While walking around Ulukhaktok I heard a gunshot. I went to investigate and came upon two men hunting seal out on the still ice covered bay. They were standing next to open cracks in the ice and waiting for a unsuspecting seal to swim by while eating dinner. Then they would shoot at it and hopefully kill it..
You can see the rifle he was using straped to his back. Also notice the whaling harpoon attached to the side of his sled. The barb on the end is attached to an empty gas tank which acts as a floating bouey so they can follow their prey. Once the bouey stops moving, the whale is either exhausted or lifeless and will hopefully float to the surface. Pretty neat!
Ahem… Wasn’t it seals they were hunting - so the harpoon would have been used in that pursuit? (Sorry to be nit-picky)
They just had it just in case they happened upon a whale.. They said that a few days ago they harpooned one, but lost it shortly after.
Sorry! I stand corected!