Erik Salitan, a seasoned hunter and outdoorsman featured on National Geographic’s Life Below Zero, has always been known for his skills in the Alaskan wilderness. However, one viewer recently called him out for what they believe to be reckless hunting behavior, particularly in Season 5, Episode 11, where Erik and his wife, Martha, were seen hunting caribou.
The Controversial Hunting Scene
In the episode, Erik and Martha were herding caribou when they came across an unusual sight—a group of caribou gathered around a musk ox. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they fired multiple rounds, successfully taking down two caribou cleanly. However, the controversy arose when a third caribou started sprinting away, and Erik continued shooting at it rather than letting it go.
The viewer criticized Erik’s actions, stating:
“You never shoot at an animal sprinting away, the chances of you getting a clean shot is slim to none and every hunter knows that, especially if you already managed to get 2!!”
Erik later went to track the wounded animal and found a blood trail leading to the caribou, which was still alive but sitting down. This led to another shocking moment—he admitted he ran out of bullets and was forced to finish the kill with a knife.
Major Concerns
The viewer expressed frustration with Erik’s approach, highlighting three critical points that many ethical hunters would agree with:
- Shooting at a Running Animal – The likelihood of a clean shot on a sprinting animal is extremely low, making it more likely that the animal will suffer rather than be killed instantly. Ethical hunters aim for precise kills to minimize suffering.
- Bringing Enough Ammunition – Erik’s lack of bullets put him in an unnecessary and avoidable situation where he had to resort to using a knife to finish the job.
- Killing in Surplus – The Salitans had already successfully killed two caribou. The viewer questioned why Erik felt the need to go after a third one, stating:
“They got 2. There was no need for him to shoot that 3rd one running away. Don’t kill in surplus.”
Chip Hailstone Defends Erik’s Actions
Following the criticism, fellow Life Below Zero star Chip Hailstone stepped in to defend Erik, explaining the difference between commercial hunting and subsistence hunting. According to Chip, many people misunderstand the necessity of hunting in a subsistence lifestyle:
“Yes, there is a huge difference between commercial hunters and subsistence hunters. If you live in a hunting society, you hunt for a lot more than yourself. We have family and friends, and our obligations to them are different than a client/guide.”
Chip further emphasized that subsistence hunting is about taking full advantage of seasonal opportunities. He explained how caribou, salmon, and other food sources must be harvested at their peak condition before they deteriorate.
“Brief hunts of bull caribou crossing a river while in prime meat condition and yet a few days from rut making them inedible. Salmon come in the thousands in pulses, and when they go upriver, they are prime, while a few days later they are ‘zombies’ and die falling apart.”
Why Surplus Hunting is Essential
One of the main points of contention in the debate was whether Erik was wrong for taking a third caribou. Chip explained that subsistence hunting requires stockpiling meat for the long winter months and ensuring that there is enough for extended families.
“Getting a surplus together is food security. One fall-time fat caribou bull lasts my old house (9 of us) about 3 days if we didn’t have bread or rice, fish, and whatever, but they average a week each, as we supplemented with other catches and gatherings.”
In Chip’s view, the idea that killing more than needed at the moment is wasteful is a misunderstanding of how traditional hunting societies function. He pointed out that indigenous people used to trap in bulk, drive herds off cliffs, and harvest massive amounts of food because it was necessary for survival before modern stores and government assistance.
“Natives used snares in depth and drove herds off cliffs when they could. They built giant enclosures for fish, molting birds, caribou, and killed them all… but that was before stores, Social Security, food stamps, and any form of help from any form of governance.”
The Reality of Hunting in Harsh Climates
Chip also addressed the concern about shooting a fleeing animal, explaining that in real hunting conditions, animals often flee, and skilled hunters know how to take precise shots even in motion.
“Shooting a fleeing animal is normal, as they all flee, and running straight away gives a fairly easy target if you’re quick and skilled. So that would be a skill-set kind of call, and yes, always bring plenty of bullets.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that wildlife populations naturally rise and fall, and the biggest threat to animals isn’t hunting, but rather habitat loss and climate change.
