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Klokov K. Modern Bird Hunting in the Arctic: An Experience of Socio-Ecological Assessment on the Example of Eastern Chukotka

K. Klokov
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the RAS;
St. Petersburg State University
St. Petersburg, Russia
ORCID: 0000-0002-6149-5778
E-mail: k.b.klokov@gmail.com

 

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ABSTRACT. Hunting has long been a fundamental aspect of human interaction with nature, reflecting millennia of accumulated experience. In the Arctic, the hunting of birds, primarily ducks and geese, along with the collection of their eggs, remains a crucial subsistence activity for both indigenous and non-indigenous communities. This article presents the findings of an extensive, long-term study on bird hunting and egg collection as material interactions between Arctic inhabitants and local wildlife populations. The study employed a methodological approach that integrated anonymous sociological surveys with informal ethnographic interviews. The primary data were collected in 2023 across ten localities in northeastern Chukotka, with findings compared to similar surveys conducted in the early 2000s. The research identified the species of birds harvested, estimated the number of birds and eggs collected, and examined the spatial distribution of hunting activities. Additionally, it analyzed changes in species composition since the early 2000s. Despite a decline in the number of hunters attributable to increasingly complex regulations for obtaining hunting weapon permits and a diminished reliance on hunting for food, bird hunting continues to hold significant importance, particularly in the spring. In some areas, traditional hunting techniques, such as the use of slingshots and eplikatet, persist. The study highlights the need for reform in the management of hunting resources, as current regulations fail to consider the interests of local populations adequately.

 

KEYWORDS: hunting, egg collection, northern indigenous peoples, Chukotka, waterfowl, anonymous questionnaires, interviews

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2025-1(27)-170-195
UDC 639.12:502.1(571.651)

 

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