What Happened to Chip Hailstone On Life Below Zero?

Chip Hailstone, fully Edward V Hailstone, is a TV personality who came to fame through the documentary tv series ‘Life Below Zero’. After the TV show aired by National Geographic Channel, many have been keen to learn more about him and his family details including his brother’s injury and married life with his wife Agnes.  

Therefore, we have brought you this article where some untold facts are written in detail. Take a look.

Key takeaways

• Chip Hailstone was born and raised in Kalispell, Montana, and later moved to Alaska in his late teens.
• He is a hunter and a TV personality who was well-known for appearing in the documentary series Life Below Zero.
• Chip is married to a fellow hunter and has seven children altogether with his wife (two step-sons and five daughters)
• He spent 15 months in jail for making false testimony to the police.
• The hunter’s estimated net worth is over $100,000. 

Who is Chip Hailstone?

Hailstone is a hunter and TV personality born in 1969 in Kalispell, Montana. Chip moved to Alaska from his hometown during his teens and settled in Noorvik, a remote Inupiaq village located above the Arctic Circle.

In Noorvik, Hailstone fully embraced the traditional Inupiaq way of life, here he honed all essential survival skills and techniques for hunting and fishing. He has now become well-known for his deep understanding of the land and wildlife.

Furthermore, the hunter once revealed that initially, he had no intention of staying in Alaska, but later changed his mind after he met his future wife Agnes.

Chip Hailstone’s Wife Agnes Hailstone is Also a Hunter

Chip has been married to his wife Agnes Hailstone for several years now. Unlike Chip, Agnes was born in Alaska and was trained to be a hunter from a young age. Also, she belongs to a family of hunters who are native to the Northern Alaskan region.

The two first met when Chip came to Alaska during his trip during his late teens in 1988. Agnes was married to her first husband during that time. Eventually, Agnes separated from her first spouse due to their own reason and later married Chip Hailstone in 1992.

Hailstone Has Five Daughters and Two Step-Sons

The couple has five daughters Tinmiaq, Iriqtq, Mary, Caroline, and Quantan together, and two sons Douglas and John Carter from Agnes’s previous marriage.

Even though Douglas and John are not his own blood, Chip treats them as his own children. And it seems like he inspires his sons as both of them have followed the path of hunting and are living happily with their own family.

As for his daughters, Tinmiaq the eldest amongst her sisters is married and has a son and daughter. She is also very active on social media, unlike her parents. Similarly, Hailstone’s other daughters are also living a happy life and have been seen in the TV series ‘Life Below Zero’ time and again.

What Happened to Chip Hailstone On Life Below Zero?

Chip has been a part of the reality TV series ‘Life Below Zero’ from the beginning and has appeared in almost every season. So, his absence during season 10 was noticed by all the viewers and many started speculating if Chip has already left the show. Soon after, it was revealed that Hailstone was absent because he was charged and sent to 15 months in jail.

Talking about Life Below Zero, it is a documentary series aired on the National Geographic channel in May 2013, with 20 seasons and 230 episodes to date. The show predominately shows the struggle and day-to-day events of people from the Alaskan region. Must say, Hailstone and his wife Agnes are one of the main cast members of the show.

Hailstone Was Arrested and Spent Fifteen Months in Jail

Chip was sentenced to 15 months in jail in July 2017 on the charge of felony perjury and making false testimony to the police. Later, details about Hailstone’s case were published by Casetext. The document provided detailed information on a criminal case involving Hailstone.

According to the document, Chip made false accusations against a trooper named Christopher Bitz. The accusations included a fight in which Hailstone’s stepson and daughter were involved, leading to the arrest of several individuals. During the investigation, Hailstone and his family confronted the troopers. Following the event, Chip made false statements about the trooper’s actions, claiming that they assaulted his daughter.

Further, the text explains that Hailstone was charged with perjury and providing false information with the intent to implicate Bitz in a crime. Throughout the trial, evidence was presented that showed Hailstone knowingly made false statements about the troopers’ actions. Witnesses, including the troopers themselves, contradicted Hailstone’s version of events.

Hailstone’s Failed Attempt to Prove His Innocence

Hailstone argued in his defense against the sufficiency of the evidence and raised objections regarding the court’s instructions. However, the court found the evidence to be convincing. Additionally, the court concluded that the jury had sufficient reasons to make a decision in opposition to Chip.

The reality TV star then requested a new trial based on newly discovered evidence, claiming that an audio recording was altered during the incident. The court, after considering the evidence, found that the alleged alteration would not have significantly impacted the jury’s verdicts.

The Jury’s Decision Favored Bitz

After the evidence provided by Chip failed to change the flow of the case, another issue arose for the hunter. The admission of an email sent by Hailstone, which had further false accusations against Bitz. The court allowed this email as evidence, arguing that it was directly related to the incident and Hailstone’s false accusations. Also, the jury was appropriately instructed on how to consider this evidence.

In conclusion, the jury decided to affirm the judgment of the superior court, which convicted Hailstone on all charges.

What Happened to Chip Hailstone’s Family After He Went to Jail?

After Chip was found guilty, he was sent to Anchorage Correctional Complex for 15 months. While he was during the important hunting season, Agnes looked after their family and also hunted for the family.

Even though Chip’s absence did affect the family, they were able to get through the harsh weather of Alaska because of Agnes. The hunter’s wife also mentioned that they missed her husband a lot at the time of his sentence and were eagerly waiting for his arrival. She said:

The last 10 months have been pretty long and sad with Chip being gone. Food didn’t taste good, coffee didn’t taste good. But I got through it. I had my daughters with me and they’ve actually gone from walking behind me to walking by my side and hunting with me. It’s been really awesome watching these girls in the last year grow up… We survived, we’ve improved, and now we’re just a lot stronger.

Hailstone Returned After Completing His Sentence

After Chip completed his time in jail, he immediately started shooting for Life Below Zero. Since his release, Chip has made an appearance in more than 129 episodes to this date.

We can clearly see how invested he is in the series and how it has been a part of his life.

Chip’s Brother Gets Injured On the Television 

Willie Hailstone, a brother of Chip made his first appearance in the 7th season of Below Zero. To be more precise, Willie appeared on its 15th episode called Glenn Villeneuve in 2016. 

The brothers were joking around while gearing up for fishing. After gearing up, they hopped on their snowboards along with Agnes and started heading toward their destination.

As they reached their destination, Agnes noticed that Willie was missing and the couple started looking for him. Soon they found the production crew with Willie lying on a sled. After confronting the crew it was revealed that Willie had crashed his snowmobile and received an injury on his wrist.

Furthermore, the hunter was in excessive pain and was screaming. So, Chip decided to take him to a clinic instead of treating him there and tied him down to a sled. Thankfully, the injury was treated on time and didn’t come out as something serious.

Related: Unknow Facts About Life Below Zero’s Star Curly Leach

What is Chip Hailstone’s Net Worth?

It is believed that Chip has a net worth of over $100,000 dollars. He is a substantial hunter and relies on hunting for his daily needs. He is also cast in a documentary series Life Below Zero and some sources estimated his salary to be $4,500 per episode. 

Chip now lives in Kobuk River in Noorvik with his large family. 

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