MALE-BIASED HARVESTING OF POLAR BEARS IN WESTERN HUDSON-BAY

We examined the number, sex, and age composition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) killed by harvest, destroyed as problem bears, relocated t o toes, and killed during handling from western Hudson Bay between 196 6 and 1992. Harvest and removal of problem bears were biased towards m ales (66.7-70.1%) with most bears (71.7%) taken under a managed quota, but destruction of problem bears (13.6%) was also an important compon ent of removal. An average of 42 bears per year were removed from the population with a mean age of 5.3 years for females and 6.1 years for males. Females were most vulnerable to harvest at 1-4 years of age and males at 2-4 years. Number of bears removed each year averaged 6% of the population and adult females removed represented 1% of the populat ion. The harvest appeared sustainable due to the male bias and young a ge of harvested bears. Male-biased harvest was the most likely explana tion for the preponderance of females in the population.