Extreme cold is 'freedom' for this Inuk hunter

It is never too cold for Tony Uluadluak.

Never.

"I like it super cold … I just love it," he said from his home in Arviat, Nunavut.

Uluadluak is a hunter, and when winter hits, he comes alive.

"It's like a rush inside of me," he said.

Uluadluak has been loving the cold since he was a boy. 

One moment really stands out.

A group of elders took his whole class out on snowmobiles when it was -50 with the windchill.

Once they were far enough from his community the elders stopped on the frozen tundra, looked at the kids, and said: "Now what?"

It was a test: time to survive.

There were major lessons that day.

"They all said to never panic if you break down," said Uluadluak

The kids were also taught how to make igloos.

At that point, he was hooked on the cold.

Uluadluak loves the cold so much, he actually looks forward to frostbite.

"Every year I get frostbite on my face and on my cheeks."

That's the sign of a "great hunter," he said.

Uluadluak admits that when a frozen face warms up it will hurt a bit.

But that doesn't slow him down.

"I just love the cold too much," he said.

And he's not kidding.

One time he drove home in a blizzard and it made him "happy."

"Just me and the blizzard," he said.

It's a situation that might send chills down the spine of anyone less experienced.

Not Uluadluak.

"I try not to be scared because that … can kill me."

But Uluadluak isn't reckless and always takes necessary precautions.

That includes wearing a thick traditional caribou parka his mother made for him 10 years ago.

His wife also supports his adventures.

'She knows that I love going out in winter time. She always tells me to be careful every time when I'm going out."

Uluadluak says he loves winter and the cold because there's more work to do and it's challenging.

But most importantly, he says the cold is "freedom."

"Life is short so go out there and make the best out of it," he said.