Expected to be the weapon that would kill the 13-metre whale, co-captain Simeonie Keenainak tried to fire it five times before he gave up and used the shoulder gun that had previously given him cause for concern.

A recommendation about the proper weapons and ammunition to use during a bowhead whale hunt will likely make up part of a final report that is scheduled to be drawn up by the hunt planning committee in Pangnirtung this September.

While Akumalik has already issued a short overview to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board for their meeting this month, he said the longer, more comprehensive report with recommendations, analysis and an evaluation is forthcoming.

Likely to be included in the report is a suggestion that in the future, the single factor that made the Cumberland Sound hunt successful and seriously hindered the 1996 Repulse Bay hunt be maintained -- awarding the license to one specific community.

"It works better that way. I would recommend the community look after it. I would even like QWB to step out of it and let the community look after all of it," said Akumalik.

He noted that the hunt was further kept contained by allowing the captains in the hamlet to pick which media representatives could participate in the actual hunt.

Akumalik said the biggest change he would make before the next hunt was to begin fundraising well in advance.

"At one point, we almost postponed the hunt a couple of weeks before. There was no financial support and we were kind of panicking because we didn't have enough money."

He explained that the NWMB, the Hunters and Trappers Organizations and the hamlet offices all came through with funding at the eleventh hour and he thanked the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation for providing Baffin communities with money to cover the cost of distributing the muktuk and meat.

With $33,000 in bills rung up so far, Akumalik said the rest of the distribution costs, packaging, shipping and the hunters' fees still had to be covered but the final budget would not exceed $100,000.

Gary Weber, the Nunavut area manager for the department of fisheries and oceans, agreed that the hunt was a success and said he also would be issuing a report later this fall.

"I want to meet with the hunters and the hunt captains and find out what their observations are," said Weber, who pointed to the importance of capturing the views of the hunt team on paper for future hunts.