Walrus in the Yukon

From Bristol Bay north to the southern mouth of theCape Lisburne, and thence north to Point Barrow, but
Yukon walrus are rather numerous for a time in spring,they were not seen away from the vicinity of the ice.
just as the ice breaks up, and again in fall, inAccording to the natives living along this strip of coast
September and October, before the coast becomes[Kuskikwim Bay], the young walruses are born early in
ice-bound. Some winter off the coast betweenspring, when the ice breaks up, during April and May.
Nunevak Island and Bristol Bay. The coast betweenThey report the walruses as being very timid and
the Yukon mouth and Golovina Bay is rarely visited byinoffensive animals at all other seasons, but say that
them now, although they were formerly common therethe hunters give a female walrus with young a wide
in fall and spring.berth at this time. The female becomes very savage,
In Bering Straits they are very numerous every fall andand, like a bear with her cub, she has only to catch
spring, moving south before the ice-pack in autumn,sight of an intruder upon her domain to make an
and following it as it retreats into the Arctic in theattack.
spring. During nearly all the year a few individuals,When the Russians first occupied the Fur Seal Islands
mostly males, are found about Walrus Island, off Saintthe walrus was very numerous there, but the seal
Paul, of the Fur Seal group, where they were formerlyhunters soon drove them from Saint Paul and Walrus
abundant. They are also about Saint Matthew Islandskin roofs for Eskimo houses have become rare on
nearly or quite all of the year, and occur in greatSt. Lawrence Island. They let through a pleasant,
abundance about Saint Lawrence Island during theyellowish light. Below, a walrus-skin boat puts out to
migrations. At the latter periods they are alsosea. its passengers, perhaps. Seeking other walruses
numerous along the Siberian coast of Bering Sea andfor their food. Walrus tusks that furnish ivory for
the straits. North of the straits they are widely spreadharpoon heads, sled runners, boat keels and carvings
in summer, but keep in the close vicinity of the icefor sale to the white people. Some of the clever ivory
pack. During the summer of 1881 they were to becarvings included little animals, cribbage boards,
found along the Siberian coast west to Cape North,paperweights, an ashtray and a necklace of Saint
and thence north to Wrangel and Herald Islands, andGeorge.
along the pack easterly to the Alaskan coast, near