ a gallon, down from 7.85$) and the food here most people eat cant be bought in a store; Sourdox greens, Caribou, Ducks, etc. The culture here is Eskimo, and the food is a huge part of any culture.....where would Italians be without Spaghetti?

Ill try the different aperture, Rost495 though I do very well with a Spring/Summer's worth of practice to 600 yards, its just that after 30 years , a new type of sights isnt something to jump into. The cracked mag lip was because I bought 2 well used 10 round mags only a couple days before we hunted a Bear, as the 20's are too much to lug or ride with.

Hahahhaa! I can't believe you're on here. I think my family and I have watched ONE reality show ever it was Life Below Zero. I'll be one of the honest people that admit that we all happily talk schit about all of you but in the end we found it educational and entertaining.

Your kids and family seem alright. Edited or not. Always loved the seagull egg hunting episodes.

Enjoy your time back home.

Big fan here as well. Great to have you on board, and if there is anything I can do in merging accounts or whatnot, just let me know. Otherwise, our casa es su casa.

LBZ is about the only show my 8yo will watch. Glad to see you got your guns back, Chip. Also glad to see that young one behind a rifle getting shown the ropes. That’s a great picture.

I watch very little TV, but one of my favorite shows.

Nice to see you here, Chip.

Oh going by TV, but you seem a good family man and a good friend to those who rely on you.

My favorite comment of yours "the women fricken rule everything", or something along those lines.
Welcome.

Careful Chip, the guys over at AOD will think you're cheatin' on them!

Big fan here also. My wife and I love to see how you spend time with your kids. It is obvious that you are a close family. Only wish some of what you and your family do together would spread down to the lower 48. Welcome back to the campfire. I enjoy your posts on the Alaska Hunting Forum.

It is good to hear from you again Chip. I followed your posts years ago. Glad to hear the real truth. Your show is one of only 2 reality tv shows I watch. I seldom post as I am too busy trying to live the kind of life you get to live. I enjoy the close relationship you have with your family. I particularly like the HONEST wear that your equipment shows. From the lack of bluing on the guns to the much used and tarnished boat. They show a life well lived.

She had to relearn how to shoot, left handed. Different guns and all, due to the snowmobile accident she had. She broke a few things. She has trouble with recoil now.

Glad that your Back! I enjoy the show, one of the few that I watch!

quit watching it when I dumped Direct TV


Sue was hawt ..................

Take a trip to see sue and teach her too shoot!

We had an agreement you don' t post on my threads and I don't post on yours..

I think I deserve a finders fee..

I hear strahan crying in Costa Rica

Caribou, welcome aboard , again. Really like the show. I thought those were Finn M39s I saw there.

Welcome Chip! Love your portion of the show.

Could you pull some strings and have them start filming campfire member sitkadeer? Hes the male version of sue, looks a lot like her, except he knows it all! Should make for some good laughs. Thanks in advanced!

Ol aksagebrush is here on the scene... Wyoming's favorite son hailing from Rock Springs .....

Chip, welcome back. I'm a fan of the show, and been watching for several seasons.

Thanx for the ''Thumbs up"' and to those who abhor 'Reality TV'' , I dont blame you a bit.

I grew up with no TV, so did the wife, and its always been that way, except while homeschooling and theres a lesson on VCR, and now laptops....but that was structured and no commercials, ta boot.

The first ''Reality' show I saw was on MTV, back when there was ''M'' in the deal. 11 lesbians trying, in turn , to get a date with a gay guy shooting hoops at the beach.....that was never gonna work out and the lashings each gave and got when they left the bus was hilarious.
Our show is basically what were doing at the time, be it hunt, fish, craft or what not. Theres what we tell the ''Producer' who also films and we get the story down in notes and tons of hours of film/gopro. Then the story of what we did and all that footage gos south to LA where they pick out the shots that THEY feel make the show, and bombard us by phone wit questions, constantly, so they understand what were doing, why and where. Thats OK, Nat Geo pays my minutes on my sat phone
Hours of snow machine riding or boat driving dont get put in, neither does the cold or how sore and tired we are at the end of each day.
There are ''specialty shots'' such as a shell casing flying out of the gun in slow mo, blood dripping from a knife and such that werent actually happening ( getting on film that is) when we took the shot or such, and these are set into for ''visuals' to catch the eye. We have no control over that, or any other cast, Though we did meet Andy once, and hes a pretty cool guy, at least at dinner

Its a TV show, and were fairly normal people. It was my writing all those years that brought Nat Geo to us, and I cant complain, I still get to do my normal stuff and when I am being patient, I get paid, eventually..... LOL!!

