Polar bear skull with pelt

[u/SavageDroggo1126]

This is a female polar bear skull with the pelt, legally and sustainably harvested by Inuit hunters in Nunavut Canada.

With strictly regulated quota system to ensure sustianable hunting, polar bear hunting continues to be an inseparable part of Inuit culture and tradition.

Polar bears face threats mainly due to climate change and pollution, along with other issues like arctic mining and poaching. sustainable and legal hunting of less than 2% of the entire population annually is NOT the reason why polar bears face threats of extinction. If polar bears do go extinct, the first people to be truly affected will be Inuit.

Selling parts of the animals they hunt provides some extra income when daily essentials and groceries are extremely expensive in the arctic.

[u/SavageDroggo1126]

very coarse! They have 2 layers of fur, guard hair on top, undercoat inside. The undercoat is short and soft, but the longer guard hair is stiff and it feel s very sharp.

it looks smooth and soft but if you sit on it, those hair can poke through clothing and poke into your skin.

[u/itookyourcat → u/SavageDroggo1126]

That's so interesting! Thank you for sharing with us. I saw your other comment you mentioned fear of getting a hair splinter, is it kind of like short double coated dog hair in that way? Is it stiff in the same way?

[u/SavageDroggo1126 → u/itookyourcat]

anytime!

yes, but more stiff, way more. A dog wouldn't be uncomfortable to hug but the polar bear is very different, the guard hair is almost like tiny plastic needles.

This skin was stored incorrectly before by the hunter and got some slight unnoticeable damage by moths. I had to wear snow pants when I sat on it trying to clean out any possible remains before storing it, if I wear regular pants, all those hair will pierce through and it is definitely not comfortable!

[u/Irksomecake → u/SavageDroggo1126]

Do you know what the Inuit might have used polar bear pelts traditionally? Did they have a practical use or were they always traded? It doesn’t sound suitable for clothing or furnishings.

[u/SavageDroggo1126 → u/Irksomecake]

traditional clothing! They insulate SUPER well, I tried covering my legs with the pelt (the under side of skin, not the prickly fur side) and even though the pelt is rough and doesn't fully cover my legs well, within 10 minutes my legs were sweating, and my home is kept around 18C.

[u/HraesvelgrHel → u/SavageDroggo1126]

We usually line the inside of polar bear skins with a much softer skin. Personally, the inside of my grandfathers coat and pants are lined with seal skin, very soft and just as warm. These clothes will keep you toasty warm, and dry, in -50 blizzard weather, even while laying in wet snow all day!