Life Below Zero (2013) s01e05 Episode Script

1
ERIK: Today's a beautiful
spring day
in the Brooks Range.
This is the time
of year I live for.
The light's back.
It's calm, it's beautiful.
We're going to go up
one of my favourite creeks,
check some traps.
I supplement my income
as a hunting guide
with trapping in the winter.
It's really nice
to get out there
and see what critters
are around.
(ENGINE ROARING)
I have quite a few wolverine
traps up this creek.
A wolverine's fur
is very valuable.
I sold one earlier
this winter for $500.
The snow is kind of like
a canvas here
and I can see everything
that's come through
and what's happened
and we just go through
and read the writing
in the snow.
I recently baited one
of my wolverine cubby sets
with part of a caribou head.
I'm going to head
back up the creek
and see if I had any luck.
You see that?
I just rolled up on
my wolverine cubby here
and saw the bait was gone.
I realised it wasn't
a wolverine that took it,
it was a wolf!
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
D'you see that?
We just came up on
this wolverine cubby here
and there's been a wolf
all around here.
I had a caribou head
as bait in the cubby
and he craftily stole that.
Brought it out here onto
the river and chewed it up.
Wolves generally, they won't
take chances like that.
It'd be a good thing
if I could get him,
he's causing me
a bit of trouble.
To have an opportunity
at a wolf like this,
it's kind of a unique chance.
A highly skilled trapper
may only get a few a year.
So the wolverines
will have to wait.
The wolf actually stepped
on this trap
but the trap was damaged
and unfortunately
it didn't go off.
I'm resetting the trap
the best I can
and obscuring it with snow.
Let's see if we can't
outsmart him.
Some wolves are nomadic,
so I got to work hard here
and keep going and make,
uh, make plenty of sets
so when he comes through
the next time,
hopefully we'll get lucky
and he'll slip up
and make a mistake.
(ENGINE ROARING)
CHIP: The way the folks have
done things here
for thousands of years works
because they were
born that way,
they grew up that way,
they made their life that way,
and they died that way.
Probably with a gun
in their hand.
We're not going to shoot
today guys,
we're just going to drive
rabbits towards the net.
That's all we're going to do.
Winter hunting season
was pretty thin this year,
so rabbits and small game
are really important up here
because if big game
eating the country
it's something else
we can rely on.
-This one, Mom?
-Yep, that one!
CHIP: We like to put up
a well-used salmon net,
one that's not
in the best repair,
and we like to see
if we can push
a bunch of bunnies into it
and club 'em.
And it makes a good
change in diet.
We like to eat them rabbits.
I used to have to dress them
individually one at a time,
starting from the oldest one
going down to the youngest
and kick 'em out the door
as they dress up.
But now they just dress up
on their own.
Carol, she's usually
the braver one,
so I choose her to be the one
who's wearing the mukluks
because she'll be lighter
and she'll be able to run up
to them and club them
and help all the other girls
who need help.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
AGNES: You have to put
it on first.
CHIP: Well, we're getting our
nets set up here
and sled set up and we're
going to go set up a wide net
and we're going to find
a nice strand of willows
where there's a lot of rabbits
and hopefully we can
get quite a few.
You never know,
some days it's one,
some days it's 100.
I got it, Carol.
-Right here.
-Gotta be fast.
All of the kids are
going to ride in the sled
because there's not enough
room on the snow-go's.
We're going to go catch
rabbits and club 'em.
SUE: I live in a really large
tent on the tundra.
It's really, really
a harsh environment.
If I can't get more fuel,
my life's on the line.
People came in
and used my fuel
when I was out
having my surgery
and I'm still in the process
of trying to replace
that fuel and get more.
So I've got a company
coming in.
They're going to be
bringing in a C-46,
an old war plane,
and bring me several thousand
gallons of fuel tomorrow.
So today, the most important
thing I need to get done
is I need to get rid of
the soft spots on the runway.
It's a World War II aircraft.
Fifty-foot wide is their
minimum on the runway.
If I make it 40 feet,
they need 50,
and that plane crashes
and hurts those people.
Those people have
kids, grandkids.
So I need to do
my personal best
to make sure
it is as safe as possible.
I like snow, obviously
I'm into the Arctic weather.
But it can feel like it
never ends.
I mean, it's just the gift
that keeps on giving.
I got a storm coming in.
