Ep 4. Calling the Wild

In this episode of Life Below Zero season 3, titled "Calling the Wild", viewers are taken on an adventure through the Alaskan wilderness with several unique individuals who call this unforgiving landscape home. Each person has their own story and their own way of living off the land, but they all share a common bond in their deep love and respect for nature.

The episode begins with Sue Aikens, owner and operator of the Kavik River Camp, located 197 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Sue is a tough and no-nonsense woman who has lived in Alaska for over 30 years. She runs the camp on her own, and in this episode, we see her venture out into the surrounding wilderness to hunt for moose. She takes her snowmobile and sled out across the frozen tundra, scouting the area for signs of the animal. When she finally spots one, she sets up a blind and waits patiently for the animal to come closer. The hunt is intense and suspenseful, providing viewers with a glimpse into just how difficult and dangerous life can be in this remote part of the world.

Next, we meet Chip Hailstone, a subsistence hunter and trapper who lives in Noorvik, Alaska with his family. Chip and his wife Agnes are raising their children to follow in their footsteps and live off the land. In this episode, we see Chip and his sons working on building a new trap line. They use axes to chop down trees, and then strip the bark off to create the trap stakes. It's a physically demanding task that requires lots of skill and precision to get right. Chip teaches his sons the importance of respecting the animals they trap and how to use every part of the animal they catch.

We also check in with Andy Bassich, who lives alone in the Yukon River Valley with his sled dogs. Andy is a former carpenter from Washington DC who moved to Alaska over 20 years ago to start a new life. He's now a skilled dog musher who uses his dogs to hunt and travel across the wilderness. In this episode, we see him preparing for the upcoming winter by hunting for caribou and and ptarmigan. Andy is a resourceful man who uses his knowledge of the land and his dogs to survive in this harsh environment.

Last but not least, we meet Glenn Villeneuve, a modern-day mountain man who lives in the Brooks Range. Glenn is a hunter, trapper, and fisherman who has lived off the land for over a decade. In this episode, we see him heading out to the river to catch some fresh salmon. He sets up a camp on the riverbank and uses a dip net to catch the fish as they swim upstream. It's a labor-intensive task that requires a lot of patience and skill, but Glenn is determined to get as many fish as he can before the summers come to an end.

Throughout the episode, we also get a glimpse into the dangers and challenges that these individuals face on a daily basis. Whether it's dealing with extreme weather conditions, unpredictable wild animals, or simply the isolation and loneliness of living in the middle of nowhere. It's a fascinating and eye-opening look at a way of life that is so vastly different from our own, yet equally captivating. At its core, Life Below Zero: "Calling the Wild" is a celebration of the human spirit and the incredible ability to adapt and survive in even the harshest of environments.