It's fun to do spur of the moment stuff! "Hey let's do this, let's do that,....Let's go seal hunting!" Without planning, anything can happen. It's fun, it's daring, you never know what will happen. Drew and I went riding on the frozen ice. It was a warm, sunny day, light breeze, and the ocean's filled with seals on the Bering Sea, St.Michael Bay. We just took off and we weren't gone more then an hour before we spotted one close to the first ridge. Theres two ridges, you have to be careful when your out on the ice, especially near spring. We spotted this seal, so we parked Drew's 340 XCR Polaris about a 150 yards away from the ridge where the seal was spotted. we left the snow-machine running to keep the seal distracted from us crawling on the ice. Being it might have heard us and may have slipped away into it's breathing hole and have lost the seal, which worked, thanks to Drew's bright idea. Before having left I was looking through pictures to work on my scrapbook and found a picture of my Upa Louie. He was working on his wooden boat, preparing to go out hunting. I thought of him the whole trip out. What he'd be doing this very moment. things he'd be gathering to prepare for a hunting trip. When we spotted that seal, I prayed that he'd be with us and he'd help us get one. I felt his presence near and blessed the moment for having given this day to us. Having sneaking up on this seal, made me thought of being in the military, it just looked silly and Drew looked like a big bear crawling on all fours! I had to laugh to myself, then I told him what he looked like when he was infront of me crawling. Lol! At about 150 yards away from the seal, we got ready, got the seal insight...held my breath a few times and made sure I was comfortable. I didn't want to have it jump into it's breathing hole, it would be gone in matter of seconds. I held my breath and shot once...missed, the shot went passed him. He looked up and I shot again, this time hitting it in the throat. " I GOT IT!", I thought. With this seond shot, it really scared the seal and dove into its breathing hole. This time, I thought it was a total loss. " Damn, he got away!" We ran up to where he was lying and there he was, face up, breathing, so I shot him again in the head. We got the rope and pulled him out! We jumped for joy that we got one! We just looked at it, smiling ear to ear! There I said a silent prayer and thanked my Upa Louie for having been with us that day. He was a great hunter and knew the ocean like the back of his hand. I knew and felt him the whole time we were out there. We loaded the seal on the sled and looked at another, smiling, hugged and kissed at the success of what we came out to do. Drew asked what I was going to do with it. I told him, " Since it's my firs seal, I must give it away." I knew my parents would love it and would be very happy to have it. It's tradition to give your first catch away to elders, in my eyes, they are. They're in that age group. Anyway, my sister Pam was at home watching the kids, we got back and proudly showed our catch. They were all happy for us. We borrowed Pam's four wheeler and loaded it on the back and headed for Stebbins. We got there, brought it in th house and waited till my parents came home, when they didn't show up, we went looking for them. I was too excited and happy at the thought of what they'd think of their daughter catching a seal. With Drew's 30-06 rifle and the first bullet that got it, We both got it. It's Our seal that we caught. I may have shot it, but it wouldn't have been a success without Drew's rifle. It was blessed with my Upa Louie to guide his granddaughter and her boyfriend to have a successful hunting story to tell, like he did. It's days like this you can get lost in, stories of a very successful seal hunting trip. I see now how the ocean has lots to offer to subsistance way of living. He used to sit at the beach and watch the ocean, Winter, Spring (ice break-up), Summers and Fall. "There" he'd say and point out the the sea, " You'll never have to go to the store for food, you'll never go hungry when you have the whole ocean infront of you, our land is full of food."
