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We analyzed the age, sex, and chronology of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) harvest in the Northwest Territories (NWT) from 1979-80 to 1989-90. The mean annual harvest during that period was 517 with a current quota of 617. Sex and age information was obtained on approximately 90% of the total kill. The harvest was selective for males (63%). The mean age, sex ratio, and age composition varied according to area, type, and month of harvest. Inuit hunters accounted for 88.8% of the harvest, 5.7% was taken by non-native sport hunters, 5.2% of the harvest was killed in conflicts with humans, and 0.3% was killed through illegal or unknown factors. Sport hunting increased by a factor of 2 to 3 times over the sample period and the number of hunts comprised 10.6% of the allowable quota. Forty-seven percent of the harvest occurred in the spring. Accurate reporting of the sex composition of the harvest is required to determine sustainable harvest quotas. Management of polar bears in the NWT is based on inventory studies, harvest sex ratio, and population modelling.