S09.E04: The Beaver

[Quilt Fairy]

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As they continue to settle in to their new surroundings, the participants aim to procure food in order to stay for the long haul. 

Airdate: June 16, 2022

[PaperTree]

Sad to see Igor go, but one's health is more important.

Lots of beaver!  Some nice looking shelters, too.

[Tango64]

Wait, Benji found a prepackaged beaver gut  pile in a plastic bag? What? How?

[LeighAnne]

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Wait, Benji found a prepackaged beaver gut  pile in a plastic bag?

It was fish guts.  He found a plastic bag of fish guts, and added it to his pile of beaver guts.

I'm thrilled that Benji got that beaver.  Good for him.  Holy cow, I never realized how big beavers are.  That smoker he built looked really good, too.

Noted:  They're not allowed to hunt the seals.

I like that Terry is giving us updates on how this challenge is affecting him, physically.  I like it in a "If I was on this show I would be dead by now" sort of way.

I'm glad Terry got his beaver, but I also thought, "You're in Canada in the winter DON'T GO INTO THE WATER YOU'LL LOSE TOES!"  But now he has food.

If Igor's back was hurting, it was definitely the right time for him to go.  This challenge isn't worth permanent back problems.

Edit:  Benji found the plastic bag, then put the fish guts from the fish he caught in it.

Edited June 24, 2022 by LeighAnne

[HurricaneVal]

I thought it was that he found the plastic bag, then filled it with fish guts from fish he caught to add to the other gut sack to bait bears.

Dude got ripped off, he only got a raggedy plastic bag on his land.  The other guy got a treasure trove of tin cans.  We need to check in with tin can man again, I feel like he's probably already built a submarine or airstream trailer by now from his finds.

[iMonrey]

The show made it seem like Igor spent all his time building what looked like the start of a proper log cabin, instead of foraging or hunting for food. I don't know if that was really the case or not, but that was the narrative. I had a feeling he was a goner. Of course, I thought the same thing about Terry but he finally pooped then caught himself a beaver.

Again, it seems like much more plentiful game this season than in previous locations. I think at this point everyone has caught themselves a squirrel, a grouse, a Whiskey Jack, trout or a beaver. Except Igor, of course.

I notice they're not doing the "shelter melting away" montage anymore when someone taps out.

When Teimojin was talking about how the Maasai of East Africa are somewhat nomadic and move with the seasons, it struck me how unrealistic this "experiment" really is. Because, obviously, you have to go where the food is, you wouldn't just hunker down when winter comes and starve like these people do. It would be a more realistic situation if they could actually keep on the move, but the logistics for that would be prohibitive. So far I've been more encouraged by Labrador than previous sites, hopefully it won't devolve into another starvation contest.

No Jessie, Adam, Juan Pablo or Karie Lee this week. I wonder why, and how they choose who to feature in each episode. Weren't they doing anything interesting in that time frame? Or did they think the others had enough going on to fill 90 minutes? I'd prefer if they'd touch base with everyone who is still there. And then I wonder if maybe they get paid some sort of stipend per episode and that's why not everyone is featured in each one.

[AZChristian]

7 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Weren't they doing anything interesting in that time frame? Or did they think the others had enough going on to fill 90 minutes?

I noticed in the episode following the first tap-out that the chyron showed "backdated" times.  So (not remembering exactly) if the contestant tapped on Day 14, the next week's chyron showed a different contestant on "Day 12."

I've been really impressed with the folks this season.  Some of them have incredible skill with a bow.  Respected the guy for not taking a shot at a beaver he wasn't sure he could retrieve.  His respect for the life of the animal was stronger than his own hunger.

[mlp]

I liked Igor and was sorry to see him go but tapping out was the right decision.  Back trouble is bad enough but cardiac issues are really scary, especially when someone is all alone and help is nowhere nearby.  

I say this every season but................. I still don't quite understand camera placement.  We watched a guy catch a trout and there was a river between him and the camera.  Did he set the camera and then wade across to fish?  I don't get it.

