Summary

Description

The total documented harvest during the period of observation in 1983 was 642 walruses. This included 249 adult males 38.8, 203 adult females 31.6, and 190 calves 29.6. For the purposes of this report, adult refers to any walrus older than a calf and does not refer to reproductive maturity. Of the 452 adult walruses, males comprised 55.1 and females 44.9. The sex distribution of the harvest during 1983 was significantly different from both 1981 chisquare .01 P.025 and 1982 chisquare P.001. The proportions of both males and calves were higher and the proportion of females lower in 1983 than both 1981 and 1982 Table 1. The two most successful hunting days were 18 and 24 May, accounting for 151 23.5 and 205 31.9 walruses respectively. During the 8 day interval including 18 through 24 May, 468 walruses were landed. This was 72.9 of the total catch Table 2. The total harvest in 1983 was only about two thirds as large as either 1981 or 1982. Two factors are primarily responsible for this: poor weather and an extended whaling season. Wind in excess of 15 knots is usually sufficient to prevent bunting from boats. Early during the observation period, especially during the last 2 weeks of April, very few days were calm enough to launch boats. In addition, the wind was out of the north much of the winter and spring. Gambell hunters speculated that all the ice that was driven south either melted in deep water south of the shelf break or drifted back to the north far east of St. Lawrence Island. Whatever the cause, proper conditions of sufficient ice for walrus hunting did not persist near Gambell. Hunting methods were also affected by the quota system initiated by the International Whaling Commission. As Gambell hunters were only allowed 2 bowhead strikes in 1983, most whale captains felt obliged to use both strikes. Whaling continued many days after walrus bunting would normally have begun. Perhaps 2 weeks of very productive walrus bunting was lost during early May.