Will there be any sweet karate scenes? Samurai swords scenes similar to Steve segal in his reality show when he was a deputy sheriff in Louisiana "what's going on up in here" hands down best reality tv show ever until they got carried away blowing a door up and chit went sideways.. nope it's wasn't blowing a door up, they ran a apc through a house. Anyhow soon after show was cancelled sad day in America

We gave up cable and satellite TV a long time ago. We never watched your show until we started Netflix. The only 2 shows I watch is the original NCIS and Life Below Zero. I love the show.

Will your daughters get the tattoo like mom, and what does it mean.

I watched the episode tonight where mom was teaching Mary how to get the net ready for herring. Glad to see the closeness of your family and glad you are posting here.

Karate' scenes? Hmmmmmmmmmmm....I doubt Segal is available anymore, now that he's running for governor of Siberia.....maybe we could get Chuk Norris, AKA Walker, Texas Ranger and his delusion induced Indian up here? How about a wild drunken fight? That can be found quite naturally.......it is dividend time..... Ill look out my window, its quit raining and people are walking....

That would be 'reality' in its modern post Orwellian meaning, and a newspeak like ''Undocumented Immigrant" and such.....LOL!!


To answer further on our Finnish Mosin preferences, Gun makers like SAKO, Tikka and Valmet made barrels and parts, rebuilt the receivers of assumed, captured and bought Mosins of all forms and dates and upgraded them with new barrels, sights and stocks.
SAKO was the private firm that made rifles and such for the Finish Civil Guard, a self funded organized militia, while Tikka and Valmet made Mosins for the Finnish Army. When war came the CG filled out the ranks of the small army and brought their rifles to war. Both Army and CG rifles were closely modeled, but it wasn't until the M-39 that both the CG and the SA (Finish Army) had the same rifle. After Armistice with Russia, the Finns abolished the Civil Guard, but retained all the rifles that werent taken home by the men at the end of hostility's.
The M-39 is neither full length as the original M-91 Mosin, nor as short as , say, an M-38, though the SA had a limited issue of M-27 RV Carbines for their cavalry. Its a rifleman's rifle.
The stocks are short chunks of Birch. Finger and dovetail joined, glued and pinned into sold, thick and unwarpable in the extreme temperatures. The wood covers the steel so our hands dont freeze to them and the weight makes balance and recoil manageable for short stature Eskimo Women I know .....LOL!!
The safety is solid, locks the bolt shut and easy enough that all my daughters can apply and release them with a few word of instruction.
The sights are simple and far enough forward that my 49 year old eyes still pick them up as a reflex.
The triggers are excellent, the bolt is straight and unbent.
The wife did grab a PU scoped Mosin, a 'Molot' import Isvhesks and original with light refurrb but still all matching. She was trying to get the hang of the scope, but ended up using it by ducking the scope and using the irons. Its fun to shoot, I did this summer, and a chin rather than cheek hold is necessary, but its dead simple and easy.....but just not me , either.

The worlds highest scoring sniper, a Finn, Simo Hayha made 530+ kills with an open sighted SAKO M-28 Mosin, in less than 100 days, in country very very similar to our part of the world here.
I bought an M-28/30 and a case of Chinese 7.62x54r when I turned 18, after shooting a friends devastatingly accurate Finn M-24 Mosin at a dump outside of Kalispell. Ive been hooked ever since, especially after I researched them and the Finn use in both their wars with the Soviets.

In our previous collection, we had Mosins of every flavor, and the wife kept the Finns,and a few others.
One of my favorites is a matching 1939 Isvehsks 91/30 in a Finn stock, with an SA swakensmacked, and LPGar on the receiver; So it was made and issued by the Soviets, was captured by the Germans and reissued to a guard in an aircraft park 'Luftpark Geladan', then sold to the Finns in 1943 and restocked and issued out again ,and , of course a discreet CAI stamp near the front sight, as it was imported to this country....


This is my daughter Carol, trying out my M-39 , and ,I her SKS at the 300 yard gong I have staked onthe sandbar across the river. We set out 9 gongs at various ranges and plink with Mosins to .22s. it actually FEELS GOOD to shoot .

Great hunting rifles, if you give 'em care like a gun should and clean consistent ammo.

