About our Wildlife Camps
& Field Accommodations

Placing your cursor over many of the photos will bring up a pop-up box that tells more of the story!

 

The caribou herds of the mainland Far North of Canada are migratory animals. Their varied and often inconsistent movements across the tundra plains from season to season is critical for most other wildlife as well: wolves, fox, wolverine & birds-of-prey all follow, den, roost & hunt directly in rhythm to the movements of the caribou.

Caribou cows & calves of the Ahiak herd crossing a tundra river in Nunavut during teh summer caribou migration / photo copyright Chris Crowley

The key to our success with unique and often close-up wildlife encounters for enthusiasts, photographers & film crews is our first-hand knowledge as to where the caribou are at any given time; and then our ability to launch quickly to access those areas of wildlife activity. Thus our first-rate mobile and efficent tent camps - combined with aircraft and watercraft - often allow us the flexibility to move to where the animals are.


Musk-oxen herd approaches the wildlife camp during the 'Caribou, Autumn Colours & Aurora' trip.

 

Our wildlife camp destinations are in the vast & wild regions of far northern Canada!

'Dance with Caribou' wildlife basecamp near Chesterfield Inlet Nunavut in 2009 - click to enlarge photo - copyright Barry Girard - all rights reserved
'Caribou, Autumn Colours & Aurora' wildlife basecamp in 2009 & 2010 - click photo to enlarge

Our unique high quality mobile wilderness camps are designed to offer excellent fishing, photographic & wildlife-viewing opportunities while encountering animals in their natural habitat in the true wilderness.  Click here to see more of one of the main wildlife camps we set up during 2009 & 2010.

'Dance with Caribou' wildlife basecamp near Chesterfield Inlet Nunavut in 2009 - click to enlarge photo / photo copyright David C. Olson - all rights reserved
''Caribou, Autumn Colours & Aurora'' wildlife basecamp in 2009 & 2010 - click photo to enlarge

The camp dining room on Dance with Caribou 2009 / photo by Tundra Tom

Enjoying the camp library on Dance with Caribou 2009 / photo by Ron Burmeister

 

We offer only small-group camps:

we usually accommodate only 8-12 guests on most wildlife & fishing trips, and up to 15 for special functions.

Basecamp for the Wolves & Great Summer Caribou Migration expedition in Nunavut during 2009 / photo by Tundra Tom
Basecamp for the 'Great Summer Caribou Migration' expedition in Nunavut during 2009

The kitchen at the 'Dance with Wolves' & 'Great Summer Caribou Migration' camp in 2009

Dining at the Wolves & Summer Caribou wildlife camp in 2009

 

Sleeping quarters are in quality North Face & Cabella ground tents, or occasionally in Hansen Weatherport vinyl Quonset huts on floor platforms. All tents come complete with cots & rugs, and can weather the most extreme Arctic storms.  The amazing thing about our camps is that they can be taken down and re-set up quickly - so they can be moved to different areas for animal exposure should the situation arise.

Landing in a Dehaviland Beaver along the camp esker at one of the Dance with Wolves wildlife camp on the Thelon in 2006
Landing at the camp - Photo copyright Martin Zeilig

We've been doing this a long time!  A Great Canadian wildilfe spike camp at an  active caribou crossing on the southern barrengrounds in 1992 / photo copyright Robert Taylor
A Great Canadian wildilfe camp set up at an active caribou crossing on the southern barrenlands / copyright Robert Taylor

Transportation to our wildlife camps often require a 50-250 mile charter boat or aircraft flight from the designated access community: the cost of which is included in our packages. 

To learn more about how to get to our remote wildlife camps - click here

A bull caribou grazing in autumn colours amidst the tents in the camp yard - we call these fearless characters 'yardboo! / Photo copyright Larry Bowman
A bull caribou grazing in autumn colours amidst the tents in the camp yard - we call these fearless characters 'yardboo!

Our special camps are often situated on active wildlife water crossings where - depending on the time of season - is important range for tundra wolves during the den cycle, musk-oxen, migrating caribou herds, nesting raptors & waterfowl. Often caribou, musk-oxen and wild wolves venture right into the camp yards! 

 

Weatherport Quonset sleeping unit on Dance with Caribou trip in 2000 / Photo copyright Galen Rowell / Mountain Light Photography

Evening Quonsets along the still-frozen lake during the wolves trips in June 2003  / photo copyright Allicia Kelly

A 40 lb lake trout

 

Here we offer services & facilities that make these first-rate tent camps to be sure!  Healthy and abundant campfire-style meals are served daily. At most camps we provide a central 'gathering room & library' - a comfortable relaxing area for waiting out the weather, meeting & chatting with fellow clients, or for just sitting and reading from our rich northern library.

