• Chip Hailstone is a hunter and reality television personality, best known from the documentary series "Life Below Zero".
• He moved to Alaska in 1988 and learned how to hunt and make use of every part of an animal's body.
• He was sentenced to 15 months in jail for making false statements and perjury in 2017.
• He is married to Agnes Hailstone and has seven children.
Who is Chip Hailstone?
Edward ‘Chip' Hailstone was born in 1969, in Kalispell, Montana, USA, and is a hunter as well as a reality television personality, best known from being a part of the documentary series "Life Below Zero", in which he appears alongside his family. The documentary airs in the programming of the National Geographic Channel.
Early Life and Move to Alaska
Chip grew up in Kalispell, and was raised by his parents. At a young age he was taught how to hunt and fish, two life skills that would become pivotal in his life later on. He enjoyed hunting, and as a chil, imagined himself living as a hunter. In 1988, he took on a trip towards Alaska to try out his hunting skills, and his trip turned into a permanent move to the state.
He settled in the small city of Noorvik, Alaska which has around 700 in the population. During his time there, he learned how to hunt using various equipment, including always bringing a 12-gauge antique rifle, bow and arrow, and a .22 caliber long rifle. He also learned how to hunt using his bare hands if necessary. Due to the harsh environment in Alaska, he's learned to make use of every part of the animal's body – most of the skin and fur are turned into clothes to use or sell. The remains often become decorations which are also sold.
Life Below Zero
Eventually, Hailstone and his family's lifestyle caught the attention of television producers, who approached them with the proposal of airing a documentary television program featuring their lives. They would earn income, gain wide exposure, and other benefits from working with the show which is why they accepted. The documentary series entitled "Life Below Zero" is produced by BBC Worldwide, and airs on the National Geographic channel, and illustrates the daily and seasonal activities of hunters living in remote areas of Alaska.
These hunters do so as a form of subsistence living, in below zero conditions. The show gives viewers an insight into their daily struggles trying to survive with the resources they have. Chip and his wife Agnes live on the Kobuk River, Noorvik, a place that is just 19 miles north of the Arctic Circle. They have seven children together; his wife has roots from all over Alaska, and is focused more on the show compared to Chip, but the whole family often shares screen time in an episode.
Show Absence – Imprisonment
In 2017, viewers of "Life Below Zero" noticed that Chip was absent from the show for most of the season. The producers didn't make any effort to disclose information about his absence, and in the meantime the show focused on his wife. Later on, it was revealed that he was sentenced to 15 months in jail after being convicted on two counts of making false statements, and another two counts of perjury. He spent 10 of the 15 months in jail, and was cleared from all convictions in late-2017.
After his sentence, he was under probation from using modern firearms, which led to his wife doing most of the shooting during their hunting sessions. Chip later opened up about his arrest, stating that the problem happened way back in 2011 when his stepson became involved in an altercation with another family living in Noorvik. One of the residents pointed a gun at his daughter, and a policeman at the scene reportedly physically assaulted her. He then filed for a restraining order against the trooper, but his actions were disputed by other troopers in the area. Many fans have expressed their distaste of how the case was handled, as the length of his incarceration seemed too long.
Personal Life
For his personal life, it is known that Chip has been married to Agnes Hailstone for over 27 years, and they have five children together. The couple met after his move to Noorvik – she is a native Alaskan Inupiaq, has spent her entire life in Alaska, and has lived there the longest among cast members of "Life Below Zero". According to her, her family has ties to thousands of years' worth of knowledge which has been passed down through generations. She has two children from a previous relationship, who Chip later adopted as his own.
