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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Gary Steele runs the gun counter at Wolverine Guns & Tackle. He deals in areas such as gun sales, maintenance, and ammunition.

"I basically run the gun department, I wouldn't call myself a manager because we all kind of pull together here," Steele said.

Gary Steele displays his best selling gun, the Savage Model 111 - popular because it's an affordable firearm that comes with a scope and a detachable magazine - at Wolverine Guns & Tackle on Tuesday afternoon. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

"We can bore-sight people's rifles here, if your gun has a problem, we can look at it and see if it's in our realm to help, or if we have to send it off to a gunsmith."

He likened gun maintenance to being a doctor: "People come to them when they're really sick instead of coming in when they're just getting symptoms, and people bring guns in when they're all rusted out rather than bringing them in when they're just showing signs."

Hunting is a big part of Northern culture, and Wolverine provides all sorts of hunting gear, not just firearms. Steele can also provide tips to hunters about what kind of gun to get.

"I would recommend something around a .243 to a .270," said Steele.

"The lighter the better so you're not destroying as much meat, a nice fast bullet - these animals are moving quite quickly, you want something that shoots fast and flat - like, a quick moving bullet that's not gonna have a big rainbow trajectory."

Steele himself has been hunting for years - "since I've been old enough to tote a .22 around," he said - and he's been a hunting guide on the Barren Lands for 20 years. Since he's been working at Wolverine, he does it on his vacation time.

"Around August and September, I take my holidays and do more work," he said with a laugh. "But pleasurable work, it's something I enjoy."

Most of his clientèle are American visitors who have already had experience hunting where they live, and have come to the Northwest Territories to try something new.

"They've done their white tail and they've done their black bear, maybe they've done an elk hunt and now they're ready for something more exotic or bigger, so the Northwest Territories is the next thing to do," said Steele.

Along with getting caribou or bison, there's opportunity to get other interesting northern animals.

"If there's lots of caribou being shot in a given area, there's opportunity of seeing an animal like a wolverine or a wolf, because they're cleaning up on the kill sites."

Steele has been in Yellowknife for about 33 years, but originally hails from Nova Scotia.

"I was born in the Indianapolis valley, in Kentville, grew up on a farm there, then ventured off when I got out of high school," said Steele.

"Went to Ontario and raced horses for a number of years, and then went west."

Before starting work at Wolverine in 2004, he owned and operated a picture framing business. That changed when Wolverine called him up to run the gun counter.

"I sold my picture framing shop and went into gun sales," said Steele.