Dining on the Thelon during Dance with Wolves & Summer Caribou Migration 2007 / Photo by Tundra Tom
Dining at camp during 'Dance with Wolves' & 'Summer Caribou Migration' tours in 2010.

A Great Canadian wildlife spike camp set up for the autumn caribou in 1993 / photo copyright Dr. Wayne Lynch
A spike camp set up on the southern barrenlands for a ''Caribou, Autumn Colours & Aurora' trip in 1992

At the most of the camps we offer a central wash house /dry; and a hot shower. Due the permafrost (permanently frozen ground) and for obvious minimum-impact reasons, toilets are of the outdoor latrine (outhouse) variety. 

We whip up some great food in our camp kitchens!
Spike camp along the Thelon River in Nunavut in 2005

Scoping for willdife in Nunavut

Many times in the past, caribou and other wildlife have been visible from the dining room while you sit and eat - and attending photographers are recommended to keep their tripods sitting close by to be ready all the time for photo opportunities!

 

A Great Canadian wildlife camp from the air in 2002

A screened gathering tent along the central Thelon River in Nunavut in 2005 / photo copyright Jim Allen

Circling a Great Canadian wildilfe camp before landing in 2006 / photo coyright Julie Yamaguchi
'Dance with Wolves' wildlife basecamp set up near the tree-line on the southern barrenlands during 2007

Lots of fresh air lead to a good nights sleeping!

Inside the sleeping Quonsets:  thick foamie matresses, rugs, gas lights &  heaters are inside each unit / photo copyright Michael H. Francis

Comfort in the Quonsets

Communications with the 'outside world' are kept by satellite telephones - several of which are kept at the camps & outposts, in the boats on longer lake trips, and in the aircraft. 

With a combination of portable generators, solar panels & wind generators, our primary camps have power available for a 24-hour camera battery & satellite phone charging station, video / DVD viewing capabilities, and at some camps; satellite internet capabilities.

Often motorized boats, canoes and rafts are kept at the camps, and placed on the field in strategic locations for fishing and wildlife encounters - and provide access to other wildlife areas.

Beaver C-FZVR at the camp / photo copyright Michael H. Francis One of several powerboats at the camps for fishing, and wildlife cruising along the lakeshore / photo copyright Terry Elliott

 

pontoon boat

 

Touring kayaks The most favorite meeting place in camp - the evening campfire during northern llghts watch!  Crusing the tundra lake in the pontoon boat

A variety of other quality expedition equipment is kept on site at most camps, including zodiac boats for fly-outs, North Face expedition tents, canoes, touring kayaks, and cooking kits /equipment for 'spike camp' use.

An overnight spike camp set up for the Great Summer Caribou Migration in Nunavut - photo copyright Eric Peterson
An overnight spike camp set up for the 2004 'Great Summer Caribou Migration' - photo copyright Eric Peterson


 

Great Canadian Wildlife Adventures

Click here to download our current trip calendar in PDF

 

Still undecided? Click on any of the faces below, and let our past clients & trips leaders tell you about their trips with us to the Canadian Far North!

David Olson
Lee Mann - photo copyright Annika Broden
Lee Mann

The Baenders

Jay Dickman

Wendy Broekx
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Art Wolfe


Barry Girard


George Nagel
Photo copyright Mountain Light Photography
Galen Rowell

Steve Lybeck

Ron Burmeister
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Alan Weisman

Steve Barger

Courtney Milne

Andy Kammer
Martin Haefele


Dr. Ella Trussell


Brad Armstrong

Rita Marett

George Archibald

Chris Crowley
Andrew Macrae
Andrew Macrae
Bill Mullins a-smiling on the tundra - photo courtesy Beverley & Allan Morris
Bill Mullins

Julie Yamaguchi

Glen Grambo
Photo copyright Charlotte Richardson
Steve Maka

Adele Curtis

Eric Peterson

Lonnie Brock

Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Dennis Fast
Scott Schrader
Scott Schrader
Photo copyright Annika Brodén
Annika Brodén
Photo copyright Art Wolfe Inc.
Christian Heeb
Photo copyright of Bill Silliker, Jr.
Bill Silliker Jr.


Martin Zeilig

Dr. David Mech - photo copyright IWC
 Dave Mech

Bob Gainer

Tundra Tom

Terry Elliott

Noelle Tufts
Allicia Kelly

A. MacPherson

 

Come warm yourself by our fire.
Great Canadian Wildlife Adventures

Phone: +608-370-5071
Email: tundra@thelon.com
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