Dear All,

I’m from the U.K. and would like some advice as to where I can hunt a really big polar bear?
I believe I can still import them to U.K.
thanks very much

The ONLY place in the USA for them is
far north Alaska. Try that section.

You might get some info from Cal Pappas as he
hunts and lives up there, same with 458.

Good luck, and know we'd all like to read about your experience.

George

Thanks very much

quote:

Originally posted by jcorry:
Dear All,

I’m from the U.K. and would like some advice as to where I can hunt a really big polar bear?
I believe I can still import them to U.K.
thanks very much

I believe only the AK natives can legally hunt them there. Not too long ago, hunts were still done in northern Canada, but I don't know if they still happen. Russia & Norway have also allowed hunts in the past.

Also, be aware that many countries follow the importation rules as part of CITES -- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. So your mileage in the UK might vary. IOW, best to do some research on that aspect early on.

Only Alaska Natives can hunt them up here in Alaska. Canada still has sport hunting for polar bear. The population of polar bear is currently the highest it has been in 50 years.

Canada is the place to look. Sorry I don't have any info on outfitters.

Jcorry.....the US Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed back in the early 70's and it prohibited the hunting of polar bears by anyone except local indigenous people. The same act is the one that prohibits the importation of marine mammals, parts there of, etc. and was the reason US hunters could not import legally taken sport trophies that they killed on hunts in Canada.

As mentioned Canada is where you need to go for a polar bear. Contrary to what all of the bunny huggers would have you believe, we have lots of polar bears. It is very closely regulated by the game departments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Non-resident polar bear hunters are actually hunting on permits that are obtained from local Innuit community Hunting and Trapping Organizations. Each community is assigned an annual quota of polar bears based on the local bear population. The community hunters can take all the bears themselves or offer up some of the permits for non-resident hunters who go with a local outfitter/guide.

It is beneficial for the community to do this as they make way more money off of a guided polar bear hunt than they would get themselves by taking a polar bear and then selling the hide. They are very expensive hunts and the flights to the arctic communities are very expensive. Expect to be spending close to $50,000 US dollars by the time all is said and done.

You could try contacting Ameri-Cana Expeditions in Edmonton, Alberta or Canada North Outfitting. Both have extensive experience at organizing polar bear hunts in Canada's far north. Just query them on the net...their websites are easy to find.

quote:

Originally posted by Skyline:
Jcorry.....the US Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed back in the early 70's and it prohibited the hunting of polar bears by anyone except local indigenous people. The same act is the one that prohibits the importation of marine mammals, parts there of, etc. and was the reason US hunters could not import legally taken sport trophies that they killed on hunts in Canada.

As mentioned Canada is where you need to go for a polar bear. Contrary to what all of the bunny huggers would have you believe, we have lots of polar bears. It is very closely regulated by the game departments in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Non-resident polar bear hunters are actually hunting on permits that are obtained from local Innuit community Hunting and Trapping Organizations. Each community is assigned an annual quota of polar bears based on the local bear population. The community hunters can take all the bears themselves or offer up some of the permits for non-resident hunters who go with a local outfitter/guide.

It is beneficial for the community to do this as they make way more money off of a guided polar bear hunt than they would get themselves by taking a polar bear and then selling the hide. They are very expensive hunts and the flights to the arctic communities are very expensive. Expect to be spending close to $50,000 US dollars by the time all is said and done.

You could try contacting Ameri-Cana Expeditions in Edmonton, Alberta or Canada North Outfitting. Both have extensive experience at organizing polar bear hunts in Canada's far north. Just query them on the net...their websites are easy to find.

Thank you very very much.
I shall contact them. Hopefully they can organise a polar bear for me.

Skyline beat me too it. Do contact Ameri-Cana Expeditions or the Nunavut folks.

Mark

Don you know if walrus can be hunted the same time as Polar bear?

John most walrus hunts take place during the warmer months, but your best bet is to contact Canada North Outfitting and ask them. I know they offer walrus hunts.

Having said that I remember seeing a walrus and polar bear combo hunt that takes place in late fall, which is unusual for polar bear. Seems to me it was out of Coral Harbour on Southampton Island, but I could be mistaken. I remember thinking that it made some sense and would be a very interesting hunt as big male polar bears are killing machines and the only thing big enough and fearless enough to wade in amongst the walrus.

