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.

Caribou alongside the Alaska Highway

Caribou have a spring migration and these days they are crossing the Alaska highway outside of Watson Lake and near Teslin Yukon.

It can be a real road hazard at night. A large sign can be seen on the road warning people about their presence.

10,000 Chinook salmon released

Every year the Whitehorse Fish Hatchery releases thousands of Chinook salmon.

The fish hatchery is owned by Yukon Energy which runs Whitehorse’s hydroelectric dam. While the dam has a fish ladder and other measures to prevent fish death, it’s believed to have an impact as it blocks the migration way.

Releasing new fish is a way to offset this.

The fish are released at the Wolf Creek Campground outside Whitehorse and children are encouraged to take part.

With those ears, they can probably hear traffic from miles away

Here are two mule deer on the highway outside Carcross.

 

Bear on the roadside near Haines Junction

  

This bear was spotted outside of Haines Junction.

I thought it was a grizzly bear but in fact it’s a black bear.

It was eating dandelions by the roadside only a few minutes after the end of the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay which happened today.

The 250km relay takes place near Kluane National Park which is a place of great beauty and wildlife.

SAFETY NOTE: I took these photos using a 300mm zoom, from inside a car with the windows rolled up. I did not bother the bear and drove quickly away when I had snapped a few pictures.

Note the identifying mark of an injury over its left eye.

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.

Moose powdered with snow

Moose are strange in that they’re huge animals but still very sneaky.

You can be driving and almost miss one — despite the fact they’re as large as a Clydesdale horse.