The range, abundance, and population dynamics of a hunted population of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the central Canadian Arctic Islands is described. Range was determined by tag returns and abundance by mark-recapture analysis. Population dynamics were based on family-group observations and life-table analysis using age samples obtained from teeth of live and killed bears. Based on 528 captures, including 60 recaptures, the abundance estimate was 1,100 animals with a mean annual survival rate of 0.87 and an overall annual natality rate of 0.47 cubs/reproductive age female/year. The population inhabits an area of approximately 45,000 km2 and exists in four semidiscrete subgroups between which exchange occurs.
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Furnell et al. (1984) studied this question.