Many thanks. I’m now waiting for them to get back to me.

How labor intensive is a polar besr hunt?? I assume they can't hide behind trees so spotting them may be easier than most game. I'm guessing weather is the biggest obstacle? Either way, sounds fun

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
How labor intensive is a polar besr hunt?? I assume they can't hide behind trees so spotting them may be easier than most game. I'm guessing weather is the biggest obstacle? Either way, sounds fun

I once read that the way you hunt polar bears is to let them see you. They’re always hungry and not afraid of anything. The only difficult part is breaking contact if you decide the bear isn’t a shooter.

Somewhere on the Internet there are pictures of a bear chewing on a nuclear sub that had broken thru the ice to surface. They are that ballsy.

Weather is a big issue, as a storm can blow in and lock you down. Most guys have trouble dealing with the -40 as well. I have spent a fair amount of time in the Arctic and guided a fair amount in the Northwest Territories. People with no experience roughing it out on the ice sleeping in a tent or a small cabin on skids that is towed by a snow machine find these winter hunts to be a bit rough.
Food is usually very basic and you cook over a little propane stove.

Everything costs a fortune to get up in the high Arctic and supplies either come by plane or a supply ship in the summer. A night at the local hotel in the Arctic communities is quite expensive and the hotels are usually quite basic and it is not uncommon for the rates to be $300 to $400 a night. A drink of "spirits" will set you back $15 or $20.

The actual hunt is done by dog team and the hunter sits in the sleigh when traveling. A helper uses a snowmobile to drag the camp and supplies. Occasionally you may get to use a cabin if there is one in the area that the Inuit built in a place they regularly hunt and fish, or possibly an old research station cabin,etc.

You will usually be hunting the big pressure ridges or open leads out on the ice as that is where the seals are. You look for tracks and do a lot of glassing along the pressure ridges out on the ice. Everything is white and it takes a while to get use to it.

Polar bears, especially the males, cover vast areas and do not have "territories" as you will generally find with other bear species. They have to hunt the seals and the sea ice changes constantly, so they travel far and wide hunting the best areas and they can travel a lot of miles each day.

Like all hunting, some times things happen quickly and other times not so much and you will have to cover a lot of ice before you find a big male to drop the hammer on. Occasionally weather will totally screw your hunt. If that happens the operators will usually arrange to let you return for another crack at it or extend your hunt if that is an option.

Flights in and out of Arctic communities are very expensive. They are also regularly affected by weather and you can get stuck in camp, in the Arctic community you are hunting out of...or stuck waiting to fly in for your hunt.

Also, you will find that once you kill your bear the hunt is over and you are taken back to town. Generally from that point on you will be expected to stay at the local hotel and pay for the hotel and all meals, etc. until your flight out.
If you were really lucky and killed a bear the first day on a 10 day hunt, your hunt is over and you are on the hook for the expenses in town until your flight. So it is a good idea to understand that from the get go and be prepared for that in the event your hunt ends early.

I usually tell guys that if they can swing a flight change and leave early it is usually worth paying whatever the airline charges for you changing your flight. That is of course assuming there are any other flights to change to. The last time I was up on the Arctic Island the airline that flew in to the local community had specific scheduled days that they flew in and out on, and it was only once a week. There is no jumping on a plane the next day unless it just happens to be scheduled run.

Personally I think hunting the Arctic is a very unique experience and like nothing most hunters have ever done. Generally US hunters are not interested in a polar bear hunt as they cannot take their bear hide back home with them, same thing with walrus as they also fall under the US Marine Mammals Protection Act, but if you want to get a taste of the Arctic you can always take a late winter/early spring hunt for muskox or barren ground grizzly...at least you guys can still get a CITES permit to ship your legally taken grizzly home.

Thanks for the thorough account. Sounds like you have done this hunt before. It would be nice if you finish early you can add a walrus or musk ox to hunt out your remaining days. I do feel that if the USA could bring back there bears you would see more demand.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
The population of polar bear is currently the highest it has been in 50 years.

Thank you for pointing that out. I had no idea that was the case. It's sad that the tactics of the lunatic fringe revolve around lies to coerce people to go along with their bullshit. Conservation can coexist with hunting and fishing despite their denials.

You would not be able to hunt a walrus on a polar bear hunt. Wrong time of year for access, I reckon. A polar bear hunt with dog sleds is certainly one of the greatest hunting adventures in the entire world IMO.

