# Kilcher family



## ajk1941 (Feb 17, 2013)

I really enjoy watching this program about real home steaders in Alaska. It seems to me that this family has the where with all to be able to survive a catastrophic SHFT situation more so then the rest of the so called "survival preppers" seen on reality TV shows. You get the impression that they would be able to carry on while the rest of us went down the tubes in an economic collapse or major grid failure.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

ajk1941 said:


> I really enjoy watching this program about real home steaders in Alaska. It seems to me that this family has the where with all to be able to survive a catastrophic SHFT situation more so then the rest of the so called "survival preppers" seen on reality TV shows. You get the impression that they would be able to carry on while the rest of us went down the tubes in an economic collapse or major grid failure.


I love the show too. I would really love to live that lifestyle at least to a certain degree once I establish myself professionally and pay down some debt. I may not go to the level of cattle, but I could see doing maybe chickens, pigs, and/or rabbits... I'd also like to have a bee hive too...

They seem really independent and self sufficient.


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## Arizona Infidel (Oct 5, 2013)

Homesteading is their lifestyle.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I sure do like them too! and they seem like good decent efficient folks! their kids are decent and productive. I wonder truly if I could live like that and not miss the niceties of life. I would totally sign up to try like hell.


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## Arizona Infidel (Oct 5, 2013)

This is the singer Jewel's family.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I like jewel. she is classical opera trained too. I am on a jewel kick lately from her old cd pieces of you.


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## Mic (Jul 19, 2012)

Haven't seen it. Now I'm going to have to watch it.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

shotlady said:


> I sure do like them too! and they seem like good decent efficient folks! their kids are decent and productive. I wonder truly if I could live like that and not miss the niceties of life. I would totally sign up to try like hell.


Necessities > Niceties


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

question about this. when the boys were out hunting, he mentioned several times about the "violence" of hunting. Hunting is not violent unless you hack something to death or kill it inhumanely prolonging its suffering or kill it just to kill it. I don't see hunting as violence. I did appreciate him thanking the deer after he shot it.


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## PrepConsultant (Aug 28, 2012)

We are doing pretty much what they are doing. It is actually a lot of fun being self sufficient.. It's good to relax after a long day of tending to your own food and such. We even get our lumber from here on the property and use the sawmill to cut what we need..


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Sorry, though homesteaders they are not independent IMO. They have to have product for sale in order to buy fuel for everything they have. Their tractors, 4wheelers, snowmobiles, bulldozers, backhoes, generators, etc all require alot of fuel. Riding horses they have but have never seen draught horses or the gear for them to pull. How is Otto going to feed those cattle threw the winter if he can't grow & harvest food for them? Same with the riding horses.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Atz Lee is Jewels father.
Read on another internet site that the Kilchers are worth 4-5 million..
They do live the lifestyle tho


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Atz is Jewel's father. Atz Lee is her brother.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

I'm glad I do not watch tv.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Yes, you are correct. Too many ATZ's


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I'm still alittle confused. Otto owns the cattle. But its Atz that is the range rider yet has to hunt for meat. Yet Otto doesn't hunt & butchers cattle for meat. Series seems like Atz is working for free. But my guess is Atz gets cash from Otto every year when Otto sales cattle.

Atz Lee & Eivin don't have paying jobs yet have equipment, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles, etc. And there's the fuel they have to buy for things like chainsaw to get wood for the winter. Where does their money come from?


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## Coppertop (Dec 20, 2013)

Any other cash enterprise aside, Alaskans get a pretty healthy paycheck from the state every year. My sister funds about 4 trips abroad on her check alone. They used the money from Hubby and 2 kids to buy a house this year also ( I am guessing just a down payment, but still)


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## Titan6 (May 19, 2013)

Kilchers are great and the show is awesome..


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## PrepConsultant (Aug 28, 2012)

HuntingHawk said:


> I'm still alittle confused. Otto owns the cattle. But its Atz that is the range rider yet has to hunt for meat. Yet Otto doesn't hunt & butchers cattle for meat. Series seems like Atz is working for free. But my guess is Atz gets cash from Otto every year when Otto sales cattle.
> 
> Atz Lee & Eivin don't have paying jobs yet have equipment, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles, etc. And there's the fuel they have to buy for things like chainsaw to get wood for the winter. Where does their money come from?


They probably all have a percentage of the cattle business. I know a lot of families here in Montana that ranch all reap the rewards of the profits..


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Alaskans got $878 in 2012. With the price of stuff in Alaska that wouldn't go real far.


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## wesley762 (Oct 23, 2012)

Interesting read about them.

