S07.E06: The Musk Ox

[Quilt Fairy]

Quote

After some of the participants are raided by predators, they scramble to protect their hard-won food; winter moves in, bringing with it new opportunities for those who are prepared, and new threats for those who aren't. 

Airdate: July 16, 2020.

[LittleIggy]

I just couldn’t watch/listen to Roland killing that poor musk ox. ☹️ In any case, I kept wondering why he didn’t manufacture a sled of sorts to load the meat on and drag back to the camp.

Poor Mark (wasn’t it?). I didn’t think his method of food storage was going to stop a resourceful predator from taking his fish. One needs to be smarter than the average bear...

I really like Amos. Glad he caught a fish.

Edited July 17, 2020 by LittleIggy

[LeighAnne]

I hope everyone who watches Alone likes the Canadian Arctic, because after Jordan took down a moose (season six) and Roland took down a musk ox (season seven), the producers are never, ever leaving Canada.  This is the only place contestants have been able to take down large game with the basic tools they're allowed to have.

Kudos to Roland on knowing how long to wait (three hours, I think?) before starting a close attack on the musk ox.  If an animal that large that I had shot with an arrow looked at me directly, I would have thought, "That thing is going to trample me," and ran.

[Yeah No]

Wow, that musk ox segment got real.  I have to admit that I've never seen something that up-close and graphic involving hunting large game.  I could have lived without the part where he eats the raw heart and gets his hands all bloody, but in general that was nothing short of amazing to this city kid.  It made me think that this was basically what survival was like for humans for a couple of hundred thousand years.  Roland is the real deal and he's earned my respect.  Let's just hope he doesn't lose all his meat to predators.  He seems pretty smart and knows what he's doing so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[humbleopinion]

Roland Is the Man.

Bringing down an 800 pound musk ox with arrows and then finishing it off with a fixed blade. Mano a Mano.
Then 3 days carrying it back to Rock House.
Salute to Roland’s hunting skill, hard work and his well deserved reward to be meat secure.
Joe-finally getting the shelter done. The wind is making you loony. Looking skinny.

Mark, the bear outsmarted you.

Kielyn....party barge is scary...maybe attached oars for more control.

[azprimadonna]

With all the awful television we have to deal with because of COVID production issues, normal summer reruns, and idiotic game shows, this show is just a breath of fresh air.  I find my self counting the days until it's on again and so disappointed when the hour is over.   With all the footage the network must have, I wish we could see more of it.  The realism is so emotional to watch.  

 

[patty1h]

Seeing that musk ox butchery was so visceral.  I know what needs to be done to get meat from the farm to my table, but watching a man take apart a huge beast hits a place in my brain that fascinates and disgusts at the same time.  I have mad respect for Roland - he switched his brain to caveman and took care of business.  Plus, he was ready to tangle with a bear to make sure that it didn't plunder his hard-won catch.  Hardcore.

I was all "oh, honey, no" when Kielyn went on the water with her "boat".   Lashing a couple of branches onto a oil drum ain't gonna cut it.

[TVbitch]

Kudos to Roland, but I still cried watching that magnificent animal struggle. 

If she doesn't have a gill net, couldn't Kielyn make the barge into some kind of floating contraption to push out with lines hanging off it? 

I love the on screen type when Mark found his fish missing... "Bears are smart" 

Ah, Amos is sad for losing his gill net because it contaminates the lake. He's such a lovely guy.

 

[mlp]

22 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

If she doesn't have a gill net, couldn't Kielyn make the barge into some kind of floating contraption to push out with lines hanging off it? 

I thought the same thing.  I wondered if she could have hung lines from it and then figured out a way to shove it out and pull it back.  Watching her on that thing in freezing water made me nervous even though I knew she survived because she's been on the aftershow.  

I could have done without watching Roland eat raw meat and lick blood but I was impressed with his skills and work ethic.  He knows what he's doing.  I did wonder why his knife looked clean when he was announcing that he'd just finished off the musk ox with it.  

