Life Below Zero

SO I GOT CARIBOU OUT THERE.

THEY'RE WALKING TOWARDS THE RIVER TO BAIL.

OH MAN, THE SNOW IS TOO DEEP FOR ME TO WALK.

IT'S TOO MUCH FOR ME TO CRAWL DOWN THE RUNWAY.

I'LL FREEZE BEFORE I GET THERE.

I NEED MY HUNTING LICENSE AND PAPERWORK.

SPARE BULLETS HERE, WE ALL KNOW I NEED LOTS OF THOSE.

GUN.

THE LAST THING I NEED ARE MY SHOOTING STICKS;

I'LL GRAB THAT OUT THE DOOR.

I DON'T WANNA GET A FEMALE.

I DO WANNA GET MEAT.

LET ME BE SUCCESSFUL.

I DO HAVE SOME PTARMIGAN IN MY FREEZIE NOW.

BUT IT'D BE NICE TO ADD A CARIBOU.

SUE AIKENS IS ON THE HUNT FOR CARIBOU,

A KEY FOOD SOURCE FOR THE COMING SPRING.

BUT THE ANIMALS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AS THEY MIGRATE

THROUGH THE AREA, AND AN EARLY HERD IS AN OPPORTUNITY

SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO WASTE.

THEY'VE ALREADY MADE ME,

THEY'RE LOOKING RIGHT OVER.

DAMNIT.

WITH MY PERSONAL CODE OF ETHICS,

I DON'T WANNA GET A PREGNANT COW,

I WANNA SEE THE DANGLY BITS.

THERE'S NO WAY FOR ME TO JUDGE BOYS AND GIRLS

FROM THIS SIDE.

.

OKAY.

DAMNIT.

COME ON, MOVE JUST A LITTLE.

NOT AWAY!

DON'T GIVE ME YOUR ASS.

IT'S JUST TOO FAR.

TOOK AIM AT ONE OF THE BOYS AND THE WOMEN GET AROUND AND

HUDDLE UP AGAINST HIM.

IT'S A SURVIVAL THING.

AND THAT'S THE END OF THIS HUNT.

I DON'T BELIEVE I EVEN CAME CLOSE TO HITTING ONE.

SO, BACK TO CAMP I GO.

PREPAREDNESS MEETS OPPORTUNITY,

GIVES YOU GOOD LUCK.

WOW, THE CACHE IS STILL STANDING.

LAST SUMMER, THE HAILSTONES BUILT A CACHE

AT THE REMOTE HUNTING GROUNDS IN KIWALIK.

THE STRUCTURE IS VITAL TO THEIR NOMADIC LIFESTYLE AND

ALLOWS THE FAMILY TO STORE THEIR WOOD, GAS,

AND SHELTER FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

CHIP AND AGNES HAVE RETURNED TO THEIR CACHE TO SET UP CAMP.

OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, THE FAMILY WILL USE IT AS A

BASE TO STOCKPILE MEAT, FUR, AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR

THE COMING SPRING.

LOOK LIKE OUR TENT SPOT RIGHT HERE, HUH?

DOESN'T FEEL BUMPY OR LUMPY TOO BAD.

LOOK, TRY WITH YOUR HEEL.

IT'S GOOD.

YUP.

WELL, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH DAYLIGHT,

SO IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, LET'S DO IT SOON.

SOME TIME TO, UH,

DIG OUT OUR TENT, DIG OUT OUR FLOORS,

TRY AND PUT IT UP, AND, UM, TRY TO GET OURSELVES SET UP

FOR THE NIGHT.

WHOO!

CACHE HERE, AND THIS ACCUMULATION OF

CAMPING GOODS FOR MY FAMILY THAT'S HERE,

IT'S JUST WAITING, WAITING TO BE USED.

THIS IS JUST ONE OF OUR CYCLES IN THE YEAR.

THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE IS NOW.

WE HUNT CARIBOU, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF TRAPPING,

AND GET A LITTLE BIT OF FUR.

AH, THERE IT IS!

FIRST, THOUGH, IS GETTING THE TENT UP.

IT'S HARD WORK TO GET OUR STUFF

BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE 'EM HERE WAITING FOR US.

EEE, GOT 'EM!

WHEW, START WORKING HARD,

EVEN WHEN IT'S ZERO, YOU START TO SWEAT.

OKAY, YOU GOT IT?

YUP.

OKAY, I'M GONNA GET IN OVER HERE.

AH, KEEP IT UP, KEEP IT UP.

YOU GOTTA EXPAND 'EM.

JUST PUT, PUSH 'EM OUT.

I'LL HOLD IT UP, YOU PUSH THESE THINGS OUT.

THAT'S ALL YOU GOTTA DO, HERE YOU GO.

WE JUST KEEP GOING AROUND AND ROUND.

YUP, OKAY, HERE'S HALF OF THE PROBLEM.

SOME JACKASS LEFT THIS ON THERE.

IT'S TIED UP.

YUP, IT WON'T EVEN (BLEEP) EXPAND.

THERE'S CRAP ON HERE.

I DID THAT.

I'M THE JACKASS WHO PUT IT UP.

WELL, JACKASS, WE WON'T DO THAT TWICE.

YEAH, ALMOST, THERE YOU GO.

ONE MORE, CAREFUL.

YEAH, I'LL GO UNDER IT.

WEE!

PHEW!

ONE, TWO, THREE, GO!

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.

THIS IS A LARGE FREIGHT SLED.

AND AT THE END OF THE, WHEN WE GET DOWN HERE,

IT BRINGS US A LOT OF STUFF.

