148 
SURVIVAL ON LAND AND SEA 
smooth ice and usually at an incline near the edge of the breath- 
ing hole, it must be killed instantly by a shot through the brain, 
for with the least movement of its body it will slide into the 
water. Therefore, it should be shot shrough the head at close 
range, 25 to 50 yards, so that the hunter can dash up and seize 
it before it reaches the water and sinks. 
Seals can also be shot in open water, and in winter they will 
usually float, but the problem is to retrieve them. To accomplish 
this the Eskimos use a seal hook, a short wooden club or ball 
about the size of a. grapefruit, with four sharp upcurved iron 
hooks at the center. This is attached to a long line and is thrown 
over the seal which is hooked and pulled in. The wooden 
grapple described in the section on making your own fishing kit 
(p. 12) would serve this purpose if it were heavy enough and 
the barbs sharp and strong enough to penetrate the seal’s hide. 
Walruses are found on moving ice floes or at leads not far from 
shore where they can feed on clams. They should be shot 
through the neck, just below the head. 
Birds 
The only birds that remain in the Arctic over the winter are 
ptarmigan, owls and ravens. Even these are likely to be scarce 
north of the timber line, especially in the interior. Havens are 
thin and of little use as food but owls and ptarmigan equal any 
game bird in taste. Ptarmigan can be caught with noose snares 
or even knocked down with a stick or stone. 
In summer countless numbers of birds come north to breed. 
Ducks, geese, loons, and many other kinds of land birds build 
their nests near ponds on the low tundra and their eggs can be 