I'm also puzzled by the number of people who don't have their shelters completed at the two week point.  What have they been doing and have they been sleeping out in the open in the cold?  I know they've been exploring and hunting but it seems like shelter from the elements would be a priority from day one.

[HurricaneVal]

OK, I'm starting to think that it isn't so far fetched that these folks will get the bear some seem to be going "all in" on.  So long as it is legal where you're at, you can "bait" a bear as Benji (?) did last night with the beaver and fish guts.  That will get a bear returning to the same spot, in hopes of finding more stuff. 

I didn't realize the producers gave the castaways game cameras, that is a huge game changer (npi).  Is this the first time?  Obviously they can't be the kind of game camera where you can view a live signal, or retrieve a recording from a distance, what with wifi and cell coverage out there likely nonexistent, but just knowing game actually does frequent a certain area makes a big difference in hunting.  Once you know where they're at, or where they regularly travel through, it becomes less "hunting" and more "waiting" to take them down.  It takes the random factor out, for sure.  Especially if you use bear bait in conjunction with the camera, that way you can confirm it is a bear eating the offal offerings, and not eagles or weasels.

Now I understand the fixation some of these guys have on the bear thing.  They have an advantage, and it becomes doable.

So long, Igor.  You had enthusiasm and grand plans, I'll give you that.  When I saw you measuring out how many more logs you were going to need to finish out your cabin, and your shoulders slumped and your face fell when you saw how much was left, but were determined to carry on, I knew you were a goner.  Especially after you jumped from the top log to the floor of the cabin, and I saw that all your hard work was only something like three logs high.  I was thinking it was a lot further along than that, and that maybe you could just roof it as-is, and make it a hobbit-hole, crouching cabin instead of a stand up cabin.  But then I saw, and no, you couldn't roof that, you'd have a crawl-space coffin cabin.  When you said you'd wished you'd started a simple A-frame, I thought "Dude, it might not be too late, you can change it up!"  But he continued doggedly on with the impossible dream cabin.  Maybe if he'd given that up and tried something easier, that would have been better on his back and he could rest and have had more time for food gathering and hunting which might have mitigated his cardiac problems.  Nope.  He was committed, and too stubborn to change it up.  I admire his dedication but I don't have sympathy for inflexibility.  I hope his heart issues were eliminated by rest and food.

[iMonrey]

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I say this every season but................. I still don't quite understand camera placement.  We watched a guy catch a trout and there was a river between him and the camera.  Did he set the camera and then wade across to fish?  I don't get it.

I'm assuming that's exactly what he did. Otherwise the show is lying to us and there's a camera crew with all the participants. 

I don't think it was a "river," exactly, though. I think he picked out a good spot, set the camera up and only had to cross a small stream to get to that spot.

[Pine]

I don't know why, but, I am just not getting into this season at all.  

[madmax]

2 hours ago, Pine said:

I don't know why, but, I am just not getting into this season at all.  

It's not that I'm not getting into this season, but by now,  I've usually picked my favorite and can't wait for the episode.  Not so much this season so far.

Sorry Igor, but you really shouldn't have gone for the Taj Mahal of cabins.  It would have been really simple to just convert that into an A-frame.  

Damn, those beavers were huge!  And not only good meat, but beaver fur gloves!  Pillows!  Socks!

I was wondering if he was actually baiting the bear and planned to come back and shoot it later?  That's kinda cheating, isn't it?

Also, why don't these people carry their bows all the time?  How many times have they seen game and "Oops, I don't have my bow"?

[Yeah No]

I fell asleep 3/4 of the way through this episode.  And I thought I was enjoying this season but this episode not so much.  I still intend to watch the rest of it on my DVR but somehow have not gotten around to it yet.  

[Rebky]

Dang I will miss Igor's pretty face! Dammit!!

[Blackie]

On 6/17/2022 at 1:33 PM, HurricaneVal said:

I didn't realize the producers gave the castaways game cameras, that is a huge game changer (npi).  Is this the first time?

I thought the same thing.

