The Canada lynx is the only wild cat with a range that extends beyond the Arctic Circle. Lynx inhabit the entire Yukon with the exception of the arctic coastal plain. They occupy coniferous-deciduous forests of white spruce, lodgepole pine, aspen, and willow.
The Canada lynx has adapted to northern regions by focusing almost exclusively on the snowshoe hare as a source of food. Hare constitute 90 to 95 percent of the lynx’s winter diet. When they can’t be found, lynx try to survive on grouse, ptarmigan and the few small mammals that are active and accessible in winter.
Because lynx are so dependent on snowshoe hare, fluctuations in hare populations cause lynx numbers to rise and fall. When hare populations crash, lynx numbers go through a three to five year low period.
In winter, long legs and unusually large, well-furred, snowshoe-like feet allow the lynx to move over deep snow with ease.
Lynx fur was traditionally used by Yukon First Nations for ceremonial cloaks and robes. A ritual treatment of the carcass ensured that the animal's spirit was content.
Prospective wilderness lynx viewers and photographers should first look for snowshoe hare. Where they are found, lynx will also be found. When hare populations are high or rising, the opportunities to observe lynx will be greater.