I really like Amos.  I was afraid he was going to tap out after musing on his daughter's birthday and losing his gill net.  Then he managed to make a new one and caught a fish with it.  I was very happy for him.

[humbleopinion]

Anyone wondering how musk ox tastes? Musky comes to mind.....

On Alone: the Beast , a musk ox was on the menu as the big kill gifted to one of the teams.

The men did not like the taste.

But for Roland, his musk ox tastes like.... A MILLION BUCKS!

[LittleIggy]

Add me to the list of people wondering why Kielyn didn’t try to make a floating fishing station. 

[qtpye]

53 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Add me to the list of people wondering why Kielyn didn’t try to make a floating fishing station. 

A lady tried doing that with a found barrel last season and it did not work. However, it is probably still worth a try.

[Auntie Anxiety]

I’ve looked into musk ox hats and scarves because taking my dog for a long walk in below zero temperatures at night here in New England is no joke. Musk ox yarn/fur/hair is among the warmest you can possibly get but the prices were prohibitive ($200 for a simple hat). Roland will stay nice and warm with that hide covering him in his rock house. He can make mittens or booties if need be. He seems to be thriving out there.

Joe frustrates me. How is he supposed to stay fed if he doesn’t know how to hunt and the snow and ice cover up all other possible food options? 

We didn’t see the South African last night, did we? 

Because I watched Naked and Afraid XL before Alone last night, I wondered where the contestants got their water. Are they all on a lake?

[humbleopinion]

Joel, the So. African was absent.

The cast all have lake access.

Joe is worrisome.

Leaky and flapping tarp seeming to drive him bonkers, low food, low energy, slow, meticulous hewing his logs so they fit tight but he finally  did move into his winter shelter. Very nice.

Lots of hare fur pelts decorating Joe's shelter so bunnies look to be the bulk of his diet.

[meep.meep]

3 hours ago, TVbitch said:

 

If she doesn't have a gill net, couldn't Kielyn make the barge into some kind of floating contraption to push out with lines hanging off it? 

 

Or couldn't she try to make a gill net from line she brought or from debris?  Like Amos did on this very same episode.

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, humbleopinion said:

Joel, the So. African was absent.

The cast all have lake access.

Joe is worrisome.

Leaky and flapping tarp seeming to drive him bonkers, low food, low energy, slow, meticulous hewing his logs so they fit tight but he finally  did move into his winter shelter. Very nice.

Lots of hare fur pelts decorating Joe's shelter so bunnies look to be the bulk of his diet.

He always seems so down. He kind of reminds me of a combination of Colin Firth and a sadder Greg Brady.

Roland is unlikable but has amazing skills. That kill was epic even though it was hard watching that beautiful animal die.

[humbleopinion]

 Amos' tiny replacement gill net caught a pike...like needle in a haystack...

[rmontro]

I definitely felt bad for the musk ox.  I'm surprised the bears couldn't locate his meat stash, considering they're always talking about how amazing their sense of smell is.  Wouldn't it be amazing if Roland bags a bear on top of his musk ox?  I guess at these temperatures the meat is being preserved by the cold?

I've never seen anyone get so whacked out about the wind as Joe.  I don't know if he or Kielyn are going to make it.  Her and Callie seem very upbeat though.

[LittleIggy]

I have to admit I hope the bears, wolves, or wolverines get some of Roland’s musk ox. I just don’t like him. I like Amos (so he is guaranteed not to win!).

[Fallacy]

I’m not happy Roland killed that musk ox. I just don’t like him, and watching him eat bits of uncooked heart while licking his blood soaked fingers was gross. I bet he thought that scene made him look like a real man, but I thought it made him look like a killer. He takes way too much pleasure and pride in killing animals, in my opinion. I’ve come to realize that I wouldn’t like most of these people in real life, so I’ll stick with rooting for those with an ounce of humor and self awareness, neither of which Roland has. 

[Pine]

This is real life for Roland.  I can see Harrison Ford playing him in the movie, "Alone".   I like everyone this season.  

