Meet the Cariboo Mountains “BearWhisperer”!                

                                          

trails of these great animals with Gary.  He knows the bears here intimately from their unique habits, temperaments, family units and colorings.  While amongst the grizzlies, Gary thinks like a bear.  As he communicates with the bears he speaks in a soft monotone, and filled with his special brand of humour, he conveys calmness but can also convey a stern command – “Hey, bear, how’s the fishin’?”.  “Enough bear, back off now”.   These bears are wild, free and unhabituated.  With over 30 years experience Gary maintains a constant and vigilant respect for the bears.  His most often repeated advice in bear viewing – “Grizzly Bears are wild animals.  Remain calm.  Never run from a bear.”  High safety standards ensure guests enjoy this unique experience and see some of Canada’s premier wildlife in close proximity, ideal for photography and just experiencing nature in the raw.  Whether you are viewing the bears on the rivers by jetboat going about their daily business and enjoying a salmon feast or feeding on Solomon seals (Polygonatum multiflorum) and grasses in the high mountain valleys, it is an experience you will remember and treasure forever. 

Observe the "cycle of life" as the clear glacial waters of the Mitchell River run red with the returning sockeye salmon. One of the life's blood rivers of the Quesnel Lake watershed and one of the major salmon producing rivers in the province, the habitat it provides is shared by the resident trout and the salmon. The salmon return from the Pacific Ocean through the Fraser River system and the Quesnel River into the watershed. They make their way to the Mitchell River where they spawn and complete their life cycle.

As the salmon return the Grizzly bears also return to the river. This adventure provides exceptional grizzly bear watching and photography opportunities as the bears feast on salmon and ready themselves for their winter hibernation. Along with the grizzlies the river is lined with eagles, bald and golden, also feasting on the salmon carcasses. This exquisite river ecosystem provides a unique study opportunity for naturalists and photographers.

  As you watch the cycle of the salmon and the antics of the native wildlife you are likely to see many species of birds including ducks, geese, blue herons, trumpeter swans, water ouesels, whiskey jacks (gray jays), sapsuckers, woodpeckers, grouse and many more. Native wildlife in the area includes the mountain grizzlies, mountain goats, mountain caribou, mule deer, moose, black bears, and a host of smaller furbearers such as otters, beavers, pine martens, chipmunks, squirrels and more. Don't miss this natural history adventure. This is one of the few places on earth where this cycle of life remains in tact in the wild - untamed and undisturbed.

The Mitchell River lies in the lower reaches of the Cariboo Mountains Park. We access it by jetboat from Quesnel Lake. For over 20 years we have studied the bears and other wildlife in the ecosystem. We have learned their habits and body language qualifying us to safely guide you on what can only be called "the adventure of a lifetime" on the Mitchell River. Season - mid-August to October. Minimum two guests per trip.

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