I look forward to hearing more of what you have to say and watching your shows. Hopefully there will be more life below zero shows to come out anyway.

What does this mean?

I thought that only applied to Sundays?

Our mutual friend, Mike Strahan is working on his tan, reading his Spanish/English dictionary while eating bananas, and due to his wifes health issues, they have moved to Costa Rica.

Alaska may be Paradise, but God has plans for many to move out.......

Anyways, posting chit is a hobbie and if it puts a smile on an outdoorsmans face or Boot in socialist face, Im all for it

Today is 'Jam Some Joe Walsh Day' in my house as I put my Summers stuffs away and pull out the winters stuff..........does that make me Conservative?

Nope makes you raging kotzebue Democrat this place being overran with commies.. lol

Anybody that jams to joe Walsh has got to be a good guy.
Have you listened to Joe's latest album. I think it's called
Analog Man.

Thanks,

It puts a smile on my face

Geno

Welcome back to the 'Fire Chip! I use to read a lot of your posts over on the AOD but I stopped going there quite some time ago, that place is just of full of pompous a-holes and know-it-alls. I remember one story you wrote that involved a your wife shooting a very large grizzly, did it make the book or did you ever have it measured?

Glad to know that life below will continue. Sure like last alaskans also and hope it continues. A couple of the only shows that have the least amount of drama in them IMHO.

You've tweaked my interests again, I'll have to dig out the Mosin again and see how it shoots after all these years.

Jeff

Chip,

Welcome to the campfire, and don't take this wrong LOL - but we usually welcome new people by telling them to GFY

And with that, I'm a fan of the show. I truly enjoy seeing you teach your family the skill of self reliance. I grew
up trapping muskrat, mink, skunk, weasels etc. Beavers were too much work for me. At the time, fur prices
were high and I made more money off of muskrats do the the volume, and not having to drive 250 miles a day
round trip to check traps.

What type of ammo are you using in the Mosin ? How many weeks a year do you have a film crew following
you around ?

Owl

Greetings Chip, and welcome back.
Since I made the "spray and pray" comment, I will own up to it and freely admit that I am glad to learn the caribou hunts are better executed than they are sometimes portrayed on the show......and it is good to hear that the older rifles are serving you well. I played around with several M96 Carl Gustaf Swedish Mausers for several years and was surprised how accurate they still were, but now that my eyes are pushing 60 I do appreciate optics for most of my hunting.....

Great to have you here Chip. I followed LBZ from the beginning.

No chip....folks dog the show and chip and his family’s practices.
Chip shows up....we love you chip!!!
Ahhh humanity.

Don’t sweat AOD chip, half the guys here still frequent there. They just come over here to blow steam off that AOD won’t let you vent. And to make sure everyone else with a question or opinion different than theirs know they are wrong.

Always fun to read on your families adventures. Someday I’m gonna stop by.

Cuz 😉

Or you could be a bit out of line there, viewing what we see we form opinions. then we get the real scoop and are allowed to change views. At least last I checked we were but I do digress

My comments were meant not as a degrading comment to all who contribute to these forums but more as an enlightener to this thread. Sorry if offense was taken it was not meant.

Im not offended in the least, and I dont mind the questions.

Not everyone has the view I do, and in a civil manner, I just tell folks whats going on, like it or not.

When folks get rude and downright personal, Im not adverse or slow to tell some one to take a [bleep] and roll in it. Sometimes I even help them acheive that, but thats village life for a white guy LOL!!!

The internet is not personal. I'm out to share and have a good time, Posting is a hobbie when I am in the ''house''.


Also, there ARE things that even I and Agnes disapprove of, and when it comes to the show, we try our best to have the editors relay just what happend, and keep it in context.

For example; on one show, my wife went Seal hunting in her cousin Victors boat because ours was running rough.. The crew rented our small boat, and Victor drove them, employed as a boat driver.
Son Jon shot a Seal, it sank.
Victor dosent have a fish finder, and when it sank to the bottom, they really couldnt do more than drag for it with hooks. They didnt get it, and that concluded said scene.....however , our small boat is set up for such and withing a couple minutes, it was landed in small boat, by using the fishfinder in the shallow Sound.
That pissed alot of people off, thinking we shoot and abandon or such, but really, would it have helped to show a chase boat pluck the Seal from the bottom, or just follow and film the happenings in the boat? It will always be whats going on amongst ourselfs, and were fairly satisfied with what we do and how its portrayed.

