Is this an ethical owl tour?

Yes!! I only host owing excursions if I believe them to be ethical towards wildlife. I don't bait owls, which means we'll have to put more time in finding them. I also don't intentionally flush owls for flight shots.

How many owls will we see?

Since these are wild owls which are not baited, we'll have to put some time in searching for them each session. We have a 90% success rate finding at least one owl per SESSION (and keep in mind the full tour consists of 4 sessions). Some outings are slow, while other days are very productive and could involve 3 or more owls in a single session.

What other wildlife might we see?

I commonly see deer and coyotes, as well as the occasional fox or moose. If we get lucky we may even see a barred or northern pygmy owl.

Where in Alberta will this tour take place?

We will need to stay near Calgary in a neighbouring city. A number of hotels / motels / AirBnBs are available for you to choose from. Exact location with be disclosed after booking, but feel free to send me a message and I'll provide you with some further insight to assist you with planning before you book.

INTO THE GREY

Quick facts:

- Located in Alberta, Canada

- 2 guides instead of 1

(doubles the frequency of owl sightings please consider this when reviewing the value of this tour)
- Driving based tour (we drive)
- 4 individual outings (evenig/morning/evening/morning)

Things you'll love

about this tour

Ethics are priority

We don't bait, we don't harass, we don't flush. If you're looking to photograph these incredible owls in an appropriate context, you can feel good about joining my tour. We put the work in to locate owls on our own, which takes time and patience but is the right way to do it.

Let us drive you around

We'll do all the driving. Pickup and drop off at your choice of accommodations each day. (If you'd prefer to travel in your own vehicle, that is fine too).

TWO guides instead of one

Myself and another photographer are leading this one together - that doubles the frequency of us spotting owls for you and is of massive value!

Owl Guarantee*

On each tour it's common to have

5 -10 owl encounters in total.
*see bottom of page for details

The Details

Welcome to "Into the Grey" - a 2 day, ethical owl viewing and photography experience. If you've never seen a Great Grey Owl before, just wait until one turns its head and stares right at you! It'll be a moment you never forget. GGOs are often active by roadsides, perching on trees, posts and poles. They have a calm, tolerant demeanour, often allowing for prolonged photography and action shots as they hunt numerous times.

DAILY ITINERARY:
Day 1: We head out mid afternoon for our first session and return after dusk.
Day 2: We pick you up from your accommodations (not included) before sunrise and head out for a few hours of owling. If owl action slows down, we break for lunch/mid day rest. We then head out again for the second half of the afternoon until dusk.
Day 3: One final morning session of owling.

This makes for a total of 4 owl "sessions". On each individual session, we typically have 1 to 3 owl