A Tale Of Two Bears
In the world of big-game hunting, black bear meat is easily one of the best tasting and most under-appreciated cuts of wild game there is.
Bears
The Yukon is home to Grizzly bears, Black bears, and even Polar bears (in the far north). With an estimated total population of 6,000-7000 bears in the territory, the chances of seeing one of these majestic animals is pretty good (and from a safe distance preferably).
Not Quite a ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’
The phone rang just as I was headed out the door. The sun was shining and I was anticipating several hours in the garden. After a long snowy winter, spring was finally here, and cleaning up the perennial plants for a new summer had become one of my favourite annual jobs. I considered letting the …
A Bear Is ‘A Soul’ In Your Neighbourhood
I was wondering what to write when I had a nature call. As I peeked around the corner, I saw a black bear—probably two years old.
A bear spray refresher
They may still be good, but who wants to learn they don’t work while facing a bear? Each container has only eight seconds of spray.
Moose Bush: The way-posts home
In the North, we measure distance by the amount of time it takes. A way-post is an item that marks your progress along a road or trail.
Avoiding a “grizzly” situation
Wildlife viewing is a favourite Yukon pastime. How does the Species at Risk Act & better understanding Canada’s biodiversity protect that?
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
A black-faced, cinnamon, black bear with very long ears seen crossing the road in southern Yukon on June 15th. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
Living With Wildlife – Steve Wilson
Bears were on the move in June. This one moved into the Goldenhorn Subdivision and stayed for two weeks being sighted daily on Duncan Drive and Arctic Drive. Camera: Nikon D7200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what …
Living With Wildlife – Christine Burke
En route home from Beaver Creek on May 30, we spotted this grizzly (likely a youth) strolling along the Alaska Highway between Haines Junction and Burwash Landing. Look at those claws! Camera: iPhone 8 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going …
Getting to know bears
If I had to say which member of the bear family I mistrust the most, with little hesitation, I would say the black bear. This is backed up by an experience I had as a conservation officer at the Ottawa Sportsman show. The department had a two-year-old black bear that had been in captivity all …
Living With Wildlife: Annie Veilleux
I took this photo of a beautiful grizzly at Marsh Lake, in September last year. Camera: Nikon D5200 [box] We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected][/box]
The bears are back in town
Never far away, but hibernating over the winter, the bears are awake now and ravenously hungry. Actually, bears are always hungry.
The Wild Things are coming!
It’s no secret that Alberta artist Kari Lehr loves bears. You only need to look at her bright and expressive bear “portraits” to see she has an affinity with animals.
The life and times of a bear (and being ‘bear aware’)
Other than facing a mad wolverine, I would say that the black bear is the most mistrusted creature in all of North America.
The art of pelts, skulls and antlers
Cindy Klippenstein is a small-business owner with a degree in fine arts degree, who spends her days fleshing, tanning and mounting hunting trophies as the Yukon’s only full-time taxidermist. And she couldn’t be happier.
Living with Wildlife: Faye Cable
The Whitehorse Photography Club makes a photo trip to Skagway during June every year to photograph the field of irises at Dyea Tidal Flats. We always see bears on the road on the way home.
Finding the keys to safer camping
On the Canada Day long weekend in 2012, the Congdon Creek Campground, located on the shore of Kluane Lake near Burwash Landing, played host to a furry teenaged visitor. A medium-sized grizzly found its way into the campground and proceeded to lounge around in the central meadow, feeding on the tasty flowers.
Top 10 tips for your first summer in Whitehorse
Here are some tips and tricks to starting out in Whitehorse as a Cheechako (which is the name for being new to the north of 60th parallel).
Let’s use that whole bear
Sadly, black bears have an undeserved reputation of not being very good to eat. A number of Yukon hunters, including me, will dispute that thought as black bear is just as delicious any other animal hunted for meat in the Yukon.
Camp guns for bears
A “bear gun” in camp or at the cabin is very common in the Yukon. It’s primary function is for protection of the humans in camp.
Bear pepperoni and herbed ricotta stromboli
This recipe uses bear pepperoni, but you could use salami. Or really anything. Stromboli are delicious no matter what they’re filled with.
Hunting in the Yukon – Part 1
An excerpt of Manfred Hoefs’ recently released book Yukon’s Hunting History. Yukon’s history, time scale & events are unique.
Hunting Season Recipes
Looking for a few good hunting season recipes. The Best Venison Steak 2 large venison steaks 1-½ cups water ½ cup dry wine ½ pkg. onion soup mix 2 tbsp butter salt and pepper to taste 2 large carrots peeled and sliced 2 tbsp cornstarch in ¼ cup of water Melt butter in Dutch oven …
Human Errors Re: Bears
Sadly some human errors are fatal mistakes when bears are involved. Bears are somewhat predictable, but there are many exceptions to that rule. As a result, humans must always err on the side of caution when in bear country. Recent photos in the news from Banff show two separate situations where a human has moved …
Do You Bang, Do You Jingle, Do You Spray?