Hunting isnt perfect.

I'm really glad that you shared that. I remember that episode and was bothered by it. Thanks.

Not living in Alaska but I really enjoy the show. I have one question. The guys and gals that live in real remote locations hunt a lot of different game animals. Caribou seem to get a lot of attention. Is there a limit on them or can they harvest what they need to survive the winter, same as with the Moose etc.? Also is there a limit on seals or does Agnes get to harvest as many as she wants because she is a native Alaskan? I think the girls are better shots than most average hunters. Also get a kick out of the gal in the isolated fly in camp she isn't afraid to say she screwed up.

Were 9,000 people in the Northwest Arctic Borough, larger than the state of Indiana.
We have a 'hub', Kotzebue with almost 4,000 people and 11 outlying villages spread along the coast and interior rivers.
We have the Western Arctic Caribou Herd ''WACH' with 250,000 Caribou currently.
The Caribou are all on the North Slope in the Summer onteh North side of the Brooks Range, and then south to the Seward Peninsula in winter, in a never ending migration.
We , when here in Noorvik, have them pass by in Fall and again in Spring. Fat in Fall, good for dark cold Winter, and lean in 24 hours sunny, breezy Spring, good times for drying to save and eat all Summer.
Subsistence is a poor word for a wonderful life style of hard work Hunting, Fishing and Gathering.......... It should be called ''Wild food gathering''.....has a better, truer sound to it, eh?
Since people here depend on the meat, we are ''Subsistence Hunters'' meaning we hunt for Wild Meat. One Bull Caribou , in our house alone, lasts about a week. We simply cannot tire of Caribou meat..........can Germans tire of Beer? LOL!!
Subsistence is for EVERYONE in Alaska........ There is no age , color or income that would disqualify anyone who is a State resident from hunting for meat. If your a millionaire, and you want Caribou meat, because maybe you were raised on it and maybe your from up this way, well, you still cant buy that in a store. People on food stamps generally dont hunt , but often supplement their source of food, while a lot of guys work oil fields or the Red Dog Mine and work 2 weeks on, 2 weeks hunting. Caribou is the core of a traditional diet here, much like Spaghetti is for Italians. Food is the core of a culture, no matter how its outward appearance is.
Our limit is 5 per day. No one hunts more than a few days,usuall only one, as 5 Caribou is a days work, 10 fill a boat, 4 fill a sled.... and we give alot of our catch to my wifes extended family, some old, some single, some kids, some fish, some babysit, some exchange is always going on, and food is a great medium to exchange.



We hunt alot of Caribou, but we also trade for things like berries, if we didnt get enough of our own, or dryed /smoked fish, etc.
We also make art and clothing to sell from them as well, so we can have money to keep hunting. Its a big cirlce, and no different than anyone else whop works for them selfs. The skins at various times of year are usefull for clothing, sleeping bags, tent floors, thermos covers, ect. Antlers can be fashioned into a lot of things and sold for gas $
We did a few Museum displays and such, made some serious Money

Only Native Alaskans that reside by the coast can hunt Federally protected Sea Mammals.
In 1970's the world came to an agreement to end Commercial Hunting of Marine Mammals. Native Alaskans, who , like Indians down South, are a separate Nation with in the US, as is Samoa and Puerto Rico. ( remember, in the Constitution, Indians are to be negotiated with, and besides that, because they were not citizens, war could be 'legally' waged on them, lands taken, etc.) They had representation and showed conclusively that they had a history of Subsistence (personal use) use of Marine Animals. Basically they eat Whales instead of boiling them down into oils for soap and such. Canada, Greenland, Fereo Islands, Iceland, Norway and Russia all have subsistence hunts as well.
Anyways, because the NAACP, the KKK, the Democratic Party and others failed to speak up for the ''others'' that were non Native Alaskan and keep their ''subsistence rights'
Native Alaskans do not have ''Special privileges'' so to say, its that they never lost theirs....... much like having a drivers license isnt a special privilege because someone else lost theirs to a DWI........

Theres no limit on how many Seals can be caught, but , again, its all shared out.Most people dont hunt the Ice Pack, but the ones taht do have something special and delicious , when they get it in the boat.
As well, theres a lower population of people here than 120 years ago, and the dog teams are gone, so 10-16 extra Seal/Caribou eating mouths are not munching down, and theres fewer hunters out there , altogether.





