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Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services
 Californian sport hunter Bill Myer visited Cambridge Bay on a quest for polar bears. - Thorunn Howatt/NNSL photo |
"This is no vacation. It's a quest," said Californian sport hunter Bill Myer, explaining he was looking for an adventure and went to Cambridge Bay to find it.
Sport hunting is one of Nunavut's key industries. There were 53 polar bear sport hunts sold in Nunavut last year, accounting for $1.5 million direct to the economy. A polar bear sport-hunt tag costs about $30,000.
After hunting big game all over the world, Myer had his heart set on adding a polar bear rug to his collection of big-game trophies. Last year he was buffalo hunting in Africa but cold weather made arctic adventure a true test of grit.
"The worst that can happen on most hunts is you don't get your animal. Here you die," he said.
Regional hunters and trappers organizations (HTOs) receive a certain number of tags each year based on the bear population. They have a choice to keep the tags themselves or sell them to sport hunters. Sport hunts are sold mostly to American tourists who pay about $20,000 US for the trip. About $20,000 Cdn stays in the community that sold the tag.
Myer was travelling with hunt broker Craig Hayes. They were thrilled with Cambridge Bay's friendliness and the quality of the accommodations.
"There's more wildlife here than we expected to see," said Hayes, who was videotaping Myer's adventure.
Regulations require polar bears to be hunted by dog team, so a split of the money goes to the dog team owner. Guide helpers and other support may also receive a cut. The polar bear hunts are so popular, hunters can wait as long as five years for the opportunity. But this year the poorer American economy, along with the Sept. 11 tragedy, made it easier to book. Often a booking agent is used to make contact with hunters, but in some cases HTOs are organizing trips themselves.
Some communities, Resolute Bay for example, have between 16 to 20 sport hunts for polar bears annually. Cambridge Bay has four polar bear sport hunts this year with the season extending between Jan. 1 and May 31.
Mable Angohiatok was Myer's contact in Cambridge Bay. She has been meeting sport hunters at the airport, arranging hunting licences and settling them at Cambridge's Arctic Islands Lodge for five years. She works for Canada North Outfitting Inc.
Angohiatok books the charters that will take the hunters out to the Hadley Bay hunt area. "Most importantly the hunters have to have a whole lot of fun," said Angohiatok. She also makes sure the guests are suited up properly for the weather.
"These guys needed parkas and pants."
Canada North has been bringing as many as 170 sport hunters per year to the North for 21 years. It works in seven communities including Cambridge Bay.
Most of the visitors were looking for caribou but about 30 wanted to bag polar bears. The bear success rate is about 90 per cent.
"The biggest challenge continues to be marketing," said Canada North's owner Jerome Knap. The company attends sport-hunting shows in the United States and Europe each year, said Knap. But anti-hunting lobbying is impacting hunts more than ever.
The season still continues for another month but the last of this year's polar bear hunters should be finished in the next two weeks.
Polar bear hunting makes up about 20 per cent of Canada North's business. Muskox, caribou and walrus make up the rest.
