Boyd Warner TREASURES the memory of killing his 1st polar bear. It was 2003. For days he had stalked his prey on the frozen wastelands north of Pond Inlet, one of Canada’s most isolated Inuit communities deep inside the Arctic Circle. His dog team picked up the scent of an 8ft adult male & they hurtled over the ice: the hunt was on.
“It was one of those beautiful Arctic days,” recalled Mr Warner. “We’d had about 14 hrs of sunlight and were completely surrounded by nature. “The moment of death comes QUICKLY for the bear”… USUALLY with a shot to the heart just behind the bear’s fore leg. “You might track one for days through the ice but a single shot to the heart kills IT instantly.”
For WEALTHY modern-day TROPHY hunters, ‘bagging’ a polar bear is the ultimate kill.
14 days in harsh conditions, requiring dog-sleds, Inuit guides & a heated tent camp, does not come cheap: the minimum bill comes to $35,000 (£24,000).
The latest US-led scientific surveys suggest that up to 2/3 of ALL POLAR BEARS could be LOST by 2050 – bringing the sustainability of hunting into question.
Article here.
The Bothe 