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, Fallacy said:

I’m not happy Roland killed that musk ox. I just don’t like him, and watching him eat bits of uncooked heart while licking his blood soaked fingers was gross. I bet he thought that scene made him look like a real man, but I thought it made him look like a killer. He takes way too much pleasure and pride in killing animals, in my opinion. I’ve come to realize that I wouldn’t like most of these people in real life, so I’ll stick with rooting for those with an ounce of humor and self awareness, neither of which Roland has. 

Amos comes across as a real man to me, self-effacing and thoughtful.

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, Fallacy said:

I’m not happy Roland killed that musk ox. I just don’t like him, and watching him eat bits of uncooked heart while licking his blood soaked fingers was gross. I bet he thought that scene made him look like a real man, but I thought it made him look like a killer.

I almost think it's time to let the contestants have rifles, that way we won't have to see someone stab a musk ox to death.  Maybe that would be the end of the show, because it would be too easy?  I know most hunting rules allow for bow hunting, but I'm not sure why Roland only had one arrow with him.

[snarkish]

14 hours ago, rmontro said:

I almost think it's time to let the contestants have rifles, that way we won't have to see someone stab a musk ox to death.  Maybe that would be the end of the show, because it would be too easy?  I know most hunting rules allow for bow hunting, but I'm not sure why Roland only had one arrow with him.

I agree with this. This episode with Roland and the ox disturbed me very much, I had to FF, I could not watch that. I don't care about that "disclaimer" about how they are "following hunting guidelines"...that was no where near a humane kill. Of course, my husband argued that that was what might happen in "cave man days" when all you had was a knife or a single arrow...still. What disturbed me even more was that Roland seemed a bit more animated in the after show, most likely because of his prized kill. The licking of the blood and eating the raw meat showed me this dude is all about making others uncomfortable.

[silversage]

This season it seems they are all hamming it up a bit for the camera. If they didn't have a camera I wonder how they would conduct themselves.

[Rosieroo]

On 7/17/2020 at 5:40 AM, azprimadonna said:

With all the awful television we have to deal with because of COVID production issues, normal summer reruns, and idiotic game shows, this show is just a breath of fresh air.  I find my self counting the days until it's on again and so disappointed when the hour is over.   With all the footage the network must have, I wish we could see more of it.  The realism is so emotional to watch.  

 

I was just telling Mrs. Roo that next season I want to skip watching it until its over so we can binge watch it because I'm so sorry to see it go off every time.  

[qtpye]

6 hours ago, silversage said:

This season it seems they are all hamming it up a bit for the camera. If they didn't have a camera I wonder how they would conduct themselves.

The two biggest hams seemed to get an early comeuppance.

"let's turn a boat into a hot tub guy" lost his fire starter.

"look at my pretty earrings and nifty tattoos" guy tapped out at day 22 despite giving himself 25 dots on his tattoo.

South African guy seems to just be a lively person and Amos just seems like a really nice man.

Roland is very skilled but his baselines just reads asshole.  I HAAAAATTTTTEEEE it when he licks fresh blood off his fingers.

[humbleopinion]

Musk ox tastes like prime grade beef.

Only 1-2% fat, that is why Roland was pissed the bear got the fat in the head and he missed out.

Overcooking it past medium affects the deliciousness.

Jerky is popular because of the leaness.

[pezgirl7]

14 hours ago, snarkish said:

I agree with this. This episode with Roland and the ox disturbed me very much, I had to FF, I could not watch that. I don't care about that "disclaimer" about how they are "following hunting guidelines"...that was no where near a humane kill. Of course, my husband argued that that was what might happen in "cave man days" when all you had was a knife or a single arrow...still. What disturbed me even more was that Roland seemed a bit more animated in the after show, most likely because of his prized kill. The licking of the blood and eating the raw meat showed me this dude is all about making others uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the way he killed the ox is similar to how deer are currently hunted with bows. If you shoot a deer, and it doesn't fall down right away, you're suppose to wait at least 30 minutes, and then track the blood to find where it has fallen. Otherwise, it will run off while it still has the strength, and will make it difficult to find. I'm not a hunting expert, but I get the impression that bow hunting means a slow death for the animal.

