SEALS AND SEAL SHOOTING 133 



a single barrel 8 bore, together with a rifle, and 

 that winter I more than doubled the catch of the 

 regular professionals. In very calm or fine wea- 

 ther seals are shy, and at such times I used the 

 rifle to advantage, getting them at ranges varying 

 from one to three hundred yards. With a good 

 shot gun, thirty-five to forty yards is considered 

 a long shot, and on a large seal thirty yards is 

 far enough. It is surprising how much shot these 

 animals can sometimes carry away. A seal that 

 is well hit makes no fuss on the water after the 

 shot, and will frequently remain for an instant 

 with the head sticking out of it exactly as 

 when struck. Then it will fall gradually over 

 and float on the side, or in some few cases with its 

 back up, witn head and flippers under water. 

 The canoe is paddled up as quickly as possible 

 and the seal speared in the head or as near to it as 

 possible, because it happens now and then that 

 the animal is only stunned by the shock and will 

 revive. Canoes have been upset by wounded 

 seals. Sometimes an injured seal has attempted 

 to clamber into a canoe, probably taking it for a 

 piece of ice. Others, when wounded, will bite at 

 the harpoon and canoe or at anything within 

 reach. If lightly wounded they will go out of 

 sight in one dive, as seals are very fast swimmers 

 and the harps will ordinarily stay under water 

 from ten to fifteen minutes. If hard hit, they 

 may stay under just as long, but will not go far, 



