The Beaufort Sea population occurs along the North Slope of Alaska and ranges into western Canada. The Chukchi population occurs off western Alaska with its range extending to Wrangel Island and eastern Siberia. The main food of polar bears adjacent to Alaska is the ice-inhabiting ringed seal. Bears capture seals by waiting for them at breathing holes and at the edge of leads or cracks in the ice. They also stalk seals resting on top of the ice and catch young seals by breaking into pupping chambers in snow on top of the ice in the spring.
Bears prey to a lesser extent on bearded seals, walruses, and beluga whales.
They also feed on carrion, including whale, walrus, and seal carcasses they find along the coast. They occasionally eat small mammals, bird eggs, and vegetation when other food is not available. A keen sense of smell, extremely sharp claws, patience, strength, speed, and the camouflaging white coat aid in procuring food. In Alaska prior to the late 1940s, nearly all polar bear hunting was by Eskimos with dog teams. Sport hunting, sometimes with the use of aircraft, started in the late 1940s and continued through 1972.