Canoeing and Paddling the Yukon and Teslin Rivers
They are not as common as black bear. We have seen very few along the river. Brown bear are distinguished by their "dish" face, humped shoulders, and larger size. Conventional wisdom is to play dead if attacked by a brown bear (worked for my uncle).
Moose are the most common large animal you will encounter. If you have a close brush with a moose, one of your first thoughts will be, "That thing is unbelievably tall!" Admire them from a distance. A female with a calf can be cantankerous.
Read below for more information.
They are not as common as black bear. We have seen very few along the river. Brown bear are distinguished by their "dish" face, humped shoulders, and larger size. Conventional wisdom is to play dead if attacked by a brown bear (worked for my uncle).
Sheep
Sheep can sometimes be seen on the high cliffs and meadows. They are often just white specks on the hillside. They can be seen before Fort Selkirk and before getting to Dawson.
Foxes
Foxes are common. The interesting things about foxes are their wide variety of color and their apparent lack of concern about your proximity.
Wolves
We have heard many and only seen one in our many trips on the river. Tracks can be found along the bank. We have taken some excellent impressions of their tracks with Plaster of Paris.
Lynx
Surprisingly, we have seen more lynx than we have seen foxes. They are sometimes seen "sunning" themselves along the bank. Lynx and rabbits are cyclic. When there is a large rabbit population, the lynx population is down. When there are many lynx, the rabbit population is down.
Rabbits
See lynx
Beaver
If you have not been around them before, you will think a boulder rolled down the bank and hit the water. Your first indication that beaver are around is the distinctive sound of their warning tail slap.
White socks
We have had a few swollen eyes from white sock bites.
Caribou
We have never seen caribou along the river.
Deer
We have seen a few deer.
Rodents
Everywhere. You will find them swimming across the Yukon.
Mountain goats
Although they are in Yukon Terr., we have never seen them near the river.
Birds
Bring a book.
Porcupines
Porcupines are common. Since they have little fear from predatorsl, hey are noisy when walking through the woods.
Weasel family
We have seen very few.
Bees, Wasps and the like
Have seen nests in the ground and on trees but have never been stung.
Extreme wildlife
The "Pit" in Dawson.
Sighting wildlife is always exciting. The moose antlers in the front canoe were found on shore. The moose's antlers had become entangled in the old telegraph wire that runs along long stretches of the upper Yukon and there, unable to free itself, it perished.