'The trip of a lifetime': 2 Inuk men relive old ways in spring polar bear hunt

Terry Uyarak and Jonah Qaunaq are best friends, fathers and have been avid hunters all their lives.  They grew up in Igloolik, Nunavut, hearing stories of their elders hunting for polar bears in the old way.

"Our late ancestors ... worked very hard for us to be alive today," Uyarak said. "They used dogs to hunt polar bears."

Earlier this month they decided it was their turn to make that experience their own. The duo planned a traditional Inuit expedition and ventured out for 10 days deep into polar bear country.

They only relied on their sled dogs for transportation and navigation: no GPS, no snowmobile, no phone. 

"It was a dream I've had for a while, it turned out to be the trip of a lifetime," Uyarak said.

Ever since Terry Uyarak could remember he wanted to travel and hunt by dog team — traditions used by his family that had been taken away from Inuit by the federal government during the dog slaughter of the 1950s and on.

Uyarak and Qaunaq both manage their own dog teams, a responsibility that requires hard work and discipline. Uyarak has nine huskies while Qaunaq has a few more, managing 11 dogs.

We chased them for maybe half an hour ... and I thought we'd never catch up.- Terry Uyarak

"Over many winter's visiting the floe edge I imagined this trip, since our childhood, I remember stories being told to us and I've always dreamed of being able to do this," Uyarak said.

When Qaunaq was asked what he thought of his best friend's wild request he said, "He's my mate, I trust him."

Both agreed the trail was rough and demanding: it took physical and mental strength to deal with the distance and isolation of what they said was a difficult and winding 700 kilometre round-trip journey.

They enjoyed each other's company. "We didn't rush for anything much," Uyarak said.

At first, the weather was beautiful: "Seals were basking in the sun," Uyarak said. "It was beautiful, I felt at complete peace."

But conditions changed. Within days of starting their expedition to Aggu Tariunga, an area near the Melville Peninsula, northwest of Igloolik, it turned frigid, forcing the men to camp for a couple of days.

They had to keep warm — they hunkered down in a small tent — but they also had to feed their dogs. With seals no longer basking in the sun, they had to wait hours at breathing holes in the ice for seals to emerge.  

"It felt like February," Uyarak said. "So cold, so quiet, normally at this time of the year the seals are on top of the ice and it's not difficult to harvest them."

But they were determined to live what was once "just a story" to them as young boys. They were able to harvest enough seals to feed themselves and their 20 dogs.

Uyarak said they welcomed the hardships. Those difficulties represented the old ways: "We want to know what it's like, to have such skill as our grandparents did and now we try it cause it's the only way I'll learn."

In better weather, food was not hard to find. Caribou and fish are abundant around this time of year, so it was like they had their own Arctic smorgasbord. 

Dogs 'controlled the situation'

About half way into their trip, the men spotted Ursus maritimus — five Nanuit (polar bears). Because it was mating season, there were both male and female bears around.

Their dogs were tired already after hunting all day, but the chase was on.

"We chased them for maybe half an hour, seemed very long and I thought we'd never catch up," Uyarak said.

Uyarak hit a chunk of ice, lost his grip on his dogs' harnesses, and they scattered.

Two of his dogs stayed to protect him and the rest surrounded a polar bear and forced it closer to their master to harvest.  Uyarak said that kind of dog behaviour was something he had never seen before.

"Their instincts kicked in," he said. "They controlled the situation."

Both men brought home one polar bear each: enough food for many meals to come, and skins for clothing. In Inuit culture, every part of the animal harvested is used.

Qaunaq said that when he returned to Igloolik, he was filled with powerful emotions of gratitude and pride: "It was emotional for me returning home to my family, seeing my wife and kids again … and my mom." 

Uyarak added, he hopes this inspired others. "don't be afraid to go and explore nature ... it's waiting ... it's beautiful."