When the Native Corperations were formed to manage lands returned to those who owned them, these folks decided to keep Hunters Hunting and as much of their culture as they could. No fences, limited roads and the herds flow as they did 10,000 years ago......

But that, too, is subject to change...........

The girls have 2 rifle ranges of steel gongs set at 100 yard intervals, as well, we chuck wood in the river and shoot it as is moves, and moves further away, and thats good hunting type shooting practice, as well as good for markswomanship

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/tg4QBw4m/IMG_5756.jpg[/img]

Great pictures Caribou. And thanks for sharing some history snd behind the scenes information.

Enjoy the show too!

Thanks, that is all interesting info, great pics.
Been a fan of the show from the beginning.
Glad you got all that legal stuff squared away.

Love the Walrus photo.

good to see that old humpback browning or Remington in that boat still kicking up there. Good stuff. enjoy the show. Would love to come experience up there one day

Chip, I watch your show whenever its on as I spent 4 years in your country and am somewhat familiar with the area and the villages.

It makes the show more interesting to have a connection with the area and to know I probably know sme of the same people you do.

Good luck and keep on keepin on.

Chip, finally saw the lost seal show last night. Glad to know the behind the scenes on that.

Appreciate your sharing all the info when you have time. Makes for better viewing IMHO.

Great job with the wife, kids and grandkids, keep up the good work. If everyone treated family as well, sharing, educating etc... the world would be a better place.

Like some of the people on the show. Great scenery. A few of the people just try way too hard...too much acting

Thanks Chip for answering my questions. Saw the show last night and your Daughter (Carol?) is one heck of a shot. Love the way everybody in your family relates to each other and it always looks like they are having fun. Didn't know you could start a fire off a snowmobile engine.

Well ain't this a hell of a development? LBZ bashing abated! Never seen anyone that can shut the campfire down that quick!

Chip, good to see you here, and yes, I enjoy your family and show. You folks sure work hard at it up there. I spent just one year in Alaska but mostly drank beer and ate pizza. When I wasn't doing that I hunted and fished, but it's hard to compete with pizza and beer when you're 19 years old.

Question; why not move the sights rather than let Sue aim off to one side and high? I thought that was plain silly.

Carry on.

I watched the show last night and couldn't stop laughing at Sue Aiken, struggling for food and water at her new place on the Chena. She can't be more than 10-20 miles from Fairbanks but acts like she's living on the Kurupa in the Brooks Range. And those stupid damn hats........................lol.

That’s “reality” tv for ya.

Same for the Kilchers. If we don’t kill a moose we’ll starve to death.

Just go to the fuggin Safeway/Carr’s store. It’s 5 miles away on a paved road.

I will say this, it doesn't look to me that Sue Aiken will starve to death any time soon. For someone that struggles to get food, she sure is a "healthy" female specimen. lol

Well, ok.

Don't have cable/dish, and would not watch that crap if I did.

No offense to any one that likes that crap!

What ever is comming outta Sue's mouth, comes from her mind..........and I assume its the same for the others.

Were never told what to do or say, but it is odd when someone asks the question and answers it.......LOL!
Were constantly talking to the camera guys. Were lucky in our segment to have each other to talk to, so we dont look so Loco.

I , too do not watch the show, I have no TV, and I was there, anyways LOL!!

Im glad ya like it, even if you dont. If I wanted ''fans'', theres always facebook..........

Lord no, not facebook.....

Seal question.

The meat always looks really bloody and dark. So dark it looks like what we would toss as bloodshot from a deer.

How strong flavored is it and is it just always like that, it can't be the whole seal is blood shot?

Not sure I could stomach some of that stuff, looks like it would taste different than Kolaches, LOL, but I sure hope I get the chance to try different stuff like that once in my life.

'''Just say ''No'' to Facebook....LOL!!

.....instagram, twitter and myspace are all for the birds....

There are several types and sizes of Seals out there.

Seals have a TON of blood in them, and its VERY dark reddish black, full of iron that hold the oxygen they dive deeply with.
When its dried, we call it ''Black Meat'' and rightly so.


This one looks like a shotgun and harpoon were used.


Seal blood is very thick and tacky and can sorta be used like glue.
http://vid53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/DSCN3810_zpsr2odjqpf.mp4
Eating Seals are like eating a Beefsteak, in texture, but like King Salmon in taste. Very rich in fats, oils and proteins, with iron and vitamin C in quantity too
Seal oil has almost no flavor, just a hint of the ocean, until it ages, and then it only gets worse....