I also think the blood licking was gross. A few episodes ago, he did the same thing, and the show put a message on the screen saying it was dangerous to eat raw blood. lol

[Eataton]

1 hour ago, pezgirl7 said:

I also think the blood licking was gross. A few episodes ago, he did the same thing, and the show put a message on the screen saying it was dangerous to eat raw blood. lol

I respect that he's a skilled survivalist, but smearing blood all over his hands and licking it isn't as impressive as he thinks it is, he just looks bloodthirsty. It would be funny if drinking raw blood was his downfall. Not that I really want him to lose but he'll get what he deserves for trying to act like a hotshot.

[ChristmasJones]

I know this sort of goes against the entire premise of the show, but I really felt sad when the musk ox was dying. It was an innocent animal and the only reason it had to suffer and die was because some dumb humans came in to do a reality show.

I always fast-forward through any of the stuff involving killing animals... I just don't care to watch that stuff. 

[aussieinsydney]

I wasn't comfortable AT ALL with the way Roland killed the musk ox, even though it was in guidelines and all. He's just a crazy, arrogant dickhead and referring to himself as '"we" all the time is grating on my nerves.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, aussieinsydney said:

I wasn't comfortable AT ALL with the way Roland killed the musk ox, even though it was in guidelines and all. He's just a crazy, arrogant dickhead and referring to himself as '"we" all the time is grating on my nerves.

The participants who signed contracts have the potential to win $1,000,000.  The musk ox and the other animals and fish didn't sign up for this.  They just had the potential to become dead on camera.

I am not a vegetarian . . . but I just prefer NOT to watch living animals being slaughtered.

[Eataton]

6 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

I know this sort of goes against the entire premise of the show, but I really felt sad when the musk ox was dying. It was an innocent animal and the only reason it had to suffer and die was because some dumb humans came in to do a reality show

He probably wasn't long for this world anyway. Musk oxen are herd animals and a lone one probably has something wrong with it. More brutal would be evisceration by a wolverine, bear, or a pack of wolves which is the only likely alternative.

[ProfCrash]

Roland killed the musk ox with the tools that he had, which was impressive. I feel bad for the musk ox but my 8 year old child knows that I am going to feel bad for the baby animal eaten by the predator on any nature show that we watch. I am not a fan of watching things die but it is a part of surviving. Roland killed it in the only way he could. He probably had a massive rush of adrenaline after killing it and was a bit hyped up. I have seen Andrew Zimmern and Gordon Ramsey eat raw food from a recent kill. It is not that unusual a practice. It is not easy to watch but I am not disgusted by it. 

Roland is a very matter of fact dude. He is not the most exciting or entertaining but he doesn't strike me as an awful person. He is not charismatic, that is for sure.

Amos is great. I love watching him. He has a lot to teach and a great personality. 

Joe is driving me crazy. He reminds me of the dude who wanted to make the perfect boat and then missed the entire fishing season. A good number of people on the show have already built really good shelters in the time it took Joe to build maybe 15% of a shelter. Are you kidding me? There are fire places that have been fully mudded in with a full shelter and Joe has roughed out how many trees? Crazy. 

Kielyn is not thinking straight, is she? That boat gambit was dangerous. 

There still is no one that I dislike on the show but there are some people that I really like. I am enjoying this season.

[Blackie]

Sometimes i am just too lazy to walk to the store and buy food I basically have to heat up so I eat a peanut butter sandwich !

That was quite a feat Roland pulled off. At first I thought there was no way he could kill that big animal, then I though there was no way he would be able to butcher it up. Then I thought there would be no way he could get all that meat back to his camp.WOW!! Thank really was amazing and makes up for all the seasons of watching people starve. The blood licking maybe went a bit far and maybe his comment of packing out 20 tons of meat in his life needs a fact check but other then that it was impressive. Now I don't think he will be able to protect all that meat from other animals but I am not going to under estimate Roland.

[Melina22]

On 7/17/2020 at 1:41 AM, LittleIggy said:

On 7/20/2020 at 1:55 AM, pezgirl7 said:

I'm not a hunting expert, but I get the impression that bow hunting means a slow death for the animal.

