And I thought a Moose was big. Here is the link for the picture, and article.
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/oct/10/young-barrow-whaler-harpoons-bowhead-successful-hu/Young Barrow whaler harpoons bowhead on successful hunt
Published Saturday, October 10, 2009
Paul Patkotak of Barrow, 9, stands with the bowhead whale he harpooned last week. He might be the youngest harpooner ever to land a whale, the folks in Barrow say.
FAIRBANKS — At the age of 9, Paul Patkotak is already learning the fundamentals of whaling.
The junior member of the Paniego crew, he was out on his uncle’s boat last week when the whalers struck a bowhead 20 miles off the coast.
Pauyuuraq Brower fired the darting gun in seas running 3-5 feet, but it was the fourth-grader who hurled the harpoon.
“He threw the harpoon like he knew what he was doing,” said Qulliuq Pebley, the captain of the crew.
“I started out pretty young, but I was nowhere near throwing a harpoon when I was his age,” said the 26-year-old captain. “I was still making tea and coffee.”
Patkotak, a student at Ipalook Elementary School, loves to go hunting and camping. His parents are Maria and Ellis Patkotak.
The whale was 32 feet, 7 inches long. It took about six hours to get it to shore and the whaling crew was working until midnight and for many hours the next day to cut it up and distribute it, said Pebley.
“This is big news for Barrow,” said Bridget Edwardsen. “Usually kids are not allowed on the boat until they are a certain age. I think Paul is the youngest kid to actually harpoon and kill a bowhead whale.”
“Once they arrived and beached the whale, the family was overjoyed. His mother could not believe that her son actually caught the whale,” Edwardsen said.
Pebley said he’s glad to have a hand in passing along the hunting tradition to the next generation.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the support of my family and my crew and all the people that have taught me as I was growing up,” Pebley said.
