Barren Ground Grizzly Bear

The Beauty of Arctic Grizzlies: The arctic grizzly is a special bear. It is by far the prettiest grizzly bear subspecies in the world with big color variations from dark brown to silver tipped to almost fully blonde. Its long soft hair is in perfect condition when they come out of hibernation during our spring hunts.

A Rare Opportunity

Arctic grizzly bears are one of the most restricted and controlled populations of bears in the world. More tags are given out per year for polar bears than these grizzlies. Adventure Northwest only holds access to a handful of tags per year, which is a sizable percentage of all the bear tags on Nunavut’s mainland.

The Hunt Adventure

The hunt starts off in Cambridge Bay and we soon start travelling down to Bathurst Inlet to hunt around there. It is a nearly 200-mile-long snowmobile ride so it’s not for the faint of heart. This hunt is high on adventure!

Springtime Conditions

We are hunting in early to mid-May. Days are long with almost 24 hours of daylight. Temperatures are also comfortable with some days seeing above freezing temperatures. Hunting will be done with snowmobiles, and I would encourage you to rent and ride your own snowmobile for the duration of the hunt. Having the ability to do this will greatly improve your hunt experience vs being pulled around in a sled behind a snowmobile.

Bears are easy to spot as when they come out of hibernation as they contrast the white snow. Hours will be spent glassing from the tall hills in the area around camp and all along the Kent Peninsula and Bathurst Inlet.

Success and Trophy Potential

We have a remarkably high success rate on these hunts, and if the weather is right, you could see multiple bears per day. Arctic Grizzly bears are not excessively big, and a seven-foot bear is considered a shooter bear. If you can pass on some good bears, there is always a chance of finding something near that eight-foot mark. I (Kyler) killed a bear in the spring of 2019 that measured 7’6” feet and a 1/16th inch shy of Boone and Crockett on one of these hunts.

Hunt Details and Additional Tags

The hunt is 10 days in length and typically starts on the 4th of May and ends on the 14th of May. You will need to arrive in Cambridge Bay on the 3rd and depart Cambridge Bay on the 15th. Hunters are welcome to buy wolf and wolverine tags for this hunt, and there are no trophy fees on either one of these animals. A seal hunting permit can also be bought for five dollars, but seals are still not importable to the United States.

The Kent Peninsula

There are two areas we are hunting. One is known as Kiillinnguyaq, the Kent Peninsula in English, a large peninsula, almost totally surrounded by water, in Nunavut's northern Canadian Arctic mainland. Were it not for a 5 mi (8.0 km) isthmus at the southeast corner, it would be a long island parallel to the coast. From the isthmus, it extends 105 mi (169 km) westward into the Coronation Gulf.

Historical Significance

Historically, the Umingmuktogmiut subgroup of the Copper Inuit had a permanent community at Umingmuktog on the peninsula's western coast. In 1821, famous arctic explorer John Franklin reached the point from the west, at the most northerly point of the disastrous Coppermine expedition and then turned back. In 1838, Thomas Simpson nearly reached the same point but was blocked by ice and had to walk 100 mi (160 km) east. In 1839, the coast was clear of ice, and Simpson followed the entire coast eastward.

Our Camp

Our camp sits on the southwest end of the peninsula, just over a hundred miles from Cambridge Bay. On average, the trip from Cambridge Bay to camp takes about seven hours with snowmobiles.

Comfortable Accommodations

The camp consists of three insulated cabins, all heated by oil stoves. There is a fairly large cabin where the hunters stay, and there are only 2 hunters in the camp at a time. The other camp we hunt is down near the end of Bathurst Inlet from a small community now mostly abandoned by the same name. The history of Bathurst Inlet is fascinating, and I am sure you will hear it during your bear hunt. Beds and foam mattresses are provided in all sleeping accommodations, but do bring a sleeping bag.