On 6/17/2022 at 8:38 PM, madmax said:

Sorry Igor, but you really shouldn't have gone for the Taj Mahal of cabins

Seriously he needed to take a couple days off to just try to get food.  But then in the bonus scene they showed how each night his sleeping bag was getting wet so I guess that motivated him to focus on his shelter.  Too bad, I liked him. He did PROPER exercises for back pain in the wilderness!!!  I can't even get some of my clients to do proper exercises in their living rooms !!

I'm glad Terry got his beaver but his voice drives me nuts, worse than Roland.

1 hour ago, Rebky said:

Dang I will miss Igor's pretty face! Dammit!!

When he was looking in the camera and then put his face in his hand, yikes I kind of swooned!!

On 6/17/2022 at 8:38 PM, madmax said:

And not only good meat, but beaver fur gloves!  Pillows!  Socks!

Underwear!!!  Keeps your butt warm and soft for sitting on

Whiskey jack = Grey Jay = Canada Jay the  National Bird of Canada.  He is going to eat the National Bird of Canada  .... just saying....

[Blackie]

On 6/17/2022 at 11:27 AM, AZChristian said:

On 6/17/2022 at 11:15 AM, iMonrey said:

Weren't they doing anything interesting in that time frame? Or did they think the others had enough going on to fill 90 minutes?

I noticed in the episode following the first tap-out that the chyron showed "backdated" times.  So (not remembering exactly) if the contestant tapped on Day 14, the next week's chyron showed a different contestant on "Day 12."

They are definitely packaging it differently this year and it has not been chronological so far. Maybe because it took so long for the first tap out. They seem to be grouping certain people. I am glad this year I decided to have my list beside me and keep notes or I would be totally lost.  All though for Terry I had made some note  "couldn't make a ..." then I couldn't read my writing. After this episode I just filled it in  "couldn't make a poop!!"

[diebartdie]

On 6/17/2022 at 1:26 PM, mlp said:

I say this every season but................. I still don't quite understand camera placement.  We watched a guy catch a trout and there was a river between him and the camera.  Did he set the camera and then wade across to fish?  I don't get it.

If you ever get a chance watch some of the bonus episodes. Some f those show exactly what contestants are required to do each day as far as multi-camera set-ups.

[iMonrey]

13 hours ago, diebartdie said:

If you ever get a chance watch some of the bonus episodes. Some f those show exactly what contestants are required to do each day as far as multi-camera set-ups.

Where are these bonus episodes you speak of?

[diebartdie]

This from season 3 shows just a tiny bit of a contestant crossing back over a river to get the camera after having filmed himself crossing the river.

[Yeah No]

I finally made it through the entire episode.  It looks like I missed all the interesting stuff the first time.

I see the resemblance to Omar Sharif, but Igor is no Omar Sharif.  Just sayin'.  Women were gaga over Omar back in the day so Igor saying that comes off a little conceited.  And he did seem to be a little fixated on his appearance.  Did he bring a razor with him to keep that mustache trimmed?  I would have liked to have seen how he did it.

It looks like he subscribed to the Fernando school of thought that it it's more important to look good than to feel good and he wanted to look maaaahhvelous!  Well, that cost him in the end.

I don't understand the need to see people on TV that look like you.  I never saw anyone on TV or anywhere that looked anything like me until Rachael Ray came along.  And that's only because she and I share a very similar ethnic mix, which is kind of spooky but there it is (although I have blue eyes).  Different personalities, though (thankfully!).  Maybe if she came along before I was 40 it would have empowered me.  

Igor seemed to have waited far too long to begin his shelter and then was over-ambitious about its construction.  Going into this I would have been strategizing and planning every step of the way so that when I got there I knew exactly how I was going to budget my time.  I don't remember what he was doing in previous episodes but it doesn't look like he was that good at getting himself anything to eat.

What I find interesting is how the Northeastern part of this continent is so teeming with wildlife while the locations in the PNW and Artic seem to have less of it.  Being from the Northeastern US I was always amazed at how much less of it there was in the West on this show because I'm used to a lot of wildlife all around me.  I see bear all the time, in fact one was on my lawn 2 days ago.

Anyway, I could do without seeing the gory parts of a beaver.  Ugh.