Churchill Polar Bear Report – November Freeze

November 9 – The winds died out overnight and the morning temperatures were still cold, just below 0°F. Without the windchill, however, the air felt mild relative to the past several days. Bear watchers reported the highlight of the day was spending the morning with two polar bears along the coast, which were alternating between feeding on kelp and visiting various tundra vehicles. The afternoon was slower for bears, though smaller creatures like American pine marten, ptarmigan and red fox were all spotted. There were more polar bears seen on the sea ice than on land today. The ice bears were viewed from both the tundra vehicles and helicopters. Helicopters reported that more ice had formed in the bay overnight. In just three days, the Hudson Bay has gone from being totally ice-free to having heavy coverage along the coast. The ice now reaches several miles out from the land and is broken up in places by open water.

polar bear family in Churchill

A polar bear and two coys peruse the ice of the Hudson Bay. Discover Churchill photo.

By mid-afternoon, strong winds kicked up from the northwest, causing temperatures to fall. About that time, folks from town gathered at the Polar Bear Holding Facility to watch the release of a sow and two yearling cubs. These bears were flown by helicopter further north and away from town, where they can’t get into any more mischief. With so many locals present, the conversation naturally turned to the quickly changing ice conditions. There were many hopeful comments about how early freeze-ups have occurred in the past during bear season, only to have the ice blown back out by strong winds several days later.

polar bear mom and cub in Churchill, Manitoba

A mom and cub polar bear keep a watchful eye on the tundra. Discover Churchill photo.

November 10- Today was extremely cold with a high of -27°F. Windchill made it feel more like -35°F, and the strong, cold winds persisted throughout the day. Conditions alternated between cloudy and foggy, with periodic whiteouts and blowing snow. The weather made for tough bear viewing. Bear watchers found one bear on the eastern side of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. It was present all day, resting and rolling around to clean its coat. Many smaller animals were encountered by the tundra vehicles, including Arctic fox, red fox and ptarmigan. A real highlight for some travelers was a sighting of an ermine that had just killed a lemming. It appears from shore that the ice has consolidated more since yesterday. Helicopters were unable to corroborate, however, since they were grounded due to the high winds. Southern winds are expected soon⁠—this often blows the ice out, bringing polar bears back to shore.

Red fox braves the wind and fog in Churchill

A red fox in the wind and cold in Churchill. Discover Churchill photo.

November 11 – Cold temperatures dominated again today, though, at only -16°F, it felt mild compared to previous days due to less windchill. Winds have shifted to come from the west. Helicopters were back in the skies this morning and pilots reported several polar bears on the ice. Polar bear cubs and a seal kill stole the show, along with a moose cow and calf near the shoreline. By early afternoon, helicopters were reporting that the ice had pushed away from the shore, and polar bears were spotted on land in various locations. From the tundra vehicles, a few bears were observed on the ice from Halfway Point early in the morning, best seen with spotting scopes. By late morning, the tundra machines made it out to Gordon Point to find a sub-adult bear. They watched it for hours as it ate kelp and walked among the vehicles. A red fox was seen on the tundra by several groups, a snowy owl was spotted from the Tundra Lodge, and there have been many red and silver fox sightings right in town. Winds are expected to shift to arrive from the south overnight, and local chatter is that this is the best-case scenario for potentially moving ice out of the region and driving more bears back to shore.

Churchill Polar Bear Season Notes

Churchill weather has been a mix of freezing temperatures, mostly cloudy with intermittent sun, occasional snow flurries and gusting wind. Polar bears were spotted all around the tundra out in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Travelers and guides have spotted some curious polar bears near the Tundra Lodge and among the tundra vehicles in the vicinity, particularly younger females. While some bears remained in the willows yesterday, travelers were able to enjoy some more active behavior. A polar bear was seen thermoregulating in the snow, and two large males neared sparring confrontation. Sightings of a snowy owl, rough-legged hawk, gyrfalcon and red fox out on the land spiced up the day’s experience!

polar bear in Churchill

Polar bear gnawing on a tasty treat. Jason Luoma photo.

 

polar bear in Churchill

Sun reflecting off a majestic polar bear in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Jason Luoma photo.

 

polar bear in the CWMA Churchill

A polar bear in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area conducting morning Polar Rover inspection. Bill McPherson photo.

 

polar bear in Churchill

Polar bear walking along a Polar Rover trail in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. @apalsson photo.

 

Polar rover and polar bear in Churchill

A lone polar bear approaching a Polar Rover in Churchill. Bill McPherson photo.

 

Polar bear and polar rover in Churchill

A polar bear inspects a Polar Rover in Churchill. Bill McPherson photo.

Churchill Wildlife Field Report – Polar Bear Season

polar bears mother and cubs

Polar bear mom and cubs on the tundra. Jason Luoma photo.

 

polar bear churchill, Manitoba

Polar bear taking a look into the polar rover. Kry Walczak photo.

 

Polar bears sparring Churchill, Manitoba

Two sparring male polar bears near the tundra lodge in Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Jason Luoma photo.

With snow already covering the tundra in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, polar bears have become more active and are up and about sparring and moving along the coastal region near the Tundra Lodge. Numbers of bears being spotted by Natural Habitat Adventures groups are close to 15 or more.

Here are two Natural Habitat Adventure guide reports from the past week in Churchill:

Wildlife is exceptional for this time of year, and some exceptional moments in general. These include snowy owl and raven “playing” and gyrfalcons hunting and fighting over kills. Also a nice cross fox, three Arctic foxes and tons of polar bears. Sow and two coy were a highlight and we had young bears at the rovers and lodge for up-close encounters.”
“Wildlife is OFF THE CHARTS. A true banner week for this early in the season. We had three diverse weather days and incredible wildlife sightings, including: eight polar bears with close encounters, Arctic fox, red fox (silver morph),gyrfalcon, harbor seal, snow bunting, snowy owl, semi-palmated plovers, semi-palmated sandpipers, glaucous gulls, herring gulls, willow ptarmigan, common raven and common eider!!”
Looking forward to even more exciting action from the polar bear capital of the world! We will have more updates as they come in from the north!
 

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