This hotel was obviously a bad decision. Not far away is a large building, The Explorer Hotel. I should have stayed there. Unfortunately, I had no choice as Boyd puts all his hunters here; they are collected at the airport by the hotel minibus, and stay here briefly before flying on to Holman –
at least, those have a ticket - so,it is the official hotel for the hunt. I'm not happy because I have to spend the next two days here, and that matters.
I shot my caribou on the 15th August. I haven't been hunting since. I'm beginning to lose my patience. What am I doing here? Hunting or reviewing hotels? What I'd really like to do is hire a jeep, and go off for a good stalk in the neighborhood. There must be something to shoot around here.
I've got a lot of time on my hands, so I'll write a few lines about the musk ox. This animal is not very familiar to Hungarian hunters, and does not often crop up in their gunsights.
The musk ox (Ovibos Moschatus) is one of the most mysterious, large-bodied species in the north. It looks like a mutant, four-leggedTauntaun from the ice-world of Hoth - the only thing missing is Luke Skywalker sitting on its back. Even its taxonomic categorisation is difficult, though there has never been any doubt that, unlike the tauntaun, it is not a lizard. For a while experts
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insisted that, because of the similarity of the horns, it was a type of steer (Bovine). But they later changed their minds, and thought it a type of goat (Capriane). Its nearest relative was believed to be the Takin, found in Tibet and Western China; this information was even put in the SCI record book. However, genetic research has - hopefully forever - finally proved that the two species are not closely related. It also went on to prove that it's closest relative is the ...Goral (Nemorhaevus Sp.)! These small-bodied types of goat live in Asia, so they are a long way from their Big Brother.
The musk ox is mainly found in Canada and Greenland, so if you want to hunt them, these are the places to go. Although they have been introduced to Wrangel Island in Russia, and apparently to Sweden and Norway as well, they cannot be hunted in these countries. During the 19th century, they successfully managed to exterminate them all in Alaska, and, although they are still being re-introduced, it is possible to hunt them during the winter, near Nome. The best description of the animal is found on Uncyclopedia: "The musk ox is smaller than people who've only seen it in photos think it is. But it's bigger than those people think, who think it's the same size as a mouse or rubber spider."
It is about 6 ft. long, and its height to its withers rarely exceeds 4 ft. Interestingly, the span of its horns can be up to 3 ft. These are essential to its defence strategy, which is for the herd to form a tight semi-circle, horns facing outwards, so presenting a living shield towards their predators. On average it weighs between 600 - 780 lbs; there are larger ones found in the less northerly parts of Canada which can weigh over 1400 lbs. They live in herds ranging in size from 10 - 100; they never rest, but are constantly on the move. This makes tracking and hunting them very difficult.
They have excellent vision and hearing. Their long shaggy hair can hang down for up to 3ft beneath their body, so it can be hard to tell where the musk ox ends and the hair begins. They do not move quickly, needing to conserve their hard-found calories, but, if threatened by wolves can sprint at up to 25 miles per hour. The SCI categorises three separate types, which taxonomically belong to two different groups. One is the Barren Ground Musk Ox, also known as the Arctic Island Musk Ox - this is the one I intend to hunt - either because the animals living on the islands belong to the same sub-species as those on the mainland, or because people do not always follow the SCI categorisation. It has a bigger body, longer legs and darker hair than the other sub-species. It can even occasionally be found as far south as latitude 63, far below the Arctic Circle.
In March 1993 one was shot in Nunavut Province, which is still a world record.
The other, the Greenland Musk ox is - you've guessed it! - mainly found on Greenland and its neighboring islands.
There is a newly introduced population of Greenland Musk ox, which is considered to be in a separate category: this is the third group, and they are not allowed to be hunted, which seems reasonable.
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In Canada the herds remain stable at 85,000, ensuring the survival of the species, and allowing them to be hunted in limited numbers.
In the afternoon I walk down to the shore of Great Slave Lake and go to The Rock, the best observation point. Yellowknife has two parts: the old town and the new town. From The Rock I can see both areas very well; it is also the best place to view the northern lights. So far, I've spent most of my time in the new section of town, typified by the functional architecture of these northern settlements. The streets are full of square houses built from pre-fabricated parts. Now I can also see the old town, and it looks poor and shabby. The small, dilapidated houses, all in need of redecoration, are scattered about at random. In the gardens are old, abandoned cars and unusable motor-sleds, exposed to the elements and getting overgrown with weeds. Nothing is open; the wooden buildings are rotting away, and everywhere there is peeling paint and rusting metal. In the unkempt gardens the plants run wild. There is a center for the homeless just in front of my hotel, which fits in perfectly with the general look of the town. The Chateau Nova Hotel lies on the border of these two parts, and is only 300 ft. from the "city center".
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I don't like it when, in giving an account of his travels, someone criticizes the place he is visiting.
If he doesn't like it why is he there? Why didn't he get more information about where he was going? And what gives him the right to pass judgement? I would not like it if a resident of Yellowknife came to Budapest and then wrote a disparaging book about it. I'm sure this town has many positive features which I have not yet seen. Perhaps we have just come together at the wrong time; if I'd come here with two caribou and two musk ox trophies - with the pictures on my hard disk - I'm sure I wouldn't be able to praise it enough. But this is a record of my journey, not a tourist guide book. I make my entries regularly, and have never fallen behind more than a day.
This is important, because then I can clearly remember, not only the events, but also the moods and emotions that accompanied them. During this enforced period of inactivity it is difficult for me to remain up-beat, and possibly I am seeing the town in a worse light than it deserves. I felt the same about Deadhorse.
But at least there I could find some good food. In the Chateau Nova they don't even serve dinner on a Sunday. In the afternoon I go to the hotel gym.
There is a sauna. It doesn't work.
There is a jacuzzi. It doesn't work, either.
I work out on the decrepit machine. There is only one.
Room 305
Chateau Nova Hotel