Would you know what to do if you encountered a bear? Do you know how to avoid meeting a bear in the woods? Do you know how to keep yourself and your surroundings safe from a bear? Do you know how to use bear spray? I am a long time Yukoner and I was convinced …
Black or Grizzly? It’s Good to Know
Just two weeks ago – and many times over the past – I’ve heard people say they saw a grizzly bear along the road or out in the wilderness. In many cases I have asked why they were sure it was a grizzly bear and all too often the only reason is that it was …
Two Million Honey Bees Find Home in Watson Lake
Courtney and Joel Wilkinson, co-owners of Bee Whyld Yukon, are proud to show off their bee yard located just outside the town of Watson Lake, Yukon. Sixty-two of Bee Whyld’s 64 honey bee hives sit on the edge of a hay field surrounded by an electric fence. The warm spring days and budding leaves on …
Bear Spray
It’s that time of the year again, the bears are out and we need a refresher on bear spray. It isn’t magic – and definitely not the solution to all bear problems – but with a little know-how it will keep you safe in most bear encounter situations. Bear spray is a tool to help …
Living With Wildlife: Jackie Clancy
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] These pictures are taken with a Lumix Panasonic DMC-TZ5 at the Dredge Pond Sub. near Dawson City, YT. in my yard…..resident wildlife. The momma …
On memory, and bears
This is a story from many years ago, about the day I was followed by four bears – a close-call bear encounter kind of story. I was on a solstice hike up Kelvin Mountain with Allison Morham and Jane Vincent. Jane and I see each other regularly, but I only run into Allison every few …
On Living With Things That Might Want to Eat You
“You just take a cup full of piss,” he says, “And then you throw it up high – like, splash it around on your roof, up in the trees, as high up as you can get it. Then, when the bear comes by, he’ll smell it way, way up and be like ‘holy crap, that …
On Living With Things That Might Want to Eat You Read More »
Avoiding Calamity with Bears
Yes, bear stories, undoubtedly a favourite topic in the Yukon and one that gets people talking. As I write here, there is a black bear poking around on our property. I have never had a true calamity involving a bear in my 30 years of hiking and living in the Yukon. Recently, I tripped and …
Surviving a Grizzly Attack and the Great War
Jim Christie was born in Scotland in 1867. He emigrated to Manitoba and then came to the Klondike in 1898. The short, wiry Scotsman took to living in the north like a duck to water. He prospected in the summers and trapped in the winters, learning everything about the isolated regions of the northland. He …
Telling Stories
Sandra Grace Storey’s Words Like Birds exhibit digs deep into all that we struggle to express. It finds a great tenderness there. Storey has created an exhibition of small, focussed sculptures for the solo show room at the Yukon Artists @ Work Co-operative art gallery. Storey works in stoneware ceramics coloured with earth-toned oxides. White …
Living with Wildlife: Richard Brochet
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] I got this sweet picture of a mama Grizzly. A family of three was hangin’ out near the carcross desert. The cubs were chewing on roots while …
Living With Wildlife: Gabor Naby
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Driving to Carmacks I spotted this big Brown Bear in the ditch. He didn’t care about me stopping there and taking photos. He was …
Living with Wildlife: Cindy Billingham
We noticed a grizzly sitting on the beach when we were out on Kluane Lake in our small zodiac. The bear was far from Congden Creek campground, where we were camping at the time. We headed back to shore, and noticed the bear wandering down the beach toward us. We pulled up on shore close to …
Fattening Up for Winter
That furry, satisfied hunter you see on the front of this week’s What’s Up Yukon is the most northerly cover image we’ve ever used. It’s also a celebration of the wildness that surrounds us, and an image of a place in the Yukon where sensitive habitat is being managed well. One-quarter of all Canada’s grizzly …
Didee & Didoo – Poem “How Bear Lost His Tail”
“How Bear Lost His Tail” This is a long time ago tail about how Bear lost his tail. At first Bear’s tail was long then Fox did something wrong. Fox is known to be sly so he told Bear a lie. Fox fished with a pole through the ice hole. Fox caught lots of fish …
Schwartz on the Job
One of my pet peeves is dogs (no pun intended). More specifically, other people’s dogs that come onto the farm. One reason dogs were domesticated was that they were territorial and would protect their territory and their pack. Farm dogs are here for security of the pack, which includes humans and farm animals. Our dog, …
Spring Black Bear Hunt
An annual rite of spring for many Yukoners, including me, is the hunt for a black bear. Grizzly bears are also active and available, but I am only interested in hunting something I can eat. Grizzly bear is not on my menu. Check the hunting regulations for seasons and bag limits, but mid-April to mid-June …
Bear Country: Gathering of Bears
Bears are known as a solitary bunch, and although the English language has official words for groups of bears they don’t get anywhere near as much use as, for example, a murder of crows. One official term is “a sloth of bears” but, really, that’s just a modern mangling of the original phrase “a sleuthe …
Meat Care Basics
When you have 300-500 lbs of moose or bison in your freezer, you really need to have everyone in the family just love the first plateful that you serve them. If you prepare properly as set out below, you increase the chances of that first meal being so delicious that it causes them to …
