Wildlife on the way to Carcross

The most useful thing I’ve learned over the years about photography is to keep your equipment ready.

When driving I test settings first, then keep the camera and zoom lens equipped on the passenger seat. The result is that I can react quickly when wildlife appears.

A trip to Carcross this week was very scenic and provided some great opportunities — no less than one bear, three moose (a mother and two yearlings) as well as a porcupine.

Students at ‘muskrat camp’ learn trapping

The Kluane Lake School in Destruction Bay hosts a Muskrat Camp every year, where local students spend a few days with trappers and elders.

The students visited a trapline and learned how to trap muskrat. They then were guided through scraping the hides as well as sewing and other workshops.

These kinds of land skills are increasingly being recognized and incorporated into Yukon schools.

Read more here:
http://tinyurl.com/ya2dlldj

Gopher at the airport

A gopher takes in the beautiful morning weather at the Whitehorse airport.

Fall colours at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve

Many animals change coats this time of year at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.

The preserve allows a look at Yukon animals in their natural habitats. (Note the Lynx, second photo from bottom, has a bird in its mouth!)

Squirrels emerge with the warm weather

The weather’s been unseasonably warm and you can see squirrels emerging from their dreys.

A coyote outside Haines Junction

Spotted from the Alaska highway outside Haines Junction: A coyote wanders into the brush.

Porcupine: Do not touch

Here’s an impressive porcupine walking slowly near the Alaska highway. You can see the sunshine catching its impressive and sharp quills.

Awkward mule deer

Shedding coat, budding antlers, big ears: This mule deer is the picture of the awkward teenager.

Lynx behind links

This photo from the Yukon Wildlife Preserve accentuates the animal’s captivity.

Thief sneaks under a fence

A groundhog moves furtively at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. The wild colony seems to live on captive animals’ food pellets.