THEN WE SLEEP ON IT FOR HOWEVER MANY DAYS,

NIGHTS, OR WEEKS IT TAKES.

TO ME, THIS IS LIKE HOME.

I'M MORE COMFORTABLE HERE THAN I AM IN, UH, NOORVIK.

I FEEL LIKE, UH, I BELONG HERE.

I LIKE TO JUST TAKE TIME.

WHAT'S THE POINT OF RUSHING FORWARD FOR A MOMENT

THAT ISN'T EVEN HERE YET?

I'M GOING OUT ON THE LAKE NOW.

I GOTTA OPEN UP THE WATER HOLE.

EVERY THREE OR FOUR DAYS,

I HAVE TO OPEN UP THE HOLE I'VE GOT THROUGH THE ICE.

GET WATER OUT, BRING IT INTO THE CABIN IN BUCKETS,

FILL UP MY RESERVOIR,

FILL UP MY HOT WATER PAN ON THE STOVE.

HEY, OH, LOOK AT THIS.

WOLVES CAME OUT HERE AND PISSED RIGHT BESIDE

MY WATER HOLE.

WOLF TRACKS, THOSE ARE THE CLAWS,

TOES, THE HEEL PAD.

THERE'S A LOT OF WOLVES AROUND RIGHT NOW,

AND THAT MEANS THERE'S CARIBOU AROUND.

CARIBOU ON THE LAKE!

I CAN USE ANOTHER CARIBOU RIGHT NOW.

THIS TIME OF YEAR, THE DAYS ARE SHORT.

IT DOESN'T STAY LIGHT VERY LONG.

WHEN I SEE CARIBOU, I GOTTA GO.

THIS IS HOW IT USUALLY GOES.

I'LL BE OUT DOING JOBS, JUST KEEPING MY EYES OPEN,

AND SOONER OR LATER, AN OPPORTUNITY COMES UP.

I GOTTA GO OVER THERE AND SEE IF I CAN GET CLOSE ENOUGH

TO GET A SHOT.

I DON'T WANNA HEAD OUT ON THE OPEN LAKE AND TRY TO

RUN 'EM DOWN OR CHASE 'EM AROUND OUT THERE.

I WANNA SNEAK THROUGH THE WOODS AROUND THE SIDE.

I'M GONNA TRY AND INTERCEPT 'EM OVER ON

THIS END OF THE LAKE.

THEY DEFINITELY SAW ME.

CARIBOU ARE VERY UNPREDICTABLE,

BUT SOMETIMES, WHEN THEY SEE SOME MOVEMENT AND

THEY'RE NOT SURE WHAT IT IS,

THEY'LL ACTUALLY COME CLOSER TO CHECK IT OUT,

SEE IF IT'S DANGER.

LOOK AT THIS.

THIS IS WHERE CARIBOU HAVE BEEN FEEDING.

THESE CRATERS, THEY'RE MAKING 'EM.

THE CARIBOU CRATER DOWN THROUGH THE SNOW.

THEY HAVE TO DIG DOWN TO GET TO THE LICHEN.

THAT'S CARIBOU FOOD.

CARIBOU EAT THIS AND TURN IT INTO MEAT AND FAT

THAT I CAN EAT.

THESE ARE WOLF TRACKS.

THESE WOLVES ARE HUNTING CARIBOU EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I'M GETTING CLOSER.

THEY'RE ABOUT A QUARTER-MILE AWAY.

BUT I GOTTA GET ABOUT HALF THAT DISTANCE BEFORE I SHOOT.

I'M GONNA TAKE OFF MY SNOWSHOES HERE SO I'M QUIETER.

CARIBOU ARE OUT ON THE LAKE.

AND I'M AT THE LAST TREE.

I'M GONNA SIT HERE FOR A WHILE AND SEE IF ANYTHING CHANGES.

NO.

THEY'RE TOO FAR.

I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THAT SHOT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF CARIBOU AROUND.

I'M GONNA WAIT FOR A BETTER SHOT.

RIGHT THERE, THESE CARIBOU ARE GOING BEHIND THE ISLAND.

THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE.

I MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THE ISLAND TO HIDE MYSELF

AND INTERCEPT 'EM ON THE OTHER SIDE.

WHEN THE CARIBOU ARE HERE,

I GOTTA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY,

BECAUSE THEY CAN BE HERE ONE DAY AND GONE THE NEXT.

EVERY DAY IS KIND OF AN ADVENTURE OUT HERE.

EVERY DAY YOU SEE NEW THINGS IN NATURE IF YOU

PAY ATTENTION TO IT.

YOU WANNA GO GET SOME WOOD?

WHO WANTS TO GO GET WOOD?

JUST A SHORT RUN.

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING, IT WAS ABOUT THIRTY BELOW ZERO.

WENT OUT TO MY POWER SHACK AND I GOT NO WOOD.

I LIKE GETTING FIREWOOD WITH THE DOGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S COLDER OUT.

THE MACHINES ARE A PAIN IN THE BUTT TO DEAL WITH.

THE DOGS ARE ALWAYS RELIABLE.

IT'S GOOD EXERCISE FOR THE DOGS AND I JUST LIKE THE DOGS

BETTER THAN THE MACHINES, IT'S JUST WAY, WAY MORE

FUN WITH THE DOGS.

THAT'A BOYS!

LITTLE MORE GEE, GEE, GEE, GEE, GEE!

COME ON, HUP, HUP, HUP!

HUP, LET'S GO, HUP, HUP, HUP.

HO, HO!

IT'S EITHER CUT WOOD OR GO GET A JOB,

MAKE MONEY, AND BUY OIL.