'I was so happy I shot that polar bear': The story behind this nursing mom's successful hunt

A photo taken by LynneQuassa's15-year-old daughter shows the mother of two holding a rifle with a dead polar bear at her feet and a still-nursing baby in heramauti an Inuit parkathat carriesa baby.

Quassa'sname was drawn for a polar bear hunting tag inIgloolik, Nunavut,last month.

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"I only had three days to harvest the polar bear, we travelled quite far," saidQuassa.

The 35-year-old also brought herhusband, daughter and 18-month-old on the hunting trip.

"I was carrying my baby; I was breastfeeding so I had to bring him and nobody seemed to mind and I didn't want to leave him."

'I was a little bit emotional'

When they spotted the bear,Quassaleft the two kids together while she and her husband spedtowardthe animal on a snowmobile, getting within about three to four metres, she estimates.

At first,Quassawas terrified. Then her husband told her to shoot.

"So I shot it in the shoulder first, and he told me to shoot it again and I shot it again right near the shoulder again," saidQuassa. "I was so happyI shot that polar bear."

Once the bear was dead, the couple drove back toward the kids.

"While he was driving I was a little bit emotional, I cried a little and when I looked at my son and my daughter I said 'yay!'" Quassasaid.

"Of course my son was crying so I put him on my back and we went to go to that polar bear so he could see it."

Back at the bear,Quassa'sdaughter snapped the photo.

When they got back toIgloolik, the family shared the meat with people in the community. The hide is still drying near her parents' house.

"It was pretty awesome to go out on the land with my family."

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