Discover The Omineca Region More Information Omineca – meaning slow moving water – is a region British Columbia Wildlife Watch of rich wetlands, meandering streams and powerful is a multi-partner program rivers. It is a spectacular land in any season. designed to promote educational, recreational and commercial Mkike Stini Mkike In spring, listen to the siren’s song of thawing creeks opportunities to view fish and Wildlife that lured gold miners to this country. Spend time by a PHOTO wildlife in their natural habitats. quiet marsh, and you might see moose come to feed Partners include government, on the lush new vegetation. Follow a river and you communities and industry who Viewing may travel with the ghosts of Alexander Mackenzie treasure our wildlife heritage and Simon Fraser, the first explorers to this new land. and want to protect it for future
NorthernGoshawk generations. As the air grows warm and still, watch as the wetlands come alive with breeding ducks and geese.While Internet Sites > in the Omineca Region waterfowl build their nests and raise their young, PhotoCanada.com watch for majestic white pelicans filling their pouches >
Wildlife Viewing in BC PHOTO with fish they have trapped in the shallow, quiet wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/fw/wild/wildlife_viewing.htm waters of local lakes. > BC Parks wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/ When autumn days draw in, birds fly south along the > Species at Risk wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wld/serisk.htm region’s waterways. Travel a river yourself, and you may witness the journey of spawning salmon. Stop by a Associations pond while beavers repair their dam, and you might (male) Spruce Grouse > Federation of British Columbia Naturalists, stand where European fur traders and the Carrier First #307-1367 West Broadway,Vancouver BC V6H 4A9 Nation had their trap lines.
Tel:604-737-3057 www.naturalists.bc.ca/ Hobbs | Jared >
As the air chills and the wetlands and waterways Guide Outfitters Association of BC, Box 94675, PHOTO grow silent, turn your attention to the surrounding Richmond, BC V6Y 4A4 Tel:604-278-2688 mountains and forests. Scan a rock face and you may www.goabc.org Caribou find mountain goats climbing nimbly over broken and > Spruce City Wildlife Association, 1384 River Road, treacherous terrain. Follow the region’s highways and Prince George, BC V2L 5S8 Tel:250-563-5437 you will travel through through seemingly endless www.scwa.bc.ca/Home/
woodlands – the home of caribou, deer and bears, and PANEL: FRONT the source of a thriving forest industry. Publications Come once to the Omincea, in any season, and you will > British Columbia Road and Recreational Atlas, be sure to return. 5th edition, Informap Omineca River PHOTO Province of BC,Ted Zimmerman > British Columbia Wildlife Viewing Guide, Lone Pine Publishing > The B.C. Roadside Naturalist, Greystone Books All images copyright to photo credit.
www.sagedesign.ca Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection DESIGN Viewing Highlights Protect the Environment > Stay on designated roads, trails and viewing platforms > Over 500 Trumpeter Swans winter in the Central to avoid trampling vegetation, and so wildlife can Interior/Omineca Plateau. become accustomed to human movement. > Close to 200 American White Pelicans use various > Practice “no trace” viewing. Do not take plants, rocks, lakes in the region each year. flowers or fossils as souvenirs. Please take your > The highest density of moose in North America is garbage with you or use appropriate facilities if they found in the Prince George area. are provided. > The 10 metre high Rearguard Falls mark the end of a phenomenal 1,200 kilometre journey up the Fraser Stay Safe
