For an exciting and rewarding hunt, match wits with Canada’s top predators

POLAR BEARS

Most of today’s polar bear hunting is conducted by local Indigenous hunters in Nunavut and the N.W.T., but there are still opportunities for non-resident hunters. Strict rules are in place for those hunts, however. You must be guided by Inuit hunters, using either dog teams or hunting on foot rather than on snowmobiles, and all of the meat must remain with the local community.

While we’ve all heard polar bears are the only animals that think of humans as prey, the greater risk is posed by the environment you find them in. Hunts take place during the winter months, when the pack ice is frozen and travel is easier. This is a vast, cold and unforgiving landscape, prone to blinding blizzards lasting days on end. You’ll be in the experienced hands of Inuit guides, of course, but this isn’t for hunters lacking a great deal of intestinal fortitude.

On a typical hunt, you’ll travel great expanses of land, stopping frequently to glass, constantly searching for moving bears or the dinner platter-sized tracks they leave behind. Then once you find a bear, you’ll track and/or stalk to within comfortable shooting range. Beyond the personal satisfaction of withstanding some of Canada’s harshest hunting conditions, the reward is the most distinctive and beautiful pelt you can imagine.