The Dene Tha’ have always been skilled hunters, trappers and fishermen. Hunting skills were passed on from generation to generation, along with vital information regarding animal behaviour and habitat. Good hunters know where animals are at different times of the year, as well as what they eat during the different seasons.
Hunting patterns depended and still depend on many variables, such as weather, previous kills, and availability of game. Hunting trips would last “as long as it took,” said Pierre Ahnassy.
One old method of hunting was to send a scout out to kill a moose ahead of everyone else. Everyone would follow and arrive to make dry meat, and prepare the hide, before moving on to the next kill.
Hunting would last all summer and into the fall.
Moose is probably the most important animal in the lives of the Dene Tha’. It is hunted all year round, although hunting is best during mating season. Every part of the moose is utilized; the hide is tanned and used to make moccasins and clothing, and the meat is either frozen or dried. The viability of the moose as a staple in the Dene Tha’ diet is crucial to the Dene Tha’ elders.