River by spawning Chinook salmon. This is an excellent Hanna Vance > Do not approach, chase or touch wild animals. They site to see salmon attempt to jump the cascading falls PHOTO are unpredictable and potentially dangerous. each autumn. A few salmon are successful and spawn Elk > a couple of kilometres upstream. Bears can be seen throughout the region. Learn how to be safe in bear country. Information is available at > Kennedy Siding provides a rare, car-accessible, oppor- > Move slowly and quietly. Avoid wearing bright clothes. wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wld/pub/bearwld.htm tunity to view caribou in their natural winter habitat. > Use guides and local knowledge to enhance your > Find out about hunting seasons in the areas you visit > Highway 97 – Pine Pass. This highway corridor from viewing experience. Ensure your guide has a permit at wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/fw/wild/synopsis.htm. Pine Pass south to Old Friend Creek presents viewing to conduct commercial wildlife viewing. > Wildlife may unexpectedly cross roads. Obey traffic opportunities throughout the year. Moose can be seen > A diversity of species can be seen along edges speed limits to help avoid collisions. year round, bears are often visible from mid-April to between habitats. September, and the best time to see caribou is > If using industrial roads, enquire about safe travel > between November and April. Be patient and remember there is no guarantee that times and yield to heavy equipment. you will see wildlife. If you do not, simply enjoy the > Highway 16 – Prince George natural beauty of northern B.C. to Valemount.This scenic Respect Others drive follows the southern > Be respectful of the rights of private property owners. Rocky Mountain Trench and Responsible Viewing Ask permission to cross private property and be sure presents an excellent to leave gates as you find them. opportunity to view bears Respect the Needs of Wildlife > Share the view with others trying to watch wildlife. and ungulates feeding on > Use responsible viewing practices. Avoid harassing roadside vegetation in the > You will likely encounter others undertaking indus- wildlife, causing disturbances at feeding areas, spring. trial, commercial or other recreational activities. Spotted Sandpiper PHOTO Ted Zimmerman damaging critical habitats or causing disturbances Please be aware and considerate of their activities. at breeding sites, which can leave eggs and young Wildlife Viewing Tips animals vulnerable to predation. Report all Poachers and Polluters > While viewing or photographing wildlife, use viewing > There are laws to protect wildlife from harassment > The goal of wildlife viewing is to safely observe blinds, natural features or your car to minimize and disturbance. If you see something inappropri- wildlife undertaking natural behaviour in their natural wildlife disturbance. View from a distance and use ate, document the details and report it to the habitat. telephoto lenses, binoculars or spotting scopes. nearest conservation officer, local authority, or call: > Watch animal behaviour for signs of disturbance or Use field guides to identify wildlife and signs, such as 1-877-952-7277. alarm. If this occurs, alter your behaviour. tracks, droppings, and nests. Chinook, Rearguard Falls PHOTO BC Parks > > Early mornings and dusk are often best, but experiment Never feed wildlife. It is unsafe, illegal and often leads with different viewing times. Deer are active in the to disaster for animals if they continue to seek late afternoon and early evening. human food sources. > > Try different viewing strategies. Scan peaks with Avoid sensitive habitats (nests, dens, feeding areas) binoculars. Look for moose and bears in old burned or and times when wildlife are particularly vulnerable cleared areas where there is abundant shrub growth. (denning, feeding, mating, raising young). Check for wildlife near lakes and wet areas, their > Keep pets leashed and under control or leave them at sources of food and cover. home. Kokanee PHOTO Vance Hanna Dahl Lake Park PHOTO BC Parks
