254 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



two, losing one, and the other boat brought one seal on board. On the 

 25th of August we were 125 miles southeast of St. George Island. The 

 Indian hunters were out all day and brought in three seals, the white 

 hunters getting none. The captain informed me that day that the pre- 

 vious year he had taken in this locality 148 seals in one day, and that 

 one of his hunters got 38 and lost 40, which he shot. The next day the 

 two boats and canoes were out, and the captain brought back one, but 

 had shot and lost six others, one of which sank. The other boat 

 reported that they had shot seven, but all sank before they could get 

 them, the water being so colored with blood that it was impossible to 

 see the bodies sufficiently to recover them with the gaff. The two 

 Indians brought back ten seals, all speared. Out of the number taken 

 on board four were full of milk. On the 27th the Indians brought in 

 two seals and the captain one, which were all they had seen. On the 

 29th seventeen seals were taken; the captain got three, having lost 

 two, killed or wounded. The other boat brought in three, having lost 

 two, and the cook shot one from the schooner's deck. Out of these 

 seven were females, which covered the decks with milk while they were 

 being skinned. I am convinced that at the very least white hunters 

 lose 50 per cent of the seals they hit, and probably the majority of j 

 those wounded will ultimately die. (Francis B. King-Hall.) 



When a seal is struck with a spear we never lose him. About 50 per 

 cent are lost when shot with a shotgun. (Robert Kooko.) 



About 60 per cent of the seals are lost when shot with a shotgun. 

 When rifles are used a much larger proportion is lost. (James Lacheek.) 



Of all the fur seals struck in the entire season by both implements 

 more than two-thirds were actually secured, the greater proportion of 

 losses resulting from the use of the shotgun. (James E. Lennan.) 



The average hunter will fire ten times to get one seal. I think on an 

 average he gets one seal out of every three killed. (William H. Long.) 



Q. What percentage of seals are taken compared to those you destroy 

 in doing so; in other words, how many do you actually get out of those 

 you shoot? A. I should say we get about 80 per cent of those we 

 shoot. 



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

 was inexperienced in hunting, you, like all other beginners, destroyed 

 a much larger proportion than you now do? A. There is no doubt 

 about that. (Charles Lutjens.) 



The shotgun was used exclusively. Over 60 per cent of the seals 

 shot were lost. (George McAlpine.) 



I think I lose about 66 per cent of the seals shot with shotguns. 

 (J. D. McDonald.) 



Taking the general average, we would not get more than two seals out 

 of every ten that the hunters shot at. Out of every sixty-five seals 

 that were brought aboard the schooner I got one, so I tried to spear as 

 many as I could after they were shot. We caught more seals in Bering 

 Sea than we did going along the coast, as we found more of them. 

 * * * All the seals that we shot at in rough weather were lost. In 

 fine weather they sleep on top of the water, and we do not lose so many 

 of them. (William Mclsaac.) 



No seals are lost that are struck with spears. With a shotgun about 

 50 per cent are lost. (James McKeen.) 