Typically, the storm's
going to undo
everything I've just done.
Five minutes ago
I went over this.
You see how the wind
is just making
talcum powder out of it?
And it's going all the way
across the runway.
This is in five minutes,
this is about five inches.
Three foot across,
30 foot long
and it's filling
in every pebble.
Right now, there's no point
putting all my efforts
out to watch them get erased.
So put the Bobcat to bed,
save the fuel for the morning
when the wind might be gone.
ANDY: I couldn't imagine
living in the bush
without dogs.
They're the best alarm
system you can have.
No bear ever comes
near our property
without the dogs
letting us know.
(DOGS BARKING)
KATE: The way we earn
our money is by running
dog sled tours
in the wintertime.
We teach people
how to mush their own teams,
we don't have people
ride in the sled.
They actually learn
about the dogs,
the dog care,
how to run a team
and do small short expeditions
with the dogs.
ANDY: Dogs are probably
the most important part
of our lifestyle out here.
They provide us with
our transportation,
we use them for freight.
For me probably one of
the most important things is
that they are my companions.
Want to go to the lake?
Let's go to the lake.
Well, this afternoon's going
to be a really big day
for our puppy, Jack,
he's five months,
almost six months old now.
So we're going to try
and get him trained
to run along with the team.
Puppy Jack, come!
Attaboy. Attaboy.
We keep the harness on him
even though he's not going
to use it
'cause he'll know
when the harness is on,
that means he's going to run
with the team.
ANDY: One of the more
important things
about dog mushing
is always planning
for the future.
The last thing you want to
have happen
is have your entire
dog team get old
and then have to start
from scratch.
-Oh, man, old Remington.
-(DOG WHINNING)
This is old Remington.
Remington's 15,
almost 16 years old now.
He was my main lead dog
for many, many years.
I'm at a point
with my dog lot,
my kennel, where I've got
a couple of old dogs
that I'm going to be retiring.
Get some new dogs trained up.
Jack is being trained up
as a new lead dog.
And hopefully Jack will be
able to take Remington's
place in the kennel.
If you don't train these dogs
up ahead of time,
you can find yourself in
a pretty bad situation
with no leaders
and no trained dogs.
KATE: I'm going to take
puppy Jack out,
then Andy will hook up
a small team of dogs
so it won't be too
intimidating or fast for him.
And what we're going to do,
is I'll get in the sled
and we'll get puppy Jack
to follow.
I'll have treats so
he'll go anywhere I go.
(LAUGHS)
ANDY: Get going', Jack!
Across the lake.
KATE: Who is that, Jack?
Is that Andy?
ANDY: For Jack, today is about
getting familiar with
running in and around the team
and also starting
to build confidence.
KATE: Run, Jack! Yay!
ANDY: If we don't ease Jack
into the training
he will freak out
and neckline,
throwing the rest of the team
out of sync.
One bad experience
at a young age
would seriously scar
him for life.
KATE: Ouch!
All the dogs on the team
have different roles to play.
And you don't just
have one lead dog,
you have to have several dogs
that can do many things.
We only have one leader,
and that leader gets
an injured shoulder,
you don't have a leader.
So, more dogs that can be put
into a leadership position
and on a sled, the better.
ANDY: Gee, gee, gee.
KATE: How's Jack doing
back there?
ANDY: He's doing good.
He's right No!
Jack! Jack, gee!
Now he's going to
run up front.
Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Man, okay, that was close.
Jack, you can't stop like that
buddy. Okay, let's go!
He almost got run
over there.
He's was running up
in with the leader
and then just stopped.
But, uh,
he didn't get hit, so
You know, it was
a little bit challenging.
I don't want to
see that again.
(LAUGHS)
KATE: Oh, he scared
the life out of me.
I think it's "whoa" time.
Sometimes when
they get in the team
and if they get scared,
they cower and lay down
and then, of course,
the other dogs are moving
and they get
pulled along and
Boy, sometimes
when that happens,
those dogs never forget that
and they kind of get skittish
with starting out in a team.
You know, they don't like to
be harnessed up
because they
Some of them never forget.
Yay, Jack-man!
Yay, Jack-man!
He's a sled dog.
Did around, around,
around the lake
and he was right on my tail
the whole time.
So that was a really
good sign.
You can see he's not afraid
to be up in the mix right now,
that's another really
good sign. I like that.
Come on, Jack!
Come on, buddy!
