PERCENTAGE LOST OF SEALS STRUCK. 393 



Indians lo.se a less number of the seals shot at and wounded or killed 

 than white hunters. When they use spears they 



get nearly all they wound. When they use shot- E.M. Greenleaf,p.32&. 

 guns they do not get more than one out of eight 



killed or wounded. In conversation with boat-steerers and boat-pullers 

 I have frequently heard them state that hunters would sometimes fire 

 from 75 to 100 shots without bringing in a single seal. The hunters 

 would claim they secured nearly all they fired at or killed, but it is 

 known that this is not true. It is impossible to say what proportion of 

 the seals fired at are killed or wounded, but taking the run of hunters, 

 good and poor, I should say that the best get about 50 per cent of those 

 shot at, while the poorest do not get more than one out of fifteen fired 

 at. 



About 75 per cent are lost when shotgun is used. Have never seen 

 but three seal killed by rifle secured. If you shoot 

 a seal in the throat it is hard to secure him, al- Jas. Griffin, p. 433. 

 though each boat carries a long gaff to hook them 

 out of the water. 



The native hunters used spears exclusively in hunting the seals, and 

 secured fully two-thirds of all struck. I am of the 

 opinion that with firearms not more than one-third A - J - Gmld > P- 231 - 

 of the animals shot are actually secured. 



Have always used a shotgun for taking seal, and Henry Raidane, p 281. 

 lose about 25 per cent of the seals I shoot. 



I use the shotgun exclusively for taking seal. Martin Hannon, p. 445. 

 About 65 per cent of the seal hit are lost. 



Q. According to your experience, what percentage of animals that 

 are shot are actually taken by the boats? — A. 

 That depends a good deal on the man that shoots H. Harmsen, p.U2. 

 them. Some fellows will miss four out of five and 



another may miss three out of five and cripple them. I think on a 

 general average we will get about three out of five. 



Q. What percentage of seals are taken compared with those you de- 

 stroy in doing so ; in other words, how many do 

 you actually get out of those you shoot? — A. We Wm,. Henson, p. 484. 

 get about two thirds of those we shoot. 



Q. Is it not a fact that when you first started in the business and 

 was inexperienced in hunting, that you, like all other beginners, de- 

 stroyed a much larger portion than you now do ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Many seals are wounded and lost, depending largely on the skill of 

 the hunter. I think I get pretty nearly all that 

 I kill, but other hunters have been with me that TFm. Hermann, p. 446. 

 I know lost a greater portion of those they shot 



at. Probably a fair average would be, taking all the hunters together, 

 one seal secured to two lost. 



Indians using spears recover more than 90 per cent of all fur-seals 

 struck, while the white hunter secures on an 



average about 60 or 65 per cent of all fur-seals Norman Hodgson, p. 366. 

 shot in the season. With whites, their greatest 



