302 ' ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



come up near enough to one of the baidarkies to be easily speared. 

 The skin belongs to the hunter whose spear is nearest the head. This 

 method of huntiug is common to the natives of all the islands, but the 

 hunters of the island of Atka are the only ones who catch them in nets. 

 The nets used are made of twine, usually about 14 feet by 8, though 

 sometimes as large as 120 feet by 90. They are spread on top of a bed 

 of kelp, and the ends anchored with heavy stones. The otters at cer- 

 tain times go upon the kelp to sleep, and in moving about upon it 

 become entangled in the meshes of the net and are then easily killed 

 by the hunters. As many as six have been caught at one time in a 

 single net. When caught in this way they do not struggle and try to 

 break away, though it would seem an easy matter for so powerful an 

 animal. But sea lions sometimes get in the nets and break them all 

 to pieces. The natives of Atka have always hunted this way, but those 

 of the other islands have never done so. At the island of Laenack in 

 the winter during a severe northwest gale, especially if it occurs imme- 

 diately after a southeaster, the surf is very heavy and the otters haul 

 up on the rocks to get out of it. At such times, as soon as the gale 

 begins to abate, the hunters go out in their baidarkies, and by keeping 

 to the leeward are able to land upon the rocks, creep up to the otters 

 and kill them with clubs. If care is used to make no noise and to kill 

 the ones to the leewaid first, they are frequently able to take all of 

 them. Seventy-eight were killed in one morning by 3 men a few years 

 ago, and it is not unusual to get from 10 to 30. It is not very often, 

 however, that these o]iportunities for clubbing them occur. They are 

 also killed with firearms in winter from the shore while swimming in 

 the surf and in summer from boats. The older hunters are very much 

 opposed to this method of hunting, as they say it drives away the otter, 

 and that being easier than spears the young men practice it and neglect 

 to learn the use of the spear. 



The value of the skins depends upon the length, fineness, and color 

 of far. Those which have long, thick, fine fur, of a rich, glossy, black 

 color, tipped with silvery gray, are the most highly jDrized. Inferior 

 ones have coarser fur and reddish brown in color. Some have been taken 

 with fur as coarse as the hair of the sea lion, similar in color. Spotted 

 and striped skins have also been found, but rarely. 



The skins of pups less than one year old are unsalable, on account 

 of their mixed color and lack of fur, but some of the finest are taken 

 from those between one and three years of age. 



Sea otters are constantly becoming less numerous in the waters of 

 Alaska Territory, from three causes — the killing of females and ]mps 

 less than a year old, the incessant harassing caused by hunting them 

 from year to year without intermission, and the use of firearms. About 

 one-half the number killed each year are females, and one-sixth pups 

 too young to be of any value. The killing of females works a double 

 injury, for if they have young less than six months old the killing of 

 the mother causes the death of the pup. 



It would contribute largely to the preservation of the sea otter life if 

 they were allowed to remain undisturbed, either for three of four months 

 each year throughout the entire region frequented by them or for two 

 or three years at a time in certain portions of it. Either plan would 

 give them an opportunity to rest and breed. The use of firearms in 

 hunting them should also be discontinued. Though simple in theory, 

 it would be difficult in practice to afford this protection, as the extent 

 and character of the sea-otter district, and the competition between 

 both traders and hunters, would render the enforcement of any laws 

 which might be made for the x)urpose no easy matter. 