KATE: Woo-hoo, Jack! Come on!
ANDY: Woo-hoo! Come on, Jack!
Come on, Jack! Attaboys.
ANDY: In a few more days
I could put him in just
a small little team
on the way home,
give him a little run
in the harness
and see how he does.
(DOGS BARKING)
KATE: Whoa! Way to go!
ERIK: It's trapping
season here.
I love trapping,
I love hunting fur,
and I got the fur fever.
A wolf has come
and robbed a wolverine
cubby I have.
Wolves are very
particular about scent.
They're a very
suspicious animal.
I'm gonna boil
some of these snares
and we're going to eliminate
any kind of scent
that may be on these.
I'm also going to throw in
this spruce bough here.
That might cover up
any kind of, uh, human scent
that might somehow survive
through the boiling process.
Okay.
Now I just need to wait
for them to get
to a good steady boil
and hopefully
we'll be in business.
I've always naturally
been a night owl
so I do a lot
of work at night.
I guess it's one
of the advantages
of living out here,
I don't have to adhere
to any kind of schedule.
If it's dark,
I put on my headlamp.
If it's light, I take
my headlamp with me
'cause it's going to get
dark pretty soon.
Time really has
no meaning out here.
These have been boiling
for a good while.
I'm going to go ahead
and see if I can't get them
out of here
without touching them,
using a stick.
We don't want to drop these
or touch these or anything
or we've defeated the entire
purpose in boiling them.
I'm just going to go ahead
and hang them right up
on this tree here.
Just natural spruce scent.
Tomorrow we'll go out
and set a couple snares
and maybe get lucky
and catch a wolf or two.
(HOWLING IN THE DISTANCE)
SUE: To be successful
at living out here,
you have to accept
shit doesn't always
go down on your schedule.
Just life throwing
you a curveball,
you better learn how to swing.
(PHONE DIALING)
TREVOR: Everts Air,
it's Trevor.
SUE: Hey, Trevor,
how you doing? This is Susan.
I'm getting really
low on fuel,
I got to call and see
and make sure that the plane
can even come in today.
I've got four days of fuel
left and then I have to worry.
Just wanted to check
and see where we were at
for the delivery today.
When I get the green light,
then I'll redo the runway.
If I do it now and we get bad
weather tomorrow,
I do not have the fuel
to do it again.
It's just one of those
one shot deals.
TREVOR: We're not
looking good.
SUE: Okay.
Have you seen that huge
low front coming in?
'Cause that's gonna be
hitting us right around
Tuesday, Wednesday.
SUE: If my load continues
to get pushed off,
it's going to end up waiting
until my conditions degrade.
They're scheduled
to be 40 below.
50, 60, 70 mile an hour winds.
My runway is now covered
in snow again.
It's, it's
I can't get the fuel
if they wait that long.
And, and just so you know,
I am 100%
out of fuel
by probably
Tuesday, Wednesday.
I have four days of fuel left.
They're pushing
the drop-off to Tuesday.
But there's a shit storm
coming in on
Tuesday or Wednesday.
So it means I may have
to ride out this next storm
with no heat.
I only have four days
of fuel left.
At this point
I'm simply scavenging
fuel from wherever I can.
Why can't you just stay put
for me, you bitch?
Without the fuel
to run the generator
I don't have electricity,
so I have to use
the hand pump.
You know, that's a pain
in the ass
but that's what I got to do.
The Kavik weight-loss plan.
Better than the Thighmaster.
(CHUCKLES)
I've got a couple
gallons maybe in here
for my last dribble of fuel.
I made a decision to take
the last few gallons of fuel
and put it into the Bobcat
so I could fix this runway,
get it smooth,
hopefully get my fuel in.
If it doesn't come in
and I get another storm,
I do not have another
15 gallons
anywhere in camp
to pull it from.
This is my one shot.
To make it on the fuel
that I have now,
I have to compromise.
The generator,
that's gonna get cut down.
I'll pump the fuel
out of that tank,
pump it into the heat tank.
Heat is more important
than the comfort
of lights and electricity.
The heat's
gonna let me survive.
Once I cut this lever,
all power is down in camp.
Shuts off the power from
the gen anywhere else.
(ENGINE DIES DOWN)
And viola , no power.
AGNES: I'm going
to make sure my daughters
know how to do this.
Something every native woman
has to know
in order to survive.
