The type of traditional economy of the Aleuts was determined by the natural conditions of the islands. The Bering Sea is rich in pinnipeds and whales. The abundance of fish in the seas was supplemented by the seasonal movement of red fish for spawning in the island rivers. Many rocky islets with bird markets provided opportunities for bird and egg fisheries. The intertidal zone served as a harvesting ground for clams, seaweed, etc. Collection of berries, roots and herbs was of secondary importance. Meat and fish were eaten raw, dried or boiled. Mostly dried fish and whale oil (kept in bladders made from the stomachs of sea animals) were stocked up.
Hunting started at the end of April. From May to autumn we caught spawning fish. In the middle of July we hunted birds. In winter, seals were hunted from the shore. Sea beaver (otter) were hunted in the open sea with a light non-rotating harpoon (beaver arrow). When hunting Steller sea lions and seals, a heavy non-rotating harpoon was used, which was thrown without the help of a throwing board. Swivelling harpoons were used when hunting lakhtaks and others. Steller sea lions were killed at rookeries by driving them away from the water with sticks (dregalki) and spears. Whales were lured ashore with a manshchik , an inflated seal skin, imitating the cry of a female. Whales were hunted with a spear, the tip of which was smeared with poison. After 2-3 days, the dead animal was thrown ashore. Birds were caught with the help of throwing spears 'shatin' and a throwing projectile 'bola' - a bundle of belts with stone or bone weights on the ends, which was thrown, giving it a rotational motion, into a flock of birds. The bird became entangled in the straps. Harpoons and spears were thrown with spear throwers - wooden planks 50-70 cm long with a longitudinal groove, finger grooves at one end and a bone stop at the other. Bows and arrows were also known. Fish were caught by angling, and during spawning they were beaten with spears or caught with nets, having previously built a dam on the river.
An important role in sea hunting was played by a baydara (a kayak), a frame boat made of sea lion or seal skin. The hunter sat in a round hole in his waterproof clothes and tightly tied its edges around his waist. To insure against an accident, bladders made of inflated seal skins or sea lion stomachs were tied to the kayak. With the penetration of firearms, double-hulled kayaksproliferated; the second paddler had to keep his balance while firing. Open canoes with multiple weights were used for transporting children and women, cargo, and for military campaigns.
Men made weapons, tools, stone and wooden utensils. Stone was used to make knives, axes attached to wooden handles, arrow and spearheads, vessels for cooking food, fat lamps for lighting and heating the dwelling, burning on whale oil (the wick was made of moss). Women sewed and embroidered clothes, made covers for kayaks, wove mats and baskets. The Aleuts developed all kinds of woven weaving from plant fibres. Aleut weaving was called silk weaving for its high skill, it differed from Eskimo and Indian weaving. The female universal tool of labour was a pekulka - a wide short and slightly curved knife. Needles were made of bird bones.