“All wildlife populations rise and fall in cycles. Far fewer people hunt for a living anymore, and dog teams are history, so the pressure on the game comes from habitat loss. Habitat loss affects the fish too, due to warming waters and commercial interception fisheries 24/7.”
Yes, There is a huge difference between commercial hunters and subsistence Hunters.
If you live in a Hunting society, you hunt for alot more than your self. We have family and friends and our obligations to them are different than a client/guide.
Subsistence Hunting is a year round activity of taking the best advantage of what an animals have to offer. Breif hunts of Bull Caribou crossing a river while in prime meat condition and yet a few days from rut making them unedible. Salmon come in the thousands in pulses and when the go up river, they are prime, while a few days later they are ‘zombies’ and die falling apart…..eggs are gatherable and good for 2, maybe 3 days max before they get “Blood”, then “Eyeballs” then “Crunchy” as the baby develops, and many more examples.
When everybodys eating, there is no waste.
When you make a living hunting/fishing/gathering, you get what you legally can, when you can.
Getting a surplus together is food security. 1 Fall time fat Caribou Bull lasts my old house (9 of us) about 3 days if we didnt have bread or rice, fish and whatever, but they average a week each, as we supplemented with other catches and gatherings as well as bulk rice/coffee/tea/sugar/flour/etc.
1 skinny (we need fats here) from mid Winter, played out and near starved as they all are after rut would last 2 days in my old household. In March we usually hunt a couple fat females, but we seriously limit that to need. We usually get a Muskox, which are fat, and get only a couple cows. We do this in March when the fetus is small and the Cow still fat. In April the baby super accelerates its growth and the insulating fat of the Cows body gos into the baby, so in April we catch Bulls again, who have very lean meats after a long winter and dry nicely to get us through till the fish are in.
Now our lifes changed and its me and Agnes here as the kids flow in and out and most of my hunting go’s to them, and their households. Fur too.
Getting a surplus is getting ahead. Dry, freeze or eat fresh, dealing with the extra and putting int away in the cache for later is how it works.
Natives used snares in depth and drove herds off cliffs when they could. They built giant enclosures for Fish, molting birds, Caribou and killed them all, ……..but that was before stores, Social Security, foodstamps and any form of help from any form of governance.
Caribou are not predictable as are any animals that migrate. Get them where and when you can. Salmon/fishing and Geese/birds, Egging and berry picking ect are all seasonal, and we pick/catch/shoot major surpluses of whatever were after and we prepare and store it all.
Firewood too.
Hunting meal to meal makes little sense, and is rectified asap. You need to build up a surplus to eat later during bad weather , breakdowns , injury, variety’s sake, and to simply do other things like trap and travel. Gifts, trades, company and dogs eating too. Theres more to life than just hunting, but you have to eat everyday, and more when its below 0’F for 4 months.
In Fall, while Caribou Bulls are prime, late Sept, we used to catch 25 and hang them in the skin. This got use through the lean deep cold months. We had them all eaten by March, and it was time to hunt Caribou again. Thats 6 months of not worrying what my 7 kids were going to eat and it was the best we could get, when the time was right.
Throw in a Moose or two, a Muskox, Sheep and Seals.
Now that our kids have grown, we get what ever Caribou we need, a Moose and in a few days, a Muskox, as were low on fat meats.
Shooting a fleeing animals is normal, as they all flee, and running straight away give a fairly easy target if your quick and skilled, so that would be a skill set kind of call, and yes, always bring plenty of bullets.
Our Game Unit GM23 is larger than the state of Illinois, yet has less than 10,000 people. Theres no Chicago here, but there are fewer people here than 200 years ago.
Im not sure of Salatans GM, but they have Caribou in the Winter, so they are likely migratory and gone the rest of the year.
all Wildlife populations rise and fall, in cycles
Far fewer people hunt for a living anymore and dog teams are history, so the pressure on the game comes from habitat loss .Habitat loss effects the fish too, due to warming waters and commercial interception fishery’s 24/7, the Ocean is deeply impacted, as are the Caribou when mid winter warmups bring rain which freeze over their grazing areas with a cap of ice they cannot eat. This effects survivability of adults and smaller calfs when they are born….the list go’s on, but its not hunting thats reducing numbers of animals.