Interior subsistence folks, a question (Fairbanks, Kotzebue: house, buying, live in)

[ShipOfFools42]

So, I'm not just talking about purely subsistence folks, anyone who is doing any amount of subsistence lifestyle, their opinion is more than welcome as well. Or really, even anyone who knows someone who is doing this in the interior.

My question, however silly it may sound, is this: how did you get started on the subsistence stuff in the first place? Like, when you got to Alaska, and you set up shop in the interior, did you just go out and start popping caribou and all, or did you have a sort of mentor who showed you how to do things? The reason I ask is, I have never been a hunter; although I've been a few times, I've never shot anything and don't truly know what I'm doing out there. The only thing I know well is gun safety, which is a good thing of course. So for someone looking to provide at least a decent sized portion of their food from things they hunted or foraged themselves, what's the best way to get started, and how difficult is it to get started?

Oh yeah, and this isn't just hunting, I'm interested in foraging for things growing naturally in the woods. What kind of things does the interior have to offer (like here, I gather ginseng up hollows and creek branches), and how difficult is it to learn to identify and gather them? Again, did you have a mentor of sorts, or did you just figure it out? Any advice would be appreciated.

[RayinAK]

This is very difficult to do unless you live in a village or some other place near areas of the State and Federal lands that allow for subsistence. Lets say that i live in Fairbanks and vicinity. In that case, after meeting the deadlines and applying for a subsistence hunt of caribou, and then receiving the permit, I would have to travel to the specified locations for the hunt. Since Alaska is such a large place, it could take a lot of driving to reach the place (s), and since caribou are always on the move, there is a good chance that you won't find any when you get there.

You can also apply for a subsistence permit to catch some salmon at the Copper River in Chitina, which is located around 340 miles from Fairbanks, but the fish have to be moving through there in order for you to catch any. In this area you can have a fish wheel, or just use a large net with a 10' (or longer) pole with a handle. But even this is not easy to do, since you have to either be in a jet boat, or just dip the net in the water at the right location...hoping for a fish to get in the net

Unlike the lower-48, once winter sets in it's extremely difficult to reach any place to hunt. You can do some ice-fishing by January or so when the ice is over a foot thick, but at 20 or 30 below zero it's not fun at all unless you are inside some warm shelter.

You can find a lot of information here:
http://google.state.ak.us/search?q=+...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[SityData]

Every hunter I know of.. White hunters or Inupiaq hunters were all TAUGHT, by other hunters.

Or, if you are the adventerous type, self learning you can always to go the library and check this book out.
It is very easy to get into big trouble going out alone. You need a teacher, or guide.

[Marty Van Diest]

To truly live a fully subsistence lifestyle is very difficult. Most people who try it either give up or starve to death.

The best thing you can do is just get into the hunting/fishing/gathering lifestyle by getting to know someone who can show you the ropes. You harvest what you can and buy the rest.

Most people who "live off the land" hunt what they can, fish for what they can, and gather berries. If you really know the area you can gather other edibles but you need to have a local show you what's what. There are some poisonous plants and berries but there aren't many. Of course there are some bad mushrooms.

So far this year I have been so busy that the only salmon I have had were given to me. I did grill some last night. And we are out of moose meat so I do plan a good hunt this fall. Almost time for berries.

[1stimestar]

Subsistence in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Start reading.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

To truly live a fully subsistence lifestyle is very difficult. Most people who try it either give up or starve to death.

The best thing you can do is just get into the hunting/fishing/gathering lifestyle by getting to know someone who can show you the ropes. You harvest what you can and buy the rest.

Most people who "live off the land" hunt what they can, fish for what they can, and gather berries. If you really know the area you can gather other edibles but you need to have a local show you what's what. There are some poisonous plants and berries but there aren't many. Of course there are some bad mushrooms.

So far this year I have been so busy that the only salmon I have had were given to me. I did grill some last night. And we are out of moose meat so I do plan a good hunt this fall. Almost time for berries.

This year I didn't even have time to go dip-netting at Chitina since a house fire we had. But i still have some salmon and moose meat in the freezer from last year's seasons, and a friend brought me some fresh salmon from Chitina. At least the work with the house if complete, and I have already split and stacked most of the firewood for winter. Moose season is next, and I will be there hoping to catch one

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

To truly live a fully subsistence lifestyle is very difficult. Most people who try it either give up or starve to death.

The best thing you can do is just get into the hunting/fishing/gathering lifestyle by getting to know someone who can show you the ropes. You harvest what you can and buy the rest.

Most people who "live off the land" hunt what they can, fish for what they can, and gather berries. If you really know the area you can gather other edibles but you need to have a local show you what's what. There are some poisonous plants and berries but there aren't many. Of course there are some bad mushrooms.

So far this year I have been so busy that the only salmon I have had were given to me. I did grill some last night. And we are out of moose meat so I do plan a good hunt this fall. Almost time for berries.

Yes, the safest and best way to learn about a subsistence lifestyle is by "leaving it" along a person who can teach you. Unlike the lower-48, one can easily starve to death of freeze during the winter.

In the areas I moose hunt in September I usually see birds, animals, and berries I could eat for survival. Then I visit the same areas in October just before a deep freeze, and for miles and miles I can't see signs of any of the animals that were there a month or two before. No birds, no moose, not even wolves.

[SityData]

The person you really need to speak with; Is Chip Hailstone. He is a white person who lives from the land and feeds his huge family. He is very well known, here & on another forum called Alaska Outdoor Forum

A subsistence lifestyle is much healthier and more beneficial to you than the foods you purchase in stores. For one, there are no additives or other preservatives to worry about.

Caribou meat contains no fat. It is simply delicious and tastes very much like beef, depending on how you prepare it or cook it. Grind up 5 pounds of meat and fry it in a huge wok or frying pan, when cooked you will have less than one tablespoon of fat. Learning how to dry meat and store it, will require help from other sources, much of this type of lifestyle has to be taught.

Many people from Japan come here yearly to spend time with Chip, that is not his real name. He is not hard to find (on forums). We spent a lot of time with this person in Kotzebue; He taught my sons lots in the 2 years we were there. He used to run a lodge: Caribou Adventures, there are a few different web sites with that name. I'm sure his site is down now. He was very active with that in 2004-2006.

I've heard him say many many times, The most important thing you have to do every morning is get out there, no matter what the weather is. Get up and get out. This is not a laid back lifestyle, it requires a lot of very hard work in brutal conditions. Factor in the expense involved and it is very costly indeed. but the rewards of self esteem are well worth it.

There is much to learn, and many dangers you are not even aware of.

[Dakster]

Subsistence hunting has got to be tough... If you are not born into it, I would just try to supplement my grocery buying with what I could catch or gather. Financially, I wouldn't count on being successful for many seasons. I have about your expereince Ship - been hunting a few times with folks that were "professional" hunters. Don't think I could do it all by myself. ALL of them spend more money hunting that the "food" is worth...

One other tidbit - I can only imagine the mess gutting a moose. I hope you have the stomach for it.

[warptman]

Don't get the book that McCandless had...