Good Show..You Sure Are Living The Good Life..

I watched an episode tonight in which Eric Salitan, the kid from Wiseman, killed a caribou with a rifle within sight of the Dalton Highway. I’m curious why he gets a pass on the five mile restriction the rest of us have to observe.

I thought I saw the pipeline....... and we dont really interact with other on the cast. The crews are sorta super secret soviet about such..

Were tracked by SPOT/GPS, cameras/gopro's keep rolling and journals are kept by several people at once.
'Sue Proofing'' so we dont sue them or have a land use dispute or get lost, and the fact/law checkers are constantly asking us [bleep].........LOL!
We dont have those troubles, maybe some others do.
Ill say, when the wife ran the ol' SAKO through the gas tank trying to close the gap on a Fox for a shot with the .22lr that go's along trapping, the Gopro that flew off her ski was what caught the action (I missed it , I was 200 yards away, looking a trap) and the camera guy gave a crap enough to assist her and didnt get the crash on his camera. I just looked up when the engines stopped and wondered why they were standing there.....

Yes, "locals" are exempt from the 5 mile rule on the pipeline north of the Yukon.

From the Federal Subsistence Regs:

● The Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area,
which consists of those portions of Units 20, 24, 25, and 26 extending five miles from each side of the Dalton Highway from the Yukon River to Prudhoe Bay, is closed to the use of motorized vehicles, except aircraft and boats, and to licensed highway vehicles, snowmobiles, and firearms except as provided below. The use of snowmobiles is authorized only for the subsistence taking of wildlife by residents living within the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area. The use of licensed highway vehicles is limited only to designated roads within the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area. The use of firearms within the Dalton Highway Corridor for subsistence taking of wildlife is authorized only for the residents of Alatna, Allakaket, Anaktuvuk Pass, Bettles, Evansville,
Stevens Village, and residents living within the Dalton
Highway Corridor Management Area.

Jeff

Jeff,

Thanks. I’m on the slope and didn’t have a copy of the regs handy to look up the rules.

Mart

You're quite welcome Mart. I dug into this years ago, on one of my first work trips based out of Coldfoot. Got to talking to a few locals who were moose hunting with rifles and asked how? Federal Subsistence trumps the ADF&G "5 mile Corridoor" firearm restriction. Part of it bugs me, but on the other hand, if it were legal for everyone, the number of fatal accidents on the Dalton would be staggering. Heavy 18 wheelers hauling azz, and slow/stopped road hunting retards by the hundreds(or more), would be a recipe for disaster. Some of the bowhunters I see every year are bad enough as it is.

Jeff

And consider the fact the only "successful" piercing of the pipeline by rifle fire was a local...

And lots of unsuccessful dings and dents over the years. I wonder if that idiot is still in the Graybar Hotel? His brother was on a bender and broke into one of the mountaintop radio sites a few years after his siblings genius move. He got a ride in a Trooper helicopter. Nice family.

Jeff

Curious too, made me look... he is in jail, but it is related to multiple felony assaults in a DV situation in 2016. So he served less than 15 for shooting the pipeline with a HUGE but petty rap sheet prior. Dirt bag.

I had him in one of the mods I supervised when I worked in corrections. He wasn't too popular with anyone, inmates or officers. Even the native inmates didn't like him.

I suppose just being an idiot vandal is not very prestigious...

You would have to be a real scum if the NB wont take you in.......

Thieves, vandals, and just general dirt bags trying to get high is a good size of a prisons population. Take the drugs away and you have some decent humans around, and of course, there's the terminally stupid everywhere....

Being a woman beater, a child molester a kid killer or a cop can be a slow, hungry sentence for the perp.......'' Taxed' as they call it, starved, extorted, picked on and bullied, sometimes turned into ''Missiles'' sent to do a dirty deed in trade a square meal.....

These kind of guys being starved and beaten down is the norm, and one of the few entertainments the psycotic's have in there.

Chip, enjoy the show & your laid back, tell it how it is approach. The way you interact with your kids is just the way it should be, Every school kid should be required to watch this show.

Dick

Thanx, Idaho. Its basically doing what we do, slowed down.

We are quite average, and have our share of problems, some personal, some village wide LOL!!! Nothing really bad though, and taking it easy getting them grown up, is easier than ramrodding kids into the barrel and firing them out into the world.
They hit 18 years old running.

