Posted: 6/2/2013 7:14:13 PM EDT
|
Just watched this show on TV and can not figure out how the people on here have money to buy gas, snow mobiles, dog food, etc. to survive. None of them have jobs and can not make that much money selling fur pelts from trapping.
Any ideas? |
|
Quoted: Just watched this show on TV and can not figure out how the people on here have money to buy gas, snow mobiles, dog food, etc. to survive. None of them have jobs and can not make that much money selling fur pelts from trapping. Any ideas? Need more details.... are we talking about zero degrees or Zero the president, because both could happen under either. |
|
the girl who got bit by a grizzly runs a hunting lodge, the kid who lives by himself is a guide, and the one guy with the Eskimo wife sells fish and she probably get some sort of government check the couple who brews our own beer and has the dogs I really don't know... Speed
|
|
Haven't watched the show, spent 19yrs in AK.
I assume its dramatized crap about life in rural AK. Fur trade is alive and well, and as mentioned can pay well. Also a whole hell of a lot of Alaskans that bitch continually about the gov and live in the sticks are taking advantage of every program they possibly can. Alaska natives and some crackers married to them are occasionally the benifactors of AK Native Corps, which is sometimes not at all a bad place to be, do not be misled though, unlike many reservation tribes, simply being a member does not qualify one as a shareholder in an AK Native Corp, and not every Corp picked land with valuable resources, or formed viable businesses. Then there are the far rarer true homesteaders, they got a swath of land for dollars an acre, and built a house/cabin with their own resources and survive off their ability to hunt, harvest, barter, and sell. Some work summer gigs in construction, or as guides, assistant guides, and other misc seasonal jobs. Rarer still is members of families with old claims and things that get royalties from resource developers. There was also a time not that long ago when AK State's retirement paid very well and didn't require very long service to draw. NatGeo, Disco, and Hist do not do justice to or even approach the truth of any aspect AK on any of those shows. |
|
Quoted:
the girl who got bit by a grizzly runs a hunting lodge, the kid who lives by himself is a guide, and the one guy with the Eskimo wife sells fish and she probably get some sort of government check the couple who brews our own beer and has the dogs I really don't know... Speed I believe the guy with the Eskimo wife really hunts and fishes for a living. I've seen pics of what they do before this TV shit popped up. No, don't know them, but I've seen enough to believe they are no FSA. |
|
Quoted:
Haven't watched the show, spent 19yrs in AK. I assume its dramatized crap about life in rural AK. Fur trade is alive and well, and as mentioned can pay well. Also a whole hell of a lot of Alaskans that bitch continually about the gov and live in the sticks are taking advantage of every program they possibly can. Alaska natives and some crackers married to them are occasionally the benifactors of AK Native Corps, which is sometimes not at all a bad place to be, do not be misled though, unlike many reservation tribes, simply being a member does not qualify one as a shareholder in an AK Native Corp, and not every Corp picked land with valuable resources, or formed viable businesses. Then there are the far rarer true homesteaders, they got a swath of land for dollars an acre, and built a house/cabin with their own resources and survive off their ability to hunt, harvest, barter, and sell. Some work summer gigs in construction, or as guides, assistant guides, and other misc seasonal jobs. Rarer still is members of families with old claims and things that get royalties from resource developers. There was also a time not that long ago when AK State's retirement paid very well and didn't require very long service to draw. NatGeo, Disco, and Hist do not do justice to or even approach the truth of any aspect AK on any of those shows. Well said. Most people here want the reality craze in AK to simply "go the hell away". |
| The fact that many if those places also don't pay property tax helps as well. I would guess that most live off the land, and either sell fur or are guides. The lady near the article circle is from IL and runs a lodge for hunting and exploring. Prices vary and can be seen online. |
|
Quoted: The wife sells ivory carvings,stuff made from pelts and a bunch of hand made stuff.Quoted: the girl who got bit by a grizzly runs a hunting lodge, the kid who lives by himself is a guide, and the one guy with the Eskimo wife sells fish and she probably get some sort of government check the couple who brews our own beer and has the dogs I really don't know... Speed I believe the guy with the Eskimo wife really hunts and fishes for a living. I've seen pics of what they do before this TV shit popped up. No, don't know them, but I've seen enough to believe they are no FSA. They have a big family and put up a lot of native food. See him on other sites. |
|
Quoted:
Well said. Most people here want the reality craze in AK to simply "go the hell away". I wish the reality craze would go away from everywhere. I enjoy watching some shows, but quit adding fake drama into them. Life's NOT that dramatic and if I wanted drama, I'd watch a drama movie. |
|
Quoted:
Life Below Zero that comes on the History Channel. Its about several people that live in the very remote areas of Alaska I think at least some are on some form of government aid. Don't watch the show, just remember reading something about it in a local paper. |
|
Quoted:
Haven't watched the show, spent 19yrs in AK. I assume its dramatized crap about life in rural AK. Fur trade is alive and well, and as mentioned can pay well. Also a whole hell of a lot of Alaskans that bitch continually about the gov and live in the sticks are taking advantage of every program they possibly can. Alaska natives and some crackers married to them are occasionally the benifactors of AK Native Corps, which is sometimes not at all a bad place to be, do not be misled though, unlike many reservation tribes, simply being a member does not qualify one as a shareholder in an AK Native Corp, and not every Corp picked land with valuable resources, or formed viable businesses. Then there are the far rarer true homesteaders, they got a swath of land for dollars an acre, and built a house/cabin with their own resources and survive off their ability to hunt, harvest, barter, and sell. Some work summer gigs in construction, or as guides, assistant guides, and other misc seasonal jobs. Rarer still is members of families with old claims and things that get royalties from resource developers. There was also a time not that long ago when AK State's retirement paid very well and didn't require very long service to draw. NatGeo, Disco, and Hist do not do justice to or even approach the truth of any aspect AK on any of those shows. Quoted:
Haven't watched the show, spent 19yrs in AK. I assume its dramatized crap about life in rural AK. Fur trade is alive and well, and as mentioned can pay well. Also a whole hell of a lot of Alaskans that bitch continually about the gov and live in the sticks are taking advantage of every program they possibly can. Alaska natives and some crackers married to them are occasionally the benifactors of AK Native Corps, which is sometimes not at all a bad place to be, do not be misled though, unlike many reservation tribes, simply being a member does not qualify one as a shareholder in an AK Native Corp, and not every Corp picked land with valuable resources, or formed viable businesses. Then there are the far rarer true homesteaders, they got a swath of land for dollars an acre, and built a house/cabin with their own resources and survive off their ability to hunt, harvest, barter, and sell. Some work summer gigs in construction, or as guides, assistant guides, and other misc seasonal jobs. Rarer still is members of families with old claims and things that get royalties from resource developers. There was also a time not that long ago when AK State's retirement paid very well and didn't require very long service to draw. NatGeo, Disco, and Hist do not do justice to or even approach the truth of any aspect AK on any of those shows. +1000 to this. What a lot of people don't see or know is the insane amount of subsidies they get out in the villages/sticks. Almost all native folks get a monthly check of royalties, plus free healthcare and the like. Not to mention a most (I don't want to say most, but probably) are on most state/fed programs. A friend of mine was basically given a house by the state. As he put it, he bought the land and poured the pad. The state ate the rest on the construction. Not to mention, some of the furs, etc sell for great prices. An excellent wolf pelt can hit 1k easily if tanned/prepped properly. Quoted:
Wonder what a whale goes for? As far as I know, they can't sell the meat, but carved ivory and baleen sell for ridiculous prices. A carved bear from whale ivory the size of a soda can will fetch 700 at minimum. Scrimshaw baleen varies, but it goes from a few hundred to a metric fuckton. |
| Chip Hailstone - the guy with the native wife - posts on The High Road. There is a thread on the show on THR Chip has tried to answer questions and explain how the show is filmed. He said there is some editorializing - but for the most part the show is a pretty accurate picture of their lives. |
|
Quoted: Chip Hailstone - the guy with the native wife - posts on The High Road. There is a thread on the show on THR Chip has tried to answer questions and explain how the show is filmed. He said there is some editorializing - but for the most part the show is a pretty accurate picture of their lives. In that show, Chip's wife is the only one pulling the trigger. Does she have special hunting priveledges, because she is a native?
|
|
Quoted:
In that show, Chip's wife is the only one pulling the trigger. Does she have special hunting priveledges, because she is a native? Quoted:
Quoted:
Chip Hailstone - the guy with the native wife - posts on The High Road. There is a thread on the show on THR Chip has tried to answer questions and explain how the show is filmed. He said there is some editorializing - but for the most part the show is a pretty accurate picture of their lives. In that show, Chip's wife is the only one pulling the trigger. Does she have special hunting priveledges, because she is a native? To shorten a long story, yes. Natives and folks with subsistence permits get a separate set of rules for hunting and bag limits. |
|
If you liked that show, check out the Werner Herzog documentary "Happy People of the Taiga."
Old Werner is a total lib, but the documentary is pretty neutral. My favorite part is one of the trappers says that during the early '80s the Soviets were looking for trappers and he volunteered so that he could get away from the whole communist system and be he own man. They set him and another guy down in Siberia with a helicopter and said, good luck see you next spring. He hints that the other guy didn't make it. |
|
Also every Alaskan gets a yearly check form the Alaksa state general fund, I cannot remember what you call it.
I have spent a fair amount of time in Alaska, some of it in the bush, some in Anchorage, some in Dillingham, and some of it in Nome. I found all the people there very nice including the Native Alaskans. It is probably the last place in the USA where, including the yearly payment, if you work hard you can live mostly off the land. As to living below Zero, I have hunted/camped in below zero weather several times. It is a WHOLE new world. Equipment, clothing, food, animals,vehicles, guns, etc. all act different. One mistake, you are DEAD. |
