How did hunting reduce populations of polar bears, walruses, musk oxen, and caribou?

Human activity, particularly hunting, has significantly reduced the populations of polar bears, walruses, musk oxen, and caribou in the Arctic. While the specific methods of impact vary by species, the overarching cause of decline has been the intensive pressure from both commercial and subsistence hunting.1

• Polar Bears: These animals have been hunted extensively for their hides, tendons, fat, and flesh. Beyond direct hunting, human activity also impacts them through the destruction of "problem animals" near settlements.2
• Walruses: Valued for their blubber, hide, and ivory tusks, walrus populations were severely reduced by commercial hunting operations. While they are now protected from commercial sealers, they remain subject to subsistence hunting.3
• Musk Oxen: These animals are particularly vulnerable to hunters due to their defensive behavior; when threatened, adults form a circle to protect the young, which makes them easy targets for humans. Their numbers were severely depleted by hunting in the late 19th century.4
• Caribou: Like the other species, caribou populations have been greatly reduced through hunting.1

Recognizing these threats, many nations established wildlife refuges and national parks in the late 20th century, and international agreements—such as the 1973 protection of the polar bear—were implemented to aid in conservation.1