My first thought as I watched this self made documentary of British Columbian mountain country in 1968 is that there's no way that location is as abundantly filled with wildlife today -- caribou, antelope, mountain goats (not goats, but antelope), bear, rams, beaver, and fish - - the pike were huge, easily 20 lbs. and four feet long -- as it was in this film. I'm curious to know.
Thoughts regarding the difference between hunting merely for trophies and hunting to eat were made, which I thought appropriate, as to my thinking, nearly fifty years ago, the topic might not have been on the minds of most hunters. Gordon Eastman, the producer/director, took along his two sons, wife and daughter to spend the summer camping alongside a large lake where there was plenty of easily caught pike that I heard were used mainly to feed the two pack dogs, Blackie and Brownie, both part wolf. I thought pike was good eating.
Eastman met up with flight guides and an Indian couple who made for him a canoe from stretched beaver pelts and wood, but it held up, for the the most part, until Eastman and his companion tipped over in a bit of rapids, even while those two dogs were on the boat. The water was freezing, so they walked the boat to the shore, discovered the dogs were safe, then took off their clothes to dry them over an open flame.
I was surprised, as I have seen in other films devoted to the outback plenty of mosquitoes bothering them. Maybe it was the elevation, at this location, 200 miles north of a large city, that kept them away. Eating beaver, Eastman said, was like the taste of beef, which is one animal I never ate before, and I've eaten my fair share of what would be thought of as inedible animals. It's how their cooked/spiced that gives the taste, I've learned.
Overall, I felt the lure of the mountains, but at my age, 62, I think I would end up being the last to arrive, or climb to the top, like that one limp ram they spotted. A few of the people who were a part of this film may have, by now, passed away. If any of the children are still with us, I'd say you were given a real adventure by your Dad. Remember to thank him.
The one aspect that I think could have made the film better was the lack of anything more than narration and a sound track. Hearing the voices of those involved would have added a lot, but that might have cost more money, time and equipment.
Thoughts regarding the difference between hunting merely for trophies and hunting to eat were made, which I thought appropriate, as to my thinking, nearly fifty years ago, the topic might not have been on the minds of most hunters. Gordon Eastman, the producer/director, took along his two sons, wife and daughter to spend the summer camping alongside a large lake where there was plenty of easily caught pike that I heard were used mainly to feed the two pack dogs, Blackie and Brownie, both part wolf. I thought pike was good eating.
Eastman met up with flight guides and an Indian couple who made for him a canoe from stretched beaver pelts and wood, but it held up, for the the most part, until Eastman and his companion tipped over in a bit of rapids, even while those two dogs were on the boat. The water was freezing, so they walked the boat to the shore, discovered the dogs were safe, then took off their clothes to dry them over an open flame.
I was surprised, as I have seen in other films devoted to the outback plenty of mosquitoes bothering them. Maybe it was the elevation, at this location, 200 miles north of a large city, that kept them away. Eating beaver, Eastman said, was like the taste of beef, which is one animal I never ate before, and I've eaten my fair share of what would be thought of as inedible animals. It's how their cooked/spiced that gives the taste, I've learned.
Overall, I felt the lure of the mountains, but at my age, 62, I think I would end up being the last to arrive, or climb to the top, like that one limp ram they spotted. A few of the people who were a part of this film may have, by now, passed away. If any of the children are still with us, I'd say you were given a real adventure by your Dad. Remember to thank him.
The one aspect that I think could have made the film better was the lack of anything more than narration and a sound track. Hearing the voices of those involved would have added a lot, but that might have cost more money, time and equipment.
