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In Kaktovik, the whaling season starts in the Fall after Labor Day. Though there is a strict limit of 3 bowhead whales a year, there certainly is no shortage of food or celebration. Normally, about 7 crews go out at a time to try to bring in a whale. Guns that shoot out harpoons with explosive devices are used to kill the whale, then 3 or 4 boats help to pull the whale by its tail to shore. A frontloader is used to finish beaching it.
As tradition calls for, all the kids in the village run on top of the whale and pose for pictures. Measurements and blood samples are taken by a biologist, then the frontloader dumps sea water on the whale. The men begin to butcher the whale, which (depending on the size) can take up to 12-14 hours. Meanwhile, the women cut the larger pieces into smaller ones. Some of the meat and maktak is boiled for people to eat that day. But the next day is when the real celebration begins. The captain of the crew who caught the whale has a lunch feast at his house. He shares his large portion of the whale with the village. Other shares of the whale are divided up among the crews; some of these are brought back to the village during upcoming holidays, and some are shared with other villages nearby. The scraps and leftovers are brought to the Boneyard and left out for the polar bears to eat.