No harp seals in our area. Our local and transient seals are just ring “natchiq” and spotted “qassiaq.” I’ve seen 2 sea lions out in the ocean and during a few fall hunts I’ve seen 4 ribbon seals and a harbor seal. The harbor seals that my buddy used to hunt in the southeast are black with white rings. I’ve only seen on of those up this way. Here is a picture of a ribbon seal I got 7-8 years ago. I’ve gotten 3 in my lifetime.

Thanks nolluk. Simple question then might be what is that seal next to the boys boot in the boot - the one w the black spots. Dead ringer for a 1 - 3 year old harp but not the case then. Book name if u can as may not be able to put together Inutitut name from your dialect.

Ribbon seal sure different. Saw pictures of them before only as they not here.

The two closest are young bearded seals. There are 4 of them in the picture. Some of them have small spots while others don’t. Some also have black heads or black backs. Can always tell them by the whiskers.
In between giant storms that we had this fall I went to our camp to check on everything. The camp is 15 miles northwest of kotzebue on a gravel spit. On the way home I saw some seals and decided to go check them out. This fellow came within 10 feet of the boat. He kept throwing his paws up on the ice like he was playing. I figured it would make a good picture if I could catch him doing it. He hung around for 10 minutes and went on his way.

Ok found it on line. Book name for it is "spotted seal". Never heard of it before but then we don't have them. Good name for it. Tks nolluk. Good pic. above of waving seal.

The closest to my sons feet I mean. Both those are young bearded. The young ones have spots. There are a couple spotted seals in that picture they have the real dark spots.

Found these tracks after freeze up. I knew the critter wouldn’t be too far away.
Found him. Wasn’t happy I tried to get a couple pictures. When the inlet freezes over too quickly the seals get caught miles from the open water. I saw 4-5 sets of tracks that day heading over the ice for the ocean. I’ve seen their tracks go overland heading for the ocean. It’s got to be very hard to travel miles just hopping along. No wonder that seal was so mad.

Better shot of a spotted seal without blood.

Yes got it. Know the bearded ones close to his feet on the beach. Was looking at closest to son's feet in the boat is a spotted which is just like a 1 - 3 year "bedlamer" harp if you google it. Tks.

My bad. Thought you meant the beach. That’s just the belly of one of the spotted seals. Different patterns or darkness on different seals.

Great pic's nolluk. If I could ever figure out posting pic's (no patience) would post pic's of hunting ringed seals/nutsik at the breathing holes (patience) with the noulak and unak (detachable head harpoon).

We have 6 kinds of seals and walrus. Walrus almost got wiped out back in the day and never really recovered. We have ringed, bearded, and harbour same as you guys and hood, harp and gray which I believe you guys do not have.

Seal hunting really reduced here where so many have money and are into store food, no price for seal skins anymore and almost no dogs to feed. Most seal hunting is family and friends out on the spring ice on skidoos harpooning ringed seals at the breathing holes. A few to eat is all most people bother with. In summer a bit more hunting from boat. Have to use the harpoon then because less fat on them and they easily sink. Imagine you have same problem in summer.

Nice to see how you guys operate.

The same has happened here. When my dad was in his prime we hunted a lot more than I do now. We’d start when The ice formed and was think enough we could hunt from the edges with a small boat. We’d get as any as we could then quit hunting for the winter. Later in April when open water season was upon us we’d travel out to the edge and hunt. My taata “grandfather” was taken from us during the spring hunt in 1999. He was very knowledgeable and very careful when he hunted so something quick and unforeseeable had to have happened . Him and his partner went out and we never found a trace of them. It was foggy and bad weather the day after they did not return but there were planes looking for them anyway. After that, my father quit hunting along ice edges and mostly did with a big boat.

I used to hunt a lot more spotted seals and send the skins out to be tanned but the quality of tanning has gone down dramatically. Also the dog mushers that were taking the carcasses don’t have the big teams anymore to feed so it’s hard to get rid of them. I’d like to start tanning myself if I could figure it out and make the skins nice. There still is a good market for them here. I would like to quit my job and just make a living off of subsistence but that might be a bit hard. Steady money is hard to beat.

Here’s a picture in front of kotzebue when the spotted seals come in with the herring. One shot and they scatter like bugs.
This is young bearded seal below the dock on shore fast ice. I was working that morning otherwise he might have ended up in my yard.

Yes the ice edge/sinak can be a dangerous place.