300 cows occupied the area, and many of replacement is unknown, but it oc- 



idle bulls were observed on adjacent curred overnight, 

 rocks and beaches from 300 yards to a 



mile away. A total of 156 bulls were The rookeries visited and the re- 

 killed, an average of 1 7 per day. An suits of the harvest are summarized 

 additional 12 were wounded. The speed in table 1. 



Table 1, -- Summary of experimental sea lion harvest 



Average per animal 



10.2 



5.3 



5. 7 



5.3 



5.9 



Processing 



Hunting was usually discontinued 

 aifter approximately eight animals had 

 been retrieved. The hunting party then 

 returned to the Arctic Maid to unload 

 the animals. Usually two trips were 

 made to the rookeries each day. 



The aniinals were hoisted aboard 

 the Arctic Maid with the cargo winches. 

 They were placed at two work areas 

 on the forward and after decks over 

 the brine tanks. Here they were pre- 

 pared for skinning. First, the fore- 

 flippers were removed. Then the hide 

 was split dorsally and ventrally and 

 peeled back from the neck (fig. 4). The 

 inner surface of the upper for^flipper 

 was split to prevent binding during 



skinning. The carcass was then reslung 

 on the winch and lowered to the main 

 deck where skinning was completed. 



Skinning was accomplished by pull- 

 ing the carcass away from the hide. 

 Hooks fastened to the main deck were 

 attached to one side of the hide at the 

 neckline. The carcass was then lifted 

 by the winch, thus pulling it from the 

 hide (fig. 5). The same operation was 

 repeated to remove the other side of 

 the hide. Most of the blubber came off 

 with the hide, and the remainder was 

 trimmed off with knives. 



As soon as skinning was com- 

 pleted, the liver and the shoulders 

 were removed. Next, the meat was 

 trimmed from the carcass. This was 



