SHOTGUN AND SPEAR. 145 
The following description of the methods of taking seals is given by Lieutenant 
Quinan,' of the revenue-cutter Corwin, in relating his experience in a canoe with 
Indian hunters off Sitka Sound, May 1, 1892. 
We had pulled several miles without seeing anything, when suddenly the steersman gave the 
canoe a shake and pointed in silence to a seal 75 yards distant. * * * The bowman took in his 
oars and substituted the paddle, and the canoe glided noiselessly toward the unconscionsseal. When 
within 40 yards of it the after paddle alone was used and the bowman stood ready with the shotgun. 
* * * During all this time not a word was spoken, and so noiselessly did the canoe glide that we 
got within 10 yards of it and the hunter fired, pouring a charge of buckshot into its breast. The seal, 
to my great astonishment, was not killed, but gave us a surprised look, and instantly dived out of 
sight. It rose again 50 yards off, gave us another look, and asecond time disappeared. Then followed 
a chase to windward, the Indians dexterously applying their paddles in that direction. Three times 
it disappeared and reappeared before it was finally shot and captured. Even then it was necessary 
to use the club to kill it. One hook with the gaff, a sudden pull, and the unfortunate seal was in the 
tanoe. 
LOSS RESULTING FROM SHOOTING, 
‘It is plain that by the method of shooting a certain percentage of loss results 
from the wounding of animals and also from the sinking of animals before they can 
be recovered. That many of the wounded animals escape is shown by the consid- 
erable number of bachelors on the hauling grounds which carry buckshot in their 
bodies. At each killing the natives gather up a collection of slugs. That other 
animals escape only to die later on may reasonably be inferred. In the summer of 
1896 several seals wounded by shooting were known to die after coming ashore on 
the rookeries.2, What the percentage of loss may be which thus results can not be 
determined. The hunters themselves can not tell what effect their shots produce, 
where the animal is not recovered. It may escape unhurt, may have been slightly 
wounded and thus likely to recover, or so seriously injured as to cause it to give up 
later on and die. 
The greatest loss probably results from the use of the rifle. Where the range 
is considerable and the animal is killed instantly it sinks out of reach before the boat 
can get it. With the shotgun the same result is likely to occur, but the range being 
shorter not so many animals are lost. Of late years the loss of shot seals has been 
greatly diminished, because it has been found that when the animal is shot in the 
head or neck and the lungs left full of air the body does not sink so rapidly. 
THE SPEAR LEAST WASTEFUL. 
With the spear the loss must be very slight. Where the animal escapes by the 
tearing out of the spearhead it doubtless recovers, but these instances are rare. 
That some animals escape through the breaking of the line attached to the spear- 
head is shown by the number of these weapons picked up on the rookeries. Two 
spearheads with the lines attached were found fastened in the rocks on Zapadni 
rookery of St. Paul in 1896. The lines had become fast and the animals had torn 
themselves loose. During the past season a cow came ashore on St. Paul with a 
spearhead through her back which, while it did not kill her, left her crippled and 
useless. * 
1Proc. Fur Seal Arb., vol. 9, p. 351. 
2 See Daily Journal, Part II, date of July 25, 1896. 
3See Daily Journal, Part II, date of August 15, 1897. 
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