Basically I try to instill a sense of what were doing to the camera guy, while showing it to my kids, and those who watch the raw footage and edit it. Whats nice is having ''professionals'' as the ladies call themselves and we've gone from teaching the kids, to just working comfortably alongside them.
Along with that, having respect for others and working every day gives kids good self respect, and being ''In the Action'' theres no need for lies..

Chip, my wife and I really enjoy your show, too. We were talking the other night admiring how your family interacts and they way you treat your family. Not a better measure of a man than that.

Curious as to what you did before you got into your current lifestyle. Did you have another job, profession, etc?

Caribou,
I have followed, read about your adventures on P B for a long time, loved the photos and writing of your adventures and way of life. what happened to P B it sends me to milsurpshooter.net and will not load did P B go belly up?
Have not seen the show but am looking forward to checking it out. My wishes for success.
charlee

If you seen it, I hope you like it.

I had quite a few blogs and places to post before Nat Geo came along, though if you did follow any of that madness, you will certainly understand what you see on the show, at least in my familys segments.
I lost touch with all but maybe 3 places I posted and blogged, and I haven't gotten back with most.

Previously, as a teen, I was a Ranch/Farm hand, of seasonal and sudden work in northwest Montana,in the Flathead Valley. Ive delt with many a cow, picked a ton of mushrooms, plucked and chucked a mountains worth of rocks, stacked enough hay bales to make the first little piggy a TajMahal of his own and shaped more enough Christmas Trees to not ever be on Santa's bad list, ever....etc. But there was always time to hook or shoot something, the rivers, forests and mountains were free.....
When I came to Alaska I got a job making lures to sell in Kenai, then a better paying one checking out small engines at the Exxon Valdez spill, , then went to visit my mom and brother in Kotzebue and landed a job loading and unloading aircraft, for 25$ an hour and didnt see a need to return to Montana.... saved some $$ even.
I quit Mark Air, Took some schooling in mechanics,EMT and Diesel tec, and found a job in a gold mine pumping water and maintenance on Cats of all numbers playing in waist deep mud...... but winter work was with Reindeer herders and what ever was happening, so I fell into the local habit of spot jobs, temps seasonal jobs with trapping, hunting and such in between.
Then I hooked up wit the wife and though we lived in a village, we certainly didnt stay there much, and thats just continued. Going camping was a childhood passion, and I never saw a reason to stop... Homeschooling had laptops arrive to our camps and I started saving photos, etc, and getting all the kodachromes on the electronic gizmos.
We made customary and traditional clothing and crafts for museum displays, % for Arts, and personal collectors and got premium prices for the furs we caught, tanned and sew'd, and it made gas $ for the next adventure. Even then, the $ was good.
The blogging , pictures and posts were from my life long hobbies of photography and writing short storys, and telling a unique view of what was happening around me and my family.
Life Below Zero came along as we made arts and crafts for sale and out doors tours/birding and needed to advertise, so along came the day we ''opened for business'' but instead of customers, it was Hollywood on the phone.....

Quite a story. Thanks for sharing.

I can certainly relate. I did my share of temp jobs early on, anything I could get to put groceries on the table and set back some money. i probably learned more from those experiences in my early years than during any time since. One is really only as deep as his experiences. It eventually shows.

I do hope you keep up with your writing. It has the quick, fresh immediacy of a good watercolor and shows your world, your impressions and your thoughts in a way that, good as they are, Nat Geo cannot. We need folks like you to stay part of the culture. Happy Trails.

All I know is that it's pretty hard to fake what a properly raised kid acts like, and the Hailstone kids seem to be better grounded than most any kid you'll find in the lower 48 and that weirdo island chain...

Chip/Caribou, I've conversed with you a couple times on the Alaska outdoor forum. Glad you're here but I still visit that forum at times. That's where I heard the bad news. I know you heard about Jake Jefferson's wife. He guided me twice in your great state. Keep up the good work on LBZ as me and the wife enjoy it, even Sue at times. I do enjoy your "handle" on Alaska forum better though. I know you are not from Mars, but didn't know about Montana!!!

Mark

Chip, I (and I would assume quite a few others as well) would like to step into your world for a little while, knowing full well that I could not manage to pull it off full time. I am curious if you have thoughts along those lines - wishing to experience a different lifestyle for a bit before returning to your normal life, and if so, what that might involve.