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VALEMOUNT ALBERTA ALBERTA Mule Deer 27 31 3 6 20 PHOTO Robson Mount Province of BC,Tom Hall Province of BC,Tom KEY – ACCESS 20 29 26 30 28 36 24 34 22 32 23 25 27 33 10 19 16 35 18 14 21 12 31 13 15 17 11 8 9 6 4 2 3 5 7 1 Map # ao onan-GoeBr os - rS- pSR T V D T other birds Yr D T L stone sheep Yr Yr Sp-F Sp-F Sp-S Sp-S Yr Sp-S C D T V Yr Sp-F Sp-S V O river otter Yr Sp-F Sp Sp-F Sp-S L Sp-F Yr Sp D T V Sp-F S-F D V S-F Yr Sp-F C T S Sp-F Sp-F Yr Sp-F Yr Sp Sp-F Yr Sp-F Sp-F S Sp-F Sp-F Sp-F D T F-S Sp-F W-S S Yr Sp-F F-S Yr C D T V Yr S Sp-F marmot hoary Yr pika, Sp-F Yr Sp-F Yr Sp-F Yr Sp-F Yr T Sp-F Sp-F Yr Sp-S Yr F-W Sp-S Sp-S Sp-F waterfowl D Sp-S T migratingtrumpeter swans, Sp-S Sp-F caribou mountain goat, Sp-S wilderness setting, Sp-F Yr D T V P Sp-F Yr bird viewing Yr Sp-F F Sp-F Sp-F G W F Sp-F Yr frogs Sp-S C D T Yr Yr Yr R D T Sp-F V chinook & sockeye salmon trumpeter swans (W), Yr riparian birds D T waterfowl Sp-F viewing, Sp-S C D T Sp-S sockeye salmon G P rainbowtrout, trumpeter swans (W), G moose Sp-F F-W Yr W-S P P W Yr Wilkins Regional Park Yr Yr riparian birds Yr waterfowl viewing, Sp-F Sp-S Lake Sp-S Park waterfalls West D spawning chinook salmon, T V Sp-S spawning chinook salmon F-W G W Yr Sp-F F-W Sp-S Sp-F Tatlatui Sp-F P W Park F-Sp P Sp-F waterfowl viewing Yr Tabor Mountain - Grove Burn frogs Sp-S spawning rainbowtrout Yr G Sp-F D Sp-S T Yr V Sp-S B P W Tabor Sp-F Lake and Marsh Sp-S Sp-F Sp-S Yr Sp-S Yr Yr Creek Spawning Channel Swift Yr trumpeter swans (F) Sp-S white pelican (S), Sp-F Sp-F River Sp-S trumpeter swans wintering Stuart Sp-F Sp-F Sp-S B G S-F S-F F-Sp Sp-F Sp-S Sp-S G P Sp-F Stellako River bird banding observatory Sp-S Yr Sp-F Sp-S Sp-F Shelley Oxbow G spawning salmon Yr Yr Yr Yr Rearguard Falls Sp-F Sp-S G Yr Sp-S Yr Sp-S spring and fall Canada geese viewing settings spectacular Purden Lake Park S Sp-S F-S Sp-S B P W Sp-S P Sp-S Neilsen Lake car accessible caribou viewing Yr wilderness/mountain wildlife Nulki/Tachick Lakes G city views birds, F W mixed forest Yr Nechako River Migratory Bird Sanct. Yr P W F-Sp Yr Sp-F F-Sp waterfowl viewing Nautley River Sp-S Yr Yr Sp-S Sp-S waterfowl viewing Mugaha Marsh P Sp-S P W Robson Park Mount marsh and riparian habitats deer waterfowl viewing moose, Yr eskers, Morkill River amongst G wetland habitat W Yr G P W Yr P McMillan Regional Park Yr Kennedy Siding Yr raptors waterfowl, riparian wildlife, F-W moose Kakwa Park trumpeter swans, wintering B G B P Hudson's Bay Slough Sp-S moose and aquatic habitats, varied forest Horseshoe Lake G P W Forests forthe World Interpretive Forest waterfowl Ferguson Lake moose, kokanee spawning, loons fox waterfowl, moose, moose, bear, waterfowl woodpeckers, G P W songbirds, Eskers Park G W P songbirds Lake beavers, waterfowl, Eaglet P Dahl Lake Park P trumpeter swans wintering moose waterfowl viewing, excellent Crooked River B P P Cranbrook Hill Greenway Wildlife Sanct. Cranberry Marsh/Starratt Cottonwood Island Park Carp Lake Park Camp Creek Bednesti Marsh Park Beaumont FACILITIES SEASONS oainNm cesHighlights Access Location Name B – Boat Sp C – Spring (late March - late June) – Camping F – Fly G D – Gravel 2 wheel drive road – Day use L – Lodge S – Summer (late June - late Sept) R iha etstop – Highway rest H – Horse P – Highway/paved T – Trails F V al(aeSp - late Dec) – Fall (late Sept – Viewing blinds/platforms/info W – Walk/hike W –
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