legal seal hunting

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brybenn

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Hey all first off let me say that I am not against the hunting of seals. I support any legal and ethical hunting however a coworker asked me about seal hunting and I'm kinda clueless as to the laws regaurding seals as I will never get a chance to hunt them I'm looking for true answers from those who do it. Not heart felt opinions from others

First what age and gender can be taken?
How many?
When?
What is used? I know the skin/fur is but are they edible?
What can be used to kill them?

I've searched the net and have found conflicting views and obvious lies and my hunting regs don't cover seals whales or walrus

If someone who hunts these animals or knows the actual facts could help me I'd be greatful thanks
 
brybenn said:
Hey all first off let me say that I am not against the hunting of seals. I support any legal and ethical hunting however a coworker asked me about seal hunting and I'm kinda clueless as to the laws regaurding seals as I will never get a chance to hunt them I'm looking for true answers from those who do it. Not heart felt opinions from others
First what age and gender can be taken? How many? When? What is used? I know the skin/fur is but are they edible? What can be used to kill them?
I've searched the net and have found conflicting views and obvious lies and my hunting regs don't cover seals whales or walrus
If someone who hunts these animals or knows the actual facts could help me I'd be greatful thanks
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I hunt seals. A lot of this is covered in the federal Marine Mammal Regulations. The seal pups that the PETA, IFAW, etc crowd likes to put up as poster children for the claimed 'cruelty' of the seal hunt haven't been hunted for 25 years now. Quotas for legal harvest are set each year by DFO in the spring. Centerfire rifles are the tool of choice (typically .223) and few sealers use a club anymore. That's not to say that a club isn't an efficient way to kill, as seal skulls are relatively fragile. Seal meat - like most any game - is of course edible, but its not for everyone and a great deal depends on how well it is prepared. If you like it, you probably like it a lot.
 
achtanelion said:
I've always been curious as to whether there is a non-resident seal hunt. I'm from Alberta, and there sure isn't a season for them here.
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The hunt is under federal jurisdiction, so off the top of my head, residency would not appear to be a barrier. Actually getting the license is a different story, as there is a mandatory education course.
 
And for anyone who might think the seal hunt needs more regulation, my license and attached conditions are six 8.5 x 14 pages. :rolleyes:
 
Centerfire rifles are the tool of choice (typically .223) and few sealers use a club anymore.
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You are required to use a hakapik or club to crush the skull to ensure that they are dead.

The only animal you have to kill 3 times.
1. Shoot them with a bullet or slug.
2. Strike them on the head with an approved blunt instrument, hakapik or harwood club, and feel the skull to make sure it is in pieces.
3. Cut and bleed them.
 
HuntNL said:
You are required to use a hakapik or club to crush the skull to ensure that they are dead. The only animal you have to kill 3 times.
1. Shoot them with a bullet or slug.
2. Strike them on the head with an approved blunt instrument, hakapik or harwood club, and feel the skull to make sure it is in pieces.
3. Cut and bleed them.
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Its the palpation of the skull and bleeding them that must follow the blow, whether it was made with a firearm or the hakapik/club. But it certainly does feel like killing em three times, for sure.

3.1 Every person who shoots a Seal shall observe the Seal for directed movement and if such movement is observed, the person shall immediately, and before shooting any other Seal, shoot the Seal again as necessary until no directed movement is displayed;

3.2 Every person who, without disembarking onto the ice, is retrieving a Seal that has been shot shall also observe it for directed movement and, where such movement is observed, shall immediately, and before retrieving it, or shooting any other Seal, shoot the Seal again as necessary until no directed movement is displayed and shall palpate the cranium immediately after retrieving the Seal;

3.3 Every person who disembarks onto the ice to retrieve a Seal that has been shot shall proceed to the Seal without delay and upon reaching the Seal palpate the cranium immediately to confirm that the cranium has been crushed;

3.4 Regardless of the method used for killing the Seal (i.e., hakapik, club or firearm), the Seal must be bled as soon as possible after palpation of the cranium has confirmed that the cranium has been crushed.
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This may be a dumb question but why must the skull be crushed?

By the looks of their heads a seal skull would look sweet beside a bear and wolf skull on my desk
 
brybenn said:
This may be a dumb question but why must the skull be crushed? By the looks of their heads a seal skull would look sweet beside a bear and wolf skull on my desk
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Its a good question. There's no rational answer. But in a nutshell, I suppose its because the moral conscience of today's society demands absolute proof that the seal is completely and utterly lifeless - and unable to feel any pain - before the pelt is removed from the carcass. Why this is demanded with a seal - as if one wouldn't expect a person butchering any animal to ensure it was dead - is beyond me.
 
From what I know about the East coast seal hunt, the people their do it as a needed part of their income. I've never even heard of anyone sport hunting seals. I'm not against hunting, but standing on an ice flow in the cold shooting at seals sounds like as much fun as chewing broken glass.
 
Jetson said:
From what I know about the East coast seal hunt, the people their do it as a needed part of their income. I've never even heard of anyone sport hunting seals. I'm not against hunting, but standing on an ice flow in the cold shooting at seals sounds like as much fun as chewing broken glass.
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Not at all. Its a lot of fun, and very challenging in open water. Think of em as giant aquatic gophers. :D
 
Jetson said:
From what I know about the East coast seal hunt, the people their do it as a needed part of their income. I've never even heard of anyone sport hunting seals. I'm not against hunting, but standing on an ice flow in the cold shooting at seals sounds like as much fun as chewing broken glass.
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Not sure about the East coast but there are a couple of outfitters up north that will take sport hunters. Think you can get walrus and other funky trophies if it floats your boat...
 
I'd love to try it someday actually. I'd never be able to afford it but I love leater and pelts to me look awesome. I'm a meat hunter with the exception of coyotes. But I will try to eat one sooner or later. I need to get out of southern ontario. It was with humidex today 40 degrees. I would love to be on a cold slushy ice flow right now. Thanks for the answers it cleared a lot up
 
Yes, you may sport hunt seals as an aside to a walrus or polar bear hunt. I've done it and let me tell you trying to shoot a seal head from a boat out in the bay is about the greatest waste of ammo in the world, but fun. Things are definately stacked in the seals favor, and it doesn't have to be windy either as there is always a swell. Think I went through about 50 243s and still no seal, switched to shotgun and a couple of boxes later finally got one dead only to watch my trusty guide miss the harpoon throw and seal sink into the depths. Very distressing, but it was a blast racing about looking for heads then shoot and shoot and shoot.
 
and seal sink into the depths.
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I read a post on another forum a couple years ago about a hunter in Iceland that hunted seals. He was hunting from land, finding seals close to shore, and waited until they took a breath before they dove. Once the nostrils closed he would shoot, the bodies would float and he sent his Labrador into retrieve them, cool pics of the dog retrieving a seal.
 
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