Yesterday, we drove the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk. It is still -30C up here, unseasonably cold, the Inuvialuit (western Inuit) are not overly thrilled, it is hunting time. The hunters up in Tuktoyaktuk are having a tough time getting at polar bears this year. Some years the sea ice is good and other years, like this one, the sea freezes rough and travel is almost impossible.
...I was chatting with Chuck Gruben, one of the top hunters in the area, and he mentioned that he thinks this is one of the best cub years in at least a decade. He said it is still a strange year as they are not seeing many ringed seals – likely due to the cold and heavy ice on the coast. They see bearded seals but this is not really a prime target for mothers and cubs. Still, it should be a good year for bears, provided it warms up a bit!
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