We Tahltans were (and are) a practical people. This was very true when it came to hunting. The goal of hunting is to find and kill animals for food, and various resources (hides, for example). And, as mentioned earlier, our people wanted hunting methods which allowed them to capture and kill an animal quickly.

The following pages show some of the traditional ways that our people were able to get their animals. You can imagine that they tried many ways before these became "traditional". You will also realize that the weapons and methods used in hunting have continually changed over the years. Our ancestors believed that the animals chose whether they would come to be killed or not. They were careful to follow respectful ways of hunting and to say a prayer of thanks for any game that they killed.

A sweatlodge was often used before a hunt

One thing has not changed in hunting. A hunter still needs to have knowledge about the life and habits of animals. We have course which are taught in schools or in clubs (like Boy Scouts) to help people learn about animals and hunting skills. Many people take the courses. But people also know that the "best" way to learn about animals and about hunting is to go hunting Ñ preferably with an expert hunter.

Fences

Caribou were the most important animal to our people for many years. They were fairly easy to hunt because they migrated in large herds twice a year. They used the same trails each time they traveled.

A "cache" kept animals from raiding supplies

Our people had developed a very successful way to hunt caribou. We built fences along their migration route. The fences had openings every so often. Snares made from hide were set in these openings. When the caribou were caught by the snares, our people speared them. Each Family group had several caribou fences in their area. The fence belonged to the extended Family, but the snares belo nged to the women who made them. The meat was shared, but the hide belonged to the woman who owned the snare.

There were permanent fences which could be repaired and re-used each year. Sometimes the caribou went where there were no fences already built. When this happened, our people hurried and built fences where the caribou were headed.

Caribou might need to be herded to the fences. Fast runners would turn the herd toward the fence. When guns were brought it, the caribou could be shot or they could be snared then speared in the traditional way.

Snaring

Snares made of twisted sinew or rawhide were used to catch birds and animals. Gophers, rabbits, marmots, and water birds were the main game caught with snares. Women and children used snares to catch small game.

Deadfalls

A deadfall is a trap that is set up so that a large, heavy log falls on the animal's head. This type of trap was used to catch meat-eaters, such as wolverines and bears. Meat was used to bait the trap. It was built in such a way that there was only one doorway for the animal to go through. As it tried to get at the meat, it tripped the trigger, causing the log to drop heavily.

Stalking

Some animals were stalked. The hunter would sneak up on the animal then shoot it with a bow and arrow. Or he might use a spear. Sometimes the hunter hid and ambushed the animals as they passed by. This method was especially successful when hunting goats.

Goats

Older Tahltans tell of how goats were hunted long ago, when we still used bows, arrows, and spears to hunt. Our men used to watch the animals to see where they liked to eat during the different seasons. They watched to see which trail the animals used the most. And they watched to see if there was any pattern to the way the animals traveled. In the mountains above Glenora, there was a certain spot that the goats liked to use when they moved up and down the mountain. They went up and down the mountain along a certain route. In their travels, at one spot they came over the ridge and through large boulders.

Our men would observe their movements so that they could tell when the goats would be coming up the ridge past the boulders. When they knew that the goats would be coming, they ran and hid behind the boulders.

The goats came up and over the ridge single-file. As they passed the boulders, the men would dart out and thrust their spears through the goat's ribs. They moved quickly and their spear must hit accurately or the goat would turn its own spears on the man. The spearhead had to be held so that it would slide through the ribs. If it was held flat, then the spearhead would hit the ribs, rather than pierce them.

Tahltan Bear Dogs

When our people went hunting, they always took their bear dog. This little dog was only about 40-50 cm or 16-20 inches tall. Our dog was bred as a hunter. These dogs could track animals. Or they would help herd them. For example, when a hunter shot an animal, it might begin running. The bear dog would run after it and herd it back to the hunter.

These brave little dogs were especially helpful when dealing with bears. They were best working in pairs. One dog would nip the back legs of the bear. The other would bark at its face. When the bear turned to swipe at the one biting, the other dog bit it. This would continue until the hunter came up to the bear, or the bear ran away. A Tahltan bear dog is an excellent camp dog. It barks to warn if animals are approaching. People say that the dog knew when to bark in the bush. If a hunter was stalking an animal, it did not make a sound.

The last known photo of a Tahltan Bear Dog

It is sad to say that we do not have any pure-bred Tahltan bear dogs today. The ancestry of a few dogs can be traced back to our dogs, but no one owns a bear dog now.

Bow and Arrow

In the beginning, our people hunted with a bow and arrow. This weapon was made of wood from the balsam, spruce, or birch tree. It was about 150 cm or 60 inches long and had a cover sewn on.

The cover was made of tough moose hide. The cover was tacked into place with quills. The handgrip was glued in place with spruce gum so that it would not move when the hunter was shooting. The string was made of sinew. A sharp spear was tied to the top end of the bow. This spear was used to kill a wounded animal. The spear was made of wood or of sharpened obsidian. Today our people hunt with bows also. But the bows that they use are made of very different materials. There are different types of bows as well. If a person was strong enough, they would be able to hunt with a long bow which is similar to the bow that our ancestors used. People also join archery clubs where they practise shooting as a sport and for hunting.

Bow and Arrow

Spear

We used spears made with a wooden shaft and sharpened rocks.

Guns

Long ago, our people used only what was found in nature in our country. As Tlingit and other traders brought different tools, our ways of hunting changed. For example, the first guns were black powder guns. They were called mushy-loaders. Men had to pour in powder and load the bullet by hand. From the stories told by older Tahltans, they were very good at this.

A gun was especially welcomed in hunting large game, like the moose. This meant that the hunter did not have to sneak up to within 3.5 m or 20 feet. In early times, a hunter needed to be an excellent shot and very powerful to shoot with a bow. With a gun, the hunter could stay farther back and did not need to be powerful in order to shoot a gun. Today our guns are very high-powered, which makes getting the game easier. We have trucks and all-terraine vehicles which also make carrying the meat simpler. In days past, our people carried everything, included the game they killed.