 

That really bothered me. It was the opposite of a fast kill. I understand why. He apparently was out of arrows. But I was relieved when the musk ox was dead. Kill all the animals you want, but be humane about it. 

[overtherainbow]

I don't really understand how so many people can watch a serious survival show where people have to kill animals in order to survive and win, then get all squicked out when... people kill animals? Especially in slave lake these past 2 seasons! Bow hunting can be pretty brutal but the reality of the hunt is it isn't always fast especially when it's such a massive beast like a musk ox. But a quick kill as humane as possible is ideal.

 Plus at the end of the day it is ultimately about who survives 100 days, not who is necessarily the most personable or likeable. 

[GreyBunny]

On 8/1/2020 at 6:46 PM, Melina22 said:

 

I'm not a hunting expert, but I get the impression that bow hunting means a slow death for the animal.

When done right it can drop an animal fast. Those that hunt with guns can also have bad shots that wound an animal but not kill it right away and it runs for miles. The hunter is responsible for tracking it and killing it. Sometimes the hunter has to call in help, often professional trackers with dogs, to find the animal. It can take days.

[Brit4777]

That kill was downright disgusting and he should have been pulled from the show.

Putting an arrow into something where you can't guarantee a clean quick kill isn't hunting it's cruelty to animals, 5 hours watching an animal bleed out to near unconsciousness then go in 2 times to try and randomly stab it, what a complete idiot. I truly hope that act revisits him! He's no hunter he's not even a butcher, he's just an uncivilised piece of filth with no respect.

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, Brit4777 said:

That kill was downright disgusting and he should have been pulled from the show.

Putting an arrow into something where you can't guarantee a clean quick kill isn't hunting it's cruelty to animals, 5 hours watching an animal bleed out to near unconsciousness then go in 2 times to try and randomly stab it, what a complete idiot.

A lot of people are against bow hunting for this very reason.  But I don't blame Roland for this, what he was doing was within the rules for the show, I'd even say it is encouraged.  As I've said before, Roland's main problem here is that he was only carrying one arrow.  You can say he was partly responsible, and I won't argue your point.  But I really blame the show, because they are limiting the tools the contestants have to hunt with, and it's the animals who end up suffering. 

I see this as a very fundamental problem with the show.  And especially the last few seasons where they have been showing more graphic animal kills.  I don't like watching it, but if it's going on and we don't see it, keeping us in ignorance doesn't do anything to prevent it.  I'd prefer they find a way to keep the premise and difficulty of the show, while letting them have a rifle and ammo, not only for more clean hunting kills, but to protect themselves against predators.

[batesj]

On 7/17/2020 at 1:43 AM, humbleopinion said:

Roland Is the Man.

Bringing down an 800 pound musk ox with arrows and then finishing it off with a fixed blade. Mano a Mano.
Then 3 days carrying it back to Rock House.
Salute to Roland’s hunting skill, hard work and his well deserved reward to be meat secure.
Joe-finally getting the shelter done. The wind is making you loony. Looking skinny.

Mark, the bear outsmarted you.

Kielyn....party barge is scary...maybe attached oars for more control.

actually, he's an incompetent jerk. Why have only one arrow? Why not have some cordage, lash knife to pole, and make a bola? ensnare the critter's legs, then spear it thru the lungs. Why wait 5 hours? They are restricted to a 2.5 mile diameter circle. So you can trot back to base camp in 20 minues, return with more arrows and end the ox's suffering. What an A-hole he is. Why not move camp to the kill? That takes just two hours.  Process the meat, and then move it to where you have a 400 lb boulder as a "door" and make an ice-quonset cache for it. A pole and fulcrum-rock lets you access the meat. Set up an igloo 30 ft away, put baited treblehooks and baited junglewhips guarding the cache.  Pile on snow, wet it down, let it freeze into ice, repeat, until you've got foot thick ice and stone walls/roof over your meat-cache. It's not rocket science. you'll hear animals tryig to get into it, emerge from your igloo and arrow them.