Despite the many animals he killed for food, Brian remains bothered by killing and death. He always hopes for a clean, quick kill to avoid causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal. As the novel progresses, he starts to favor larger game since the death of just one animal can give him several weeks’ worth of meat, eliminating the need to kill hundreds of small animals. However, hunting large game brings its own set of challenges for him: After killing a deer, he feels as if he has committed murder, especially since the deer was not posing a threat to him.

Brian’s misgivings about hunting come in part from his appreciation for nature. He sees the detail and grandeur in nature, and therefore sees animals as sources of beauty. Nevertheless, Brian realizes that while he values nature, he is also at its mercy. Killing animals is his only means of getting the food he needs to survive. In this way, the death motif furthers the theme that nature is a two-sided coin: beautiful, yet harsh.  

Paulsen consistently updates the reader on changing weather conditions using vivid imagery. This helps readers understand the extreme cold even though they may not have experienced such conditions before.