From my home in Southern Alberta I can fly to Lusaka return three times for the same price as the flight to the High Arctic. Incredibly expensive, indeed.

I know a chap that froze parts of his feet off on a musk ox hunt. I can understand why the Inuit guides like to end the hunt and go home after the bear is down.

At least you don't have to worry about the meat spoiling.

quote:

Originally posted by scruffy:
You would not be able to hunt a walrus on a polar bear hunt. Wrong time of year for access, I reckon. A polar bear hunt with dog sleds is certainly one of the greatest hunting adventures in the entire world IMO.

From my home in Southern Alberta I can fly to Lusaka return three times for the same price as the flight to the High Arctic. Incredibly expensive, indeed.

I know a chap that froze parts of his feet off on a musk ox hunt. I can understand why the Inuit guides like to end the hunt and go home after the bear is down.

Scruffy...yes I agree that normally you could not hunt walrus at the same time as polar bear. However there is an early season that takes place in the fall and runs into early November. I believe that is the situation with a combo hunt for the two that I remember seeing...but I could be mistaken about that specific hunt. As I mentioned I think that hunt was in the late fall up around Southampton Island at the northern end of Hudson's Bay, where the water typically stays open longer than further north.

Also, with the walrus, they are only available with operators in the eastern Arctic/Nunavut as there is only Atlantic walrus that can be hunted.

No problem, as I am sure you know, adding muskox to the bear hunt with many of the outfitters that offer polar bear hunts.

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
Thanks for the thorough account. Sounds like you have done this hunt before. It would be nice if you finish early you can add a walrus or musk ox to hunt out your remaining days. I do feel that if the USA could bring back there bears you would see more demand.

As I am sure you know, there was a time a few years back when US hunters could import their polar bear trophies from Canada after a court challenge. This made the anti's hot under the collar and they took the issue back to court and that opening was closed shut again as they found that polar bears may become endangered due to global warming. No I am not kidding.

CITES allows Canadian polar bear trophies to be taken home by properly licensed hunters. Unfortunately this is another instance where the powers that be in the US have decided they know better than CITES.

This is great info. Thanks very much.
I had a really good chat with a guy called Shane Black. He seemed very genuine.
I’m lucky because I can still import polar and walrus to Europe .... for now anyway....
They question in my mind is the following -
Do I do straight polar bear hunt in the ice with dogs etc - or do I do a combo bear and walrus hunt. It’s a different time of year and is done on the shore. It’s supposed to be very interesting as well. You use a small boat to scan the shore line.

quote:

Originally posted by Skyline:

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
Thanks for the thorough account. Sounds like you have done this hunt before. It would be nice if you finish early you can add a walrus or musk ox to hunt out your remaining days. I do feel that if the USA could bring back there bears you would see more demand.

As I am sure you know, there was a time a few years back when US hunters could import their polar bear trophies from Canada after a court challenge. This made the anti's hot under the collar and they took the issue back to court and that opening was closed shut again as they found that polar bears may become endangered due to global warming. No I am not kidding.

CITES allows Canadian polar bear trophies to be taken home by properly licensed hunters. Unfortunately this is another instance where the powers that be in the US have decided they know better than CITES.

US hunters could import Canadian polar bears up until 2008-2009 when under the Obama Administration polar bears were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But that's a while other can of spoiled worms

quote:

Originally posted by jcorry:
This is great info. Thanks very much.
I had a really good chat with a guy called Shane Black. He seemed very genuine.
I’m lucky because I can still import polar and walrus to Europe .... for now anyway....
They question in my mind is the following -
Do I do straight polar bear hunt in the ice with dogs etc - or do I do a combo bear and walrus hunt. It’s a different time of year and is done on the shore. It’s supposed to be very interesting as well. You use a small boat to scan the shore line.

Glad to hear you have been talking to Shane at Canada North Outfitting. He certainly knows his stuff. Which ever you decide on, I am sure you will have a great experience that very few ever get to do.

Hopefully you will post a hunt report here on AR after the trip.

Actually, I have been interested personally in a walrus hunt for years. Hopefully that can be made to work sometime.

You can pay to have you skull and hide frozen in a cold storage facility. I know a few Americans that have done that hoping that future laws will allow them to import.