Animals are on the move in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during the Fall; Heimo tracks a caribou migration; bear tears through Bob's cabin, destroying 2 years of collected dry meat, and the Lewis family arrives alongside some moose.

Winter is coming, so Heimo pursues a moose that will feed Edna and him for months. Meanwhile, Bob packs up his hunting gear, but runs into trouble when his boat's engine malfunctions; and Tyler and Ashley find their cabin flooded by a rising river, and later, after a week of salmon fishing, their catch is raided by a bear.

Everyone prepares to hunt animals large enough to feed them throughout the winter when temperatures will drop to -50.

The price of living hundreds of miles from civilization is evident; Tyler and Ashley make a long 15 mile journey to a lake cabin on a quest for food and to run their dog team; Bob leaves to go see his daughter.