YOUR SCHEDULE:

Arrival and Setup

The morning after you arrive in Cambridge Bay, you will pack your bags onto the guides’ sleds and hop in for the day-long ride to our camp at Parry Bay, towards the southwest part of the Kent Peninsula. If you are renting your own snowmobile to ride (highly recommended), then you will be given it at this time. Dress warmly, as we will be outside all day. Once at the camp, you will be shown your sleeping quarters and explained the week’s events. If you have any dietary needs or allergies, please be sure to mention them.

Hunting Days

The following days will be spent hunting from and around the cabins at our camp.

Departure

On the day before your flight is scheduled to depart Cambridge Bay, you will have a good breakfast, pack up your gear, and snowmobile the 200 miles back to town. You’ll head for home the following day.

Additional Opportunities

Adventure Northwest also has access to additional grizzly bear tags that can be added to a muskox or caribou hunt during the fall season.

Spring 10-day Arctic Grizzly Bear Pricing

Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut Territory
Early May --> THIS IS AN EPIC HUNT!

Grizzly Hunt: $25,000.00 USD
Wolf: included
Wolverine: included
Arctic Fox: included

What’s Included:

accommodation/meals while in camp
one guide for every hunter
Field prep of trophy and hides.
10 full hunting days

Not Included:

Government export fees (currently free)
5% goods and service tax
Meat processing
Canadian firearms import fee (if applicable)
Your travel to Cambridge Bay and all costs associated with that
Optional snowmobile rental (we charge $450/day while the going rental rate in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories is $500-$550/day)
$1150 grizzly bear tag.
$170 wolf tag (optional)
$170 wolverine tag (optional)
$60 hunting license
$70 fox hunting license (optional)

Things to note:

Travel to and from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Territory is the hunter’s responsibility, and we can give assistance as needed.
Any accommodations in the community of Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay before or after the hunt are not included in the hunt. This includes days lost to bad weather where commercial aircraft (or charter aircraft) is unable to fly.
Weather is the biggest and most challenging factor that can impede your hunt. Be prepared that you may lose a day or two to bad weather, unforeseen equipment breakdowns or both.
Having some Canadian currency is encouraged. (you will need Canadian cash to pay for your licenses and tags.)

Outer Wear

Kuiu super down pro layering system has worked well.
Canada Goose brand expedition parka and bib ski pants are the best and warmest outerwear you can buy in my opinion.
Pair of warm mittens (not finger gloves but actual mitts)
Pair of warm woolen gloves with which you can shoot that fit inside the mitts
Warm hat with ear flaps
Balaclava or ski mask for the face
Ski goggles for eye protection on snowmobile (cover all parts of your face, exposed skin will freeze in the wind when traveling on the snowmobile)
Sorrel-type boots with rubber bottoms & insulated double felt or wool pile liners. Cabela’s Trans-Alaska Pac Boot or Cabela’s Saskatchewan Pac boot are my favorite. Inner Wear
Wool “watch cap” or toque for sleeping
One set of heavyweight long underwear (Sitka gear is my preference for this)
Two pairs of warm socks (no preference)
Two pairs of silk (or other lining material) inner socks
One pair of midlayer pants (kuiu attack pants are my personal favorite for comfort)
Two mid layer shirts (sitka makes a hoodie with sleeves that come to the elbows, it’s a PERFECT layering piece.
Light down jacket to go underneath the super down pro or under the Canada goose parka. Equipment
Down sleeping bag, calibrated to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (you may bring a lighter bag on this hunt as the cabins are heated)
One pair of binoculars (Rangefinding binoculars are a bonus)
One sharp knife
One soft-padded gun case for carrying rifle on sled during hunt
Personal Items
Canadian cash for tags and licenses.
Airline tickets
Supply of aspirin, throat lozenges, lip protection, prescription medicine etc.
Sun glasses, prescription glasses if required.

Steven Sadowski

Hunting with Adventure Northwest with Kyler and his guide Sam was truly an amazing hunt. From start to finish, the organization of the hunt, the food, the camaraderie, and the effort put into the hunt were outstanding. I never expected to successfully get all the animals that we hunted - an amazing wolverine, a wolf, an arctic grizzly and a seal. I would highly recommend hunting with Kyler!

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