286 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 61 , FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Littlejohn (1916) believed that sea otters live on squids when 

 far from land. He did not think that the otter could dive deeper 

 than 60 fathoms, and because its normal sea-bottom diet was not 

 available, it ate squid. 



Sea Otter Hunting 



At the height of the commercial exploitation of the sea otter, 

 a number of hunting methods were used. The Russians utilized 

 the skilled Aleuts for this purpose. The various methods have 

 often been described, and the subject will be only briefly men- 

 tioned here. 



One method was to spear the animal from the native boat. Sev- 

 eral boats would surround the animal and keep it diving repeat- 

 edly until it was exhausted. In the meantime, spears were thrown 

 until the animal was dead or helpless. Later, when the rifle was 

 used, three boats would surround the otter, according to Little- 

 john (1916). Here, too, the object was to keep the otter diving 

 quickly, to prevent a long dive, until someone could manage an 

 effective shot. 



A dead sea otter will float, which insures recovery of an animal 

 killed by any type of weapon. It is reported, also, that sea otters 

 were sometimes clubbed to death on reefs or rocky shores, where 

 they had taken refuge from severe storms. At such times, the 

 noise of the wind and surf would drown out any sound of ap- 

 proach by the hunter. Littlejohn (Hall 1945, p. 90) has described 

 how natives would creep around on the rocks during dark nights, 

 feel for the otters, then club them on the head. 



Nets also were used. These nets were set in favorable loca- 

 tions frequented by sea otters, and, according to Littlejohn, they 

 were very effective. 



The encouragement of natives to secure sea otter skins on a 

 large scale, promiscuous hunting by whites (who outfitted ships 

 for that purpose) , combined with pelagic sealing, produced a large 

 and profitable fur harvest for many years. 



Sea Otter Management 



The return of the sea otter in satisfactory numbers, at a time 

 when we are being made conscious of wildlife management, makes 

 the subject especially pertinent. In the case of the sea otter, the 

 first step in management was to provide protection, and to en- 

 courage spread to all of its ancestral range. This process is now 

 under way. From what we know of the food habits of the sea 

 otter, the food supply should be ample to support a large popu- 

 lation without artificial manipulation. 



Apparently, the Russians are experimenting with, and study- 



