New polar bear tags open for hunters

The Nunavut-wide increase in polar bear quotas means five more polar bears can be killed in Iqaluit this year.

At a public meeting held Feb. 7 members of the Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association voted to make all five polar bear tags open tags — that is, any beneficiary who kills a polar bear can come in after a successful hunt to claim a tag.

Amarok members also voted to open the tags the very next day, Feb. 8.

“It’s a free-for-all,” said chairman Michael Qappiq.

Polar bear hunting season opened on Feb. 1 this year. One of the new tags has already been claimed by Jimmy Noble Jr., who killed a bear just last Thursday.