Not Dying in Alaska: A Profile of the Kilcher Family | Alaska | OutsideOnline.com


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

wesley762, good read. Thanks.

Would be neat to see a show where Jewel visits.

One of the shows Atz said he was a cook in Nam but don't recall what branch of the service.

I do like how mostly they make sure nothing goes to waste.Cow died after giving birth & Otto will only eat what is intentionally slaughtered. So they gave the cow to a neighbor to feed her sled dogs. Ofcourse, it was easier to dispose of the carcass loading it in the back of a truck then burying it.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I follow all of the shows. and sometimes secretly wish I was there making it happen like that


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

If I understand the jist of the show, they have four months to do a year's work.


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## Infidel (Dec 22, 2012)

I like the show, they're a bunch of characters for sure. I'd like to try homesteading when I retire, not sure if Mrs. Infidel would go for it but would be worth talking about I suppose. I suspect as do others that most of their money comes from the sale of cattle. I guess I never looked at it closely enough to wonder where their money comes from, I just like the show.

-Infidel


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

shotlady said:


> question about this. when the boys were out hunting, he mentioned several times about the "violence" of hunting. Hunting is not violent unless you hack something to death or kill it inhumanely prolonging its suffering or kill it just to kill it. I don't see hunting as violence. I did appreciate him thanking the deer after he shot it.


I suspect that taking a life is never easy, no matter what context... I haven't hunted yet, but I plan to in the next few years. It seems to me like it would be an emotional experience to take an animal's life for the first time. Yeah, you're filling the freezer with meat, but I think that profound respect for the animal and its sacrifice is important...

He also said that in the context of having a child on the way, so that is altering his point of view too...


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

HuntingHawk said:


> I'm still alittle confused. Otto owns the cattle. But its Atz that is the range rider yet has to hunt for meat. Yet Otto doesn't hunt & butchers cattle for meat. Series seems like Atz is working for free. But my guess is Atz gets cash from Otto every year when Otto sales cattle.
> 
> Atz Lee & Eivin don't have paying jobs yet have equipment, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles, etc. And there's the fuel they have to buy for things like chainsaw to get wood for the winter. Where does their money come from?


Don't forget that the patriarch Yule was in the Alaskan assembly. And I'm sure he had plenty of money to be able to afford the move from Europe to AK in the first place... That trip apparently happened during The Great Depression...

I know Atz does some crafty stuff with his wife... I've seen their website somewhere...

I'm sure the TV show helps them all with income too... Some websites have their individual net worths between 2 and 5 million each.


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## Infidel (Dec 22, 2012)

pharmer14 said:


> I suspect that taking a life is never easy, no matter what context... I haven't hunted yet, but I plan to in the next few years. It seems to me like it would be an emotional experience to take an animal's life for the first time. Yeah, you're filling the freezer with meat, but I think that profound respect for the animal and its sacrifice is important...
> 
> He also said that in the context of having a child on the way, so that is altering his point of view too...


I've been hunting since I was about 12 years old. I still remember my first hunt which was with the 4-H during my hunter safety course. I still remember what it felt like to pull the trigger of the shotgun when the pheasant went up so yeah it can be pretty emotional I suppose. In fact if asked I could probably recall the circumstances surrounding every animal I've ever killed which I think says something about the level of emotion surrounding hunting. Generally I'm not an emotional kind of guy (just ask my wife). The emotions surrounding your first kill are very powerful. I think most of the Kilchers have a deep respect for the game they hunt which is evidenced by the way they treat the animals after the shot.

Personally I don't consider hunting violent although I can see where that point could be made. You are after all taking a life and it can be pretty brutal at times. Anyone that hunts has had or will have a shot that wasn't quite perfect, either the animal took a step or we rushed the shot or some other anomaly occurred that caused us to have to trail an animal or watch it die a little slower than we would like. This is a worst case scenario for any dedicated hunter and can be painful to watch. For most of us we would prefer to end that animal's suffering as quickly as possible. As a hunter your goal is to put meat in the freezer and do it as quickly and painlessly for the animal as possible.

-Infidel


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## SecTec21 (Jul 27, 2013)

Watching this show gives me a different perspective on life itself. It brings home the point to asking the Lord to bless the food you are about to eat. I reminds me of the respectfulness of thanking the Lord for the blessings of life at the end of each day.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

I think the take home from Eivin's reflection on hunting is that if you're going to eat meat, you should be aware that it comes from taking a life. 

Too many people buy meat at a store, so they are 3 or 4 steps removed from the death of the animal.

Hunting and raising cattle for beef bring you closer to reality in that respect.


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## Gunner's Mate (Aug 13, 2013)

PETA People Eatin Tasty Animals


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