who we are

Meet Your Guide.

Chris Widrig began his outfitting career in 1972, as a sixteen-year old horse wrangler working for his grandfather George Dalziel. Many seasons were spent polishing guiding skills in the Cassiar Mountains, looking after horses in the winter, running a trap line and becoming a proficient bush pilot. Finally, in 1986 he had the good fortune to purchase Outfitting Concession # 6 in the northeastern Yukon. The business that he has built offers classic horseback hunts that are strictly “fair chase”…..absolutely no Argos, four wheelers, helicopters or two way radio communications.

The Outfitting Concession comprises 4000 square miles of extremely remote, rugged and scenic wilderness that forms part of the famous “Peel Watershed”. The area includes the headwaters of the Snake, Bonnet Plume and Stewart Rivers. Flying into base camp, an endless multi-hued profile of the Mackenzie & Wernecke Mountains will take your breath away! There are no roads or settlements within a hundred miles. You can drink pure water from any stream or lake. Most of the wildlife never gets to see a human being! This is Chris’s second home and he has spent decades roaming here on foot, by horse and in his Piper Supercub aircraft.

Given the remote location of this area, it is very lightly hunted. Chris limits the number of clients each season to twenty- eight, and works diligently with the local Renewable Resource Council to ensure sustainable harvest and a limited quota for all game species. He is proud of his contribution to wilderness protection and the sustainable use of what is really a public wildlife renewable resource!

Chris Widrig is currently the longest serving outfitter in the Yukon. He and his wife, Joanne Van Bibber (niece of famous Yukon guide Alex Van Bibber), live full time in Whitehorse. Widrig Outfitters does not rely on booking agents, commercial hunting shows, or clubs/associations for business success. It simply provides an “old school”, classic wilderness horse back hunting experience that is rare and much sought after in the modern world. They are always booked full more than one year in advance with an eclectic, international clientele. This type of hunt is often physically demanding, but the memories collected can last a lifetime!

Chris and Joanne Widrig at Bonnet Plume Lake, April 2021