by Steve Selden | Nov 3, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Polar rover heaters were cranking yesterday as the frigid air flowed from the north. Temperatures were in the low teens F and the bears were on the move again. Another bear was on the move via helicopter as the BBC is here doing a documentary film. Our groups were once again privy to a most intriguing spectacle as the two helicopters flew overhead…one with a bear hanging underneath and the other with a camera poking out of the window. Three bear lifts in three days…nice streak!
A lone polar bear being captured from a polar rover. Steve Morello photo.
Guide Jared and folks reported ample bears all over the CWMA map as they covered a lot of ground. First off at Bird Cove, a few bears wandered around the beach and on the granatoid Canadian Shield rocks. Nice photo’s with the ice in the background. Then out between Halfway Point and the Lodge, many bears were up and about including a big male standing up against the rover. Then, out at Halfway Point, the day was made when the group witnessed a bear that left the ice along shore and went for a dip…swimming along and getting up on some other flow ice. A good amount of ice blew down from the North a few days ago, pushing up against the land -fast ice forming on shoreline. The ice is unstable and could easily blow back out with a change in winds. Open water pockets still exist due to the ice moving around in the tides. The bear the group watched seemed determined to find some connected ice pans that were here to stay. One guest of Jared’s spotted a Snowy Owl and Jared was out a prize to be determined…a result of a daily contest he offers his people. On the way in to launch Jared spotted the rarer Rock Ptarmigan; a first of the season. The Rock differs from the Willow by having a black chinstrap marking in addition to the distinctive red eyebrow.
Guide Scott brought his group out to Gordon Point where five bears were spotted in the morning. One of those bears was quite interested in the vehicle and sniffed his way around the rover. Huffing and chuffing under the back deck grate was quite an experience for the people. Another big bear was sleeping out on a pond just 20 yards away. Later, out at Gordon Point, a juvenile bear was chased off by a bigger male of about 600 lbs. As the group moved away and along Ptarmigan Alley they were treated to Willow Ptarmigan (go figure) displaying their feathers. All in all a great day.
Guide Karen’s group already had spotted two bears before they made it to launch and it just kept getting better. Out along the coast a bear was out on the ice testing his footing. Farther on, near First Tower, a female was visiting three separate vehicles…inspecting all closely. Cruising along the coast road the group saw several bears on the icy rocks and stopped for lunch with a bear lounging just 40 feet away. Several more bears in the afternoon on the way in and some Ptarmigan to top it off made for an amazing day.
by Steve Selden | Nov 2, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Polar bears in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Steve Morello Photo.
Sunny skies and cold, cold temperatures around 15°F were the order of the day yesterday and the Polar Bears were on the move all over the tundra and in and around Churchill. Just outside of the city limits, Conservation Officers were busy patrolling to keep the bears at “Bay”…as in the Hudson Bay and out of the town.
Another bear lift at the compound, second in two days, drew a huge crowd as a massive bear was raised and delivered north. Churchill Operational staff scrambled to gather groups in town and transport them to the lift near the airport. All came together nicely as nearly all our travelers were able to view the unique, surreal scene. The groups quickly retreated to their respective buses from the biting cold. What an incredible event.
On the tundra, it was business as usual with plenty of bears to go around. Guide Elise and her loyal travelers counted up 30 bears throughout the day. Many wandered toward the shore as the cold seemed to persuade them to do. It does seem that colder temps tend to convince the bears to gravitate toward the coast a little more as they associate the chill with increased ice. Once the ice forms solid out into the bay, the bears will start to test the surface. In a few weeks, they will move out onto the bay and start the winter quest for seals as sustenance. Just the edges of the bay are frozen at this point so there’s still time on land. (more…)
by Steve Selden | Nov 1, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Polar bear lifts must be handled with great care. NHA photo.
The morning clouds and fog lifted as afternoon arrived and the temperature plummeted to around 17 F. Slight winds persisted and the wind chill factor made it feel like below zero. With the weather changing to more winter-like conditions, the bears were moving more out on the land. With all the bear sightings and encounters this past week, the compound was in need of releasing a bear or two on work release. In this case, the work would be traveling the 45 miles or so back from above the Seal River to the North. To that end, a “bear-lift” was scheduled for early afternoon. (more…)
by Steve Selden | Oct 31, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
The final day of October saw temps around 20F as snow continued to fall and blanket the tundra. Persistent winds finally calmed in the later afternoon while the sky brightened above the thick cloud cover. The bright glow of the sun was seen across the Churchill River and the temperature fell even more. (more…)
by Steve Selden | Oct 30, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Aggressive polar bears are part of the Churchill experience. NHA photo.
Winter arrived in Churchill on fierce winds whipping across the Hudson Bay from the North. By mid afternoon a noticeable change in the temperature (25F) and snow flurries coming sideways was a sure sign of the changing season. This time it’s the real thing.
The day began with a “bang”…literally. Guide Jared radioed in from Northern nights Lodge requesting the office to call Bear Alert. As Conservation officers arrived, both Jared’s and Guide Eric’s folks were there. One officer quickly pulled out his shotgun and blasted off about 20 rounds of cracker shells in the direction of the massive 800 lb bear that was concealed somewhat in the willows just 200 feet away from the hotel. (more…)
by Steve Selden | Oct 29, 2009 | Churchill News, Tour News
A daily field report on polar bears from our guide Steve Selden in our Churchill, Manitoba office! Check out our polar bear tours here.
Polar bear in paradise. Dennis Minty photo.
Traffic reports from the tundra and the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA) reported free and easy polar bear movement on the coastal road yet heavy congestion on the inland road to Gordon Point. Guide Eric reports a mother and two cubs situated smack in the middle of the trail while his rover maneuvered for position to view the spectacle. As the morning progressed, about eight other bears came and went, much to the contentment of all onlookers. At one point, curious cubs visited rovers one by one. Due to temps once again around 31°F, the bear movement was slower than normal and momma decided to have a little fun with our travelers. This is one traffic jam nobody complained about, however. As Guides Brent, Sue and Eric camped out in their rovers and enjoyed lunch, momma and cubs were happy to pose for photos. Film at eleven.
Guide Jared and group were away from the others out on the coast and thoroughly enjoyed watching a big 700-pound male polar bear splash around in the water. Two Arctic Fox meandered by during the afternoon as well. Snow buntings here and there also caught the attention of the group.
Back in town, cracker shells once again rang out sporadically in the snow and fog while Conservation trucks buzzed around the streets. Bears are very healthy this year but that hasn’t kept them from coming into town. Curiosity and aromas lure the animals into town and Bear patrol (675-BEAR) works tirelessly to keep them out. Incredible controlled chaos in the north.