Hopefully they'll teach
their kids how to do it.
CHIP: Today we're probably
going to try and get a couple
of dozen rabbits.
We use them for fur,
and we like to eat them.
AGNES: You see any rabbits
yet, princess?
Try and look for rabbits.
CHIP: When you're a kid,
you learn
all the important things
that it takes
to be able to be,
not only surviving
out here in the cold
but to live and enjoy
what you're doing.
CAROL: Oh! Tracks!
CHIP: Help her
with the pole, Mary.
You guys are going
to go down the trail.
There we go. Keep going girls.
Right on down the trail.
We got one of the best traps
ever set up.
It's a net. You can net
rabbits, you can net fish,
you can net birds.
Today, we're out
getting rabbits.
We're going to go back about
300 yards back here
and drive any rabbits
we can into this net.
AGNES: The rabbits are gonna
come this way. We're gonna
go scare 'em, okay, girls?
And since you girls
have the sticks,
you girls have to club 'em as
many times as you could until
they're dead, okay, princess?
You guys good down there, Mom?
-AGNES: Yup!
-CAROL: Dad?
-CHIP: Yup, rabbit time!
-(CAROL YOWLING)
CHIP: La, la, la, la.
Just talk, make some noise,
let 'em know we're coming.
Give them the chance
to get ahead of us.
AGNES: Lots of tracks
right here!
CHIP: Well, I'm trying my best
to drive the rabbits
towards the women
over there with the net.
CHIP: Nothing cookin'?
The thing to do would be
to leave the net up
and then come back here
early in the morning
and make an early
morning drive.
We'll just do it again.
We'll get successful.
There's going to be
something out here.
ERIK: It's a physical
challenge.
It's a psychological
challenge.
It's a game of wits
and there's really no limit
how far I'll go to get a wolf.
Kill or be killed.
(PANTING)
I'm digging up my little spot
in the yard
I have where I've pieces
of hide, bones, hooves, heads.
Things that I've taken from
animals that I butcher to eat.
Most people would just waste
this, throw it away.
But what I do is I save it
and I use it for bait
for trapping.
We're going to head up
a drainage
that's not too far
from my house here.
I've seen some wolf
signs up there.
And, uh, hopefully
we'll get these sets in
and have some luck.
The cover here
isn't very thick.
It makes it hard to snare
these wolves.
I'm gonna do the best I can.
I really have a lot
of respect for wolves,
they're kind
of a cool creature.
But they need to be managed
just like any other
species out there.
If all the humans just
want to take moose
and sheep and caribou
and they aren't willing
to put the effort in
to manage predators as well,
it creates an unequal balance
and the environment's
going to get all out of whack.
So I try to harvest
some predator animals
in the ecosystem as well.
All right, we're going to set
another snare here.
The idea is, the wolf's
going to come through here,
get his head through here
and it's going to
tighten up on him.
The lone-wolf track
that I saw, I believe,
is a wolf that's
travelling by himself.
He's following a pack,
maybe a week or two
behind them.
He's in pure survival mode
and he's taking chances that
normally a wolf wouldn't take.
We're going to try
and exploit that behaviour.
I put a few scraps
of hide and bone
throughout this thicket where
I've snares spread out.
That'll put some scent
and some visual attraction
in here for these wolves
and maybe make them curious
enough to make a mistake.
Bait almost never would work
on a healthy wolf.
They'd be far too
suspicious of it.
But this particular wolf,
because he's already taking
extreme chances,
I think that he'll react
positively to the bait.
So, hopefully, I'll come back
in a day or two
and we'll have him.
ERIK: Yesterday, I went up
to the creek
and I went to set some snares.
Unfortunately, I didn't see
any fresh sign of the wolf.
He hadn't been there
since I was there last.
Out here on the trap line
it's not just
one day of effort.
It's day after day
but at the same time,
hopefully, I'll have
something today.
That's it. That's where
it's all beat down there.
We're back here where we first
spotted the wolf's tracks.
Wolf signs have been gone
for a couple of days
and now he's back.
I going to make a little bit
of an unconventional set here.
I'm going to place one trap
in the entrance of the cubby
and another trail set
and maybe he'll be focused
on that cubby
and catch himself
in the trail set.
I'm using this moose
femur as bait.
The spruce branch is
to create a cubby,
and it makes the animal
approach from one direction.
