On this hunter’s Far North adventure, the reward was far greater than simply taking game

A few days later, it was time to head back to Taloyoak. Guided once again by the tides, we left camp at about 6 P.M. The routine was the same—twice we had to fully unload the boats and portage them and our gear around the rapids—but for reasons I can’t explain, it all went easier the second time around. In short order, we were back in Taloyoak and I was packing for the airport and my trip back home to Alberta.

What I didn’t know at the time was that Peter is an avid social media contributor, and he’d been chronicling our trip. When I went to check in at the airport, the fellow at the counter took one look at me and exclaimed, “You must be the King of the Arctic!” It turned out he’d seen Peter’s posts, and I suppose I wasn’t hard to recognize in the tiny community.

Two weeks after arriving home, I got an email from Peter telling me he’d harvested an outstanding narwhal, providing meat and blubber for his family to enjoy. He also announced he’d sold the tusk to a collector for $11,000. No wonder he and Andrew had been so damn keen that evening.

While I’d travelled to the Boothia Peninsula with hopes of harvesting game, what I really harvested was an exciting and emotional experience I hadn’t anticipated, and the likes of which I’d never had before. It’s hard to put into words the friendliness and welcoming generosity of the people I met, and their willingness to invite me into their homes and lives, if only for a short while.

To my new friends in Taloyoak, qujanaq. Thank you.

To watch Ken Bailey’s successful seal hunt, go to www.outdoorcanada.ca/harpoon.