Holman - Youth from Ulukhaktok travelled out on the land to harvest muskoxen recently.

The trip was organized by Helen Kalvak school and community members. It was the second successful muskox hunt of the school year. The first was in the fall.

"During the fall hunt, the meat was delivered by students to elders in the community as part of their Christmas basket package," said teacher Nikki McCarthy.

This hunt was different from the last because students were encouraged to use a bow instead of a gun.

McCarthy said students prepared for the hunt by practising their archery skills. Then on Saturday, May 3, 13 students and 10 community members travelled out of town by snowmobile in search of muskoxen.

The group travelled for about two hours and almost reached Minto Inlet before they spotted a herd.

It is difficult to corner an animal on the treeless tundra, but using snowmobiles they circled round the herd to keep them in one place.

Guide Jack Akhiatak helped the students with the use of the bow.

Bryan Kimiksana was one of two students to harvest a muskox with a bow. The other was Nathan Okheena.

"It was my first time getting one with a bow," said Kimiksana, although he has gone muskox hunting in the past with his dad.

"The muskox I got stayed still. It looked like I missed it at first but the arrow went right though it," he said.

Kimiksana finds hunting with a gun more reliable but thinks hunting with a bow is more challenging and more fun.

Kimiksana said he enjoys hunting, but he really loves to fish.

"Me and my friends went fishing every day last year right after school," he said. "I keep some and give the rest away to elders," he said.

Now that the snow is melting, he said it is getting more difficult to travel out by snowmobile. But the changing of the seasons means the return of geese and ducks.

"It's almost geese season. Last year I got 40. Mostly I hand them out to elders who need them."

Stephanie Nigiyok, 15, was another one of the students who went out on the hunt.

"It was so much fun. We saw baby muskox," said Nigiyok. She said they were tiny and very cute.

Nigiyok was along for the trip but said she wasn't interested in harvesting the muskox. She prefers to go fishing. She did enjoy a good lunch of canned oysters and crackers while the animals were cleaned.

McCarthy said two of the RCMP officers in town accompanied the students on the trip. They offered the services of their snowmobiles to help transport kids and cargo.

"The weather was gorgeous and it was the perfect end to a wonderful school year," said McCarthy.