But I think there's an outside
chance that this wolf will
actually go into the cubby.
Wolves normally
are too smart for cubbies.
But this wolf, he's kind of
scavenging around
and I think he may make
a big mistake.
We're going for gold here.
I'm going to sweeten the pot
and throw a little bit
of extra bait in here.
I smell success.
Success is coming.
Got my sets made, gonna
head back to the house,
wait a while and come back out
and see what we have.
ANDY: The dogs are our buddies
but they're also a tool.
They're a piece of machinery.
Once I hook them up and go
I know I'm going to make it
to wherever I'm going.
Hey, hey. There she is.
Good come.
Come here, Sol.
That was a good come,
good girl.
Big project of
the day is building
a house for Jack.
He's at that age
where he's learning how to be
a member of the kennel now.
He's transitioning
from being a puppy
into an active member
of the team.
And so we're going to build
him a brand new house.
Put his name on it
and that will be his house
for the rest of his life.
So, get a piece of
half-inch plywood
and you can make one dog house
out of each sheet.
Ever since
I've been with Kate,
she's seen every puppy born.
Kate has a really strong tie
to these puppies
and I think it's a little bit
hard for her sometimes
to watch
the young puppies
go from being a puppy
and being in her world,
to being a sled dog
and being in my world.
I've been raising dogs
for 30 years now.
I've had a lot come and go
and it's really hard
when they go.
That's probably
harder on me
than thinking that
Jack's the last puppy I think.
Every dog I own
means more work for me,
getting fish and keeping them
in shape and training, and
It's a lot of work goes
into keeping a kennel of dogs.
I'm not a young buck
any more either
so I've got to start thinking
about how I want to do
things in the future.
KATE:
This is Jack's nameplate.
Andy's mother was here
a couple of years ago
in the summertime
and she brought
all the dog's nameplates
that she made herself.
So we're carrying on
the "Gloria tradition"
of making nameplates
for their houses.
I always feel sad when
they get put on a chain and
Putting them in their house
and put them on a chain
is almost like kids
leaving home.
And it's very difficult.
I've been really,
really impressed with Jack
and kind of hoping that
he'll take Remington's place.
This is going to be
my last nameplate
because Jack
is our last puppy.
We have 25 dogs now,
so I'm not getting any younger
and, uh, don't want a huge
kennel when I'm 70.
This doesn't have
to be real pristine.
They tend to eat the ends off
of their nameplates.
Some of them have no first or
last letters to their names.
(CHUCKLES)
There we go.
Too bad there was no room
for Super Jack.
(CHUCKLES)
Puppy Jack! Whatcha doing?
Hey! Look at this.
Look at this house. Come here.
Jack, Jack, Jack!
Come here. Come here.
Come here, buddy.
Come here. Hi!
It's going to be your house.
Yea, look at that!
Nice and fresh smelling.
He's growing up. Moving out.
SUE: If you live
out in the bush,
you've got to have
a back-up plan
to your back-up plan,
to your back-up plan.
Think of the worst-case
scenario,
and get ready for it,
it may happen!
When I first got here
and found out my fuel
had been used by,
by people, uh,
I had to get a few drums
of fuel from Bob,
you know, in the ski plane.
I've been trying to get
a big fuel drop.
I let 'em know I was
to the point of running
out of fuel,
and, ah, it got delayed again.
Supposed to be here today,
they did not make it,
so I'm in conservation mode.
You know, it's what happens.
I mean, you gotta be hardy,
you gotta figure out
how you're going to make it.
(PHONE DIALING)
TREVOR: Hi, this is Trevor
with Everts Air Fuel.
Please leave a message
and I'll get back to you
as soon as possible. Thanks.
-(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS)
-Hey, buddy,
this is Sue at Kavik.
Um, calling you by
lantern light.
(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)
Trying to see
if we're a "go" or a "no go"
on the fuel tomorrow.
I got one tank of fuel
for my Bobcat to get
that runway ready so I
(AUTOMATED MESSAGE ON MACHINE)
So I don't want to actually
give you a full message.
AUTOMATED MESSAGE ON MACHINE:
To mark your message urgent
(CALL ENDS)
Well, I mean, that's that.
Alls I can do now
is wait and see.
There's another storm expected
on the north slope, totally.
I mean, that's the way
it is in the winter.
One storm after the other.
Wait and see, hope and pray.
It is what it is.
Better hope it goes my way.
(PHONE DIALING)
(TREVOR ON PHONE)
Hey, buddy, how are you doing?
Not very good, why?
What's going on?
What's the, uh, the honest
picture here for me?
Okay. What can you tell me?
Are we down to not even
this week?
You know I got
the gen shut down
and I got one shot of fuel
for the Bobcat to get
that runway done
so I do not want to do
it prematurely.
Well, I appreciate it, buddy,
and you have
a pleasant evening.
All right, bye.
Okay. Well, it, uh
Today, no joy.
Um, tomorrow, no joy.
Because this one day,
one day, one day
you put enough
of those together
you can have a month.
So
Try again calling tomorrow.
That's all you can do.
CHIP: We've come a ways
out of town here
where the rabbits are
and we got some pretty
good bands here,
different swabs of willows
that we want to hunt
and some have lots,
and some have few
and some have none.
This time of year we like
to come out here
and get some rabbits
for a change of meals,
you know?
We like to eat
a little something different
all the time,
and this is a good way
of getting enough
to feed everybody
at the house in one shot.
AGNES: I just don't
see the bunny.
CHIP: There's going to be
something out here.
I think we're gonna try from
this side 'cause the net
can work both ways.
We drove them from this way,
now we can drive them
from this way.
CHIP: You girls got
your clubs? You need clubs.
Now, girls,
you gotta keep quiet
and you gotta keep still.
And when you see
the rabbit hit the line
you run over to it
and beat it quietly,
don't scream and yell, okay?
CAROL: Yup, lots of rabbit
tracks over here.
CHIP: Slow up,
we're not with you yet.
Lots of tracks right here.
AGNES: Better get out
of the open.
AGNES: There's a set
of rabbit tracks over here.
Like, a couple now.
CHIP: I'm running out of
willows to make noise with,
so I'm getting over here
Letting them know I'm coming
and they can stay ahead of me
and hopefully I'll push them
into the net. Hopefully.
AGNES: Okay?
CAROL: Nothing, Mom.
Not one rabbit, eh?
CHIP: Nothing cooking?
It's kind of tiring.
You got to be in shape to walk
through deep snow
and in good health.
Just got to get
the timing right.
Better luck next time.
CHIP: Every hunter goes home
with nothing sometimes.
Even the best hunters go home
with nothing sometimes.
Just the way it is.
SUE: You have to be proactive
about your own survival.
You can't cheer from
the sidelines
on your own life.
You've got to be
an active participant.
I am tentatively excited about
today being the day for fuel.
I'm getting dangerously
low on fuel.
At this point I have less
than two days of fuel left.
Any more delays and I'm done.
All right.
TREVOR: (ON PHONE) Everts
Air Fuel, this is Trevor.
Hey, buddy, how's it going?
Boo-yah!
Okay. Well, awesome sauce.
Thanks a lot, I'll give you
a call around noon.
All right, bye-bye.
Knock on something.
Sounds like it's going
to happen.
Well, now I got my work
absolutely cut out for me.
I've had a couple of days now
of 20, 30-mile-an-hour winds,
blowing snow.
Three, four, five-foot
drifts everywhere.
And very few gallons of fuel
to get the runway done.
Time for me to get my butt
off of the pavement
and in the air
where it belongs.
I have got three hours
to get my runway done
and seven gallons of fuel
to do it in.
That plane's a big bird.
Lots of power.
Thousand gallons of boom
and landing wrong
will ruin anybody's day.
Is he wheels up?
Did he go more than
10 miles out?
'Cause the last time he
supposedly was headed up
the slope,
he had a problem, turned
around and went back.
If I waste those last
couple of gallons of fuel
and don't get it
and it drifts in again,
I have no recourse.
I cannot do the runway again.
ERIK: I got a lot of respect
for these animals.
It's not a game to them,
they got to just keep moving .
Keep killing.
The minute they stop,
the minute they get lazy,
they're dead.
Been a couple of days here
since I checked traps,
I'm going to check
these traps again
and hopefully
we have something.
Always get excited when
you see wolf tracks
coming up towards
a set you have.
But they weren't going
to have anything to do
with my nonsense here.
Go up the way
and see if we caught our wolf.
Catching, ah, wolves,
it's not easy business.
I mean, just little things,
like the water level changed.
The ice obscured the traps.
It happened
to obscure the traps
just before the wolves came.
Um
Hopefully I'll get lucky
and have something in my last
trap up the trail here.
Oh, I caught something.
Got one more set to check.
Tracks everywhere
on the trail.
All excited coming up on it.
I just got
entirely outsmarted.
Trap's still even set.
(SNIFFS)
Didn't catch shit!
Last time I had the trap here,
by this tree
where I had the bait,
the little cubby, he came
around the back door.
Left his scat there.
Did he do that 'cause he got
his belly full eating my bait
or is that like a
Like a ominous warning?
You know,
"Shit on you, trapper."
Catching wolves,
it's not easy business.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm a killer, I'm a trapper,
I'm a subsistence hunter.
But they're a lot tougher
than I'll ever be.
They're lot better hunters
then I'll ever be.
SUE: This is what
Alaska is to me.
It's every day a challenge.
Every moment a challenge.
Everything about it's
a challenge.
All right, still in the air.
Should have landed in Kaktovik
about 10 minutes ago.
I got the word that the plane
is going to try
and get that fuel to me.
It's really going to
happen this time.
As long as he does a fly over
and agrees that
I've maintained it safely.
Um, I mean,
this is the Hail Mary pass.
It's the winning
touchdown or not.
This is Kavik,
how you doing buddy?
(PILOT ON RADIO)
Seven to ten out of the south,
south-west.
Please do, if you can,
uh, fly over on the runway.
You'll see where I've been
maintaining it.
Fly safe.
I can go down there and park.
Flat light, it's a condition
where the sky is the same
colour as the snow,
which is the same colour
as the hills,
which means
everything's white.
So it's like flying around
inside of a glass of milk.
You cannot pick things out.
Fuck!
They had it so close.
If they can't pick it out
and feel safe,
they will not deliver.
I will be monumentally
let down
if it's this close
and doesn't happen.
What's your opinion?
I'll do whatever it takes
to get out there
and, and make it good for you.
I've got some cones,
but I mean,
everything's just
flat light today.
I'm not the most textbook
religious woman in the world.
If there is a power higher
than myself
to keep these dudes safe.
Please bring my fuel in.
Safe.
We got snow coming in,
we got fog coming in,
we've got just
bullshit conditions
that are setting up.
There he is.
See him lining up?
You're not lining up
on it, dude.
Get to the north.
Get to the north.
Get to the fucking north.
You going to land
in my field, dude.
There he goes.
Down, down, down.
He's down.
Now that the fuel is in,
I mean I can breath
a hell of a lot easier.
I mean, it all comes down
to fuel out here.
When you have it,
I mean, you got the luxuries,
life is good.
Without it,
you're pretty pooched.
Hey, buddies! Oh, man,
it's good to see you.
Thank you so much!
Oh, yeah?
It's not for everybody,
actually is just for one-body.
(CHUCKLES)
Hey, buddy, how you doing?
-Good, you?
-SUE: Good.
Thank you for bringing
me fuel. (CHUCKLES)
ANDY: I am the alpha male,
and Kate's the alpha female
and whatever you do,
never want to get between
a man and his dog.
So why don't you take
care of Jack
and do your thing with him
and I'll feed
the rest of the dogs.
KATE: Okay.
Come here, puppy Jack.
Oh, you know that
new house you got today?
Well, guess what?
You're going to sleep in it.
Your first day on the chain.
Let's see what happens, huh?
You're going to be
a good boy with this,
I can tell.
We'll put him on the chain
with his new house
and that's a rough day
for mommy's to put
their babies on a string.
You're going to be
a "Jack in the box" tonight.
You're going to go
in this house tonight?
Huh?
I think the fish has got him
totally preoccupied.
ANDY: Well, that's it.
Between the fish and
I think it's probably going
to be 25, 30 below tonight.
He'll crawl right in there
and that'll be that.
KATE: All right, give me
a kiss goodnight.
A big ol' fish kiss.
(KISSING) I love you,
puppy Jack.
(KISSING)
It's just a stage
of growing up.
It's hard to take.
(SIGHS) All right, Jack.
Have a good night.
When they're young,
I'm the one that feeds them
and takes care of them
and I play with them,
I hold them.
I'm usually the first hands
they feel.
And that means a lot to me.
And it makes me want to cry
to see Jack grow
'cause it's our last puppy.
And so this is it,
when this is done, it's done.
I'm not raising
any more puppies.