FEW MEN OPENLY boast of knowing how to attract a horny bull moose. But Carlos Gonzales is no ordinary guy. He’s infectiously funny, passionate and purposeful—sauve, yet candid—and among Yellowknife’s most skilled and knowledgeable outdoorsmen.

Local outfitters are plentiful, but few offer an experience that parallels the menu of thrills proffered by Gonzales’ Yellowknife Outdoor Adventures—not without deflating your wallet and some extra travel time anyway. Like most, the outfitter has multi-day fishing and aurora borealis-viewing packages, but diverse day trips are what truly set the multilingual Gonzales’ company apart: northern pike fishing (fly and trophy fishing, too); eagle and bird watching; sleuthing for wood bison, moose or caribou; float plane sorties 
and fly-in explorations; tundra treks; even dinner cruises. The shore lunches that accompany most 
options are also worth the trip, with fresh, pan-fried fish and gourmet potato and pasta salads.

Gonzales is preparing to open the town’s first dedicated adventure centre this summer, so last-minute northern escapes just got easier.