A hakapik () is a
club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
* ...
, of
Norwegian design, similar to a
fishing gaff
In fishing, a gaff is a handheld pole with a sharp hook or sideway spike on the distal end, which is used to swing and stab into the body of a large fish like a pickaxe (ideally, the tip of the hook/spike is placed under the fish's backbone) an ...
, used for killing and moving seals. The hakapik is a multipurpose hunting tool—a heavy wooden club, with a hammer head (used to crush a seal's skull), and a hook (used to drag the carcass) on the end.
Regulation Canadian hakapiks consist of a metal head or ferrule that weighs at least 340 g (12 oz) with a slightly bent spike not more than 14 cm (5.5 in) in length on one side of the ferrule and a short blunt projection not more than 1.3 cm (0.5 in) in length on the opposite side of the ferrule and that is attached to a wooden handle that measures not less than 105 cm (3.4 ft) and not more than 153 cm (5 ft) in length and not less than 3 cm and not more than 5.1 cm (2 in) in diameter.
The hakapik is favored by sealers because it allows them to kill the seal without damaging the pelt. Further, studies by American veterinary scientists on the use of the hakapik on the seal hunt carried out on
Pribilof Islands
The Pribilof Islands (formerly the Northern Fur Seal Islands; , ) are a group of four volcanic islands off the coast of mainland Alaska, in the Bering Sea, about north of Unalaska and 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Cape Newenham. The ...
of
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
suggested that it is an efficient tool designed to kill the animal quickly and humanely when used correctly. A report by members of the
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association ( CVMA; , ACMV), founded in 1876, is a professional organization for veterinary professionals in Canada.
Activities
Publications
The CVMA publishes two scientific journals: the '' Canadian Journal ...
in September 2002 confirmed this claim.
Gallery
File:Hakapik x 2.jpg, Two Norwegian hakapiks displayed on the wall of a Tromsø
Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...
, Norway gun shop
File:Hakapik at the Polar Museum in Tromsø.jpg, A hakapik on display at the Polar Museum in Tromsø, Norway
See also
*
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of Pinniped, seals. Seal hunting is currently practiced in nine countries: Canada, Denmark (in self-governing Greenland only), Russia, the United States (above the Arctic Circle ...
*
Pickaroon
A pickaroon (or picaroon) is a typically wood-handled (or other material), metal-topped log handling tool that originates from the Alpine Region where it is called a "Sappie", "Zapin", or "Sapine". It is distinguished from a pike pole by havin ...
*
Horseman's pick
The horseman's pick is a weapon of Middle Eastern origin used by cavalry during the Middle Ages in Europe and West Asia. It is a type of war hammer that has a very long spike on the reverse of the hammer head. Usually, this spike is slightly curve ...
References and notes
Tools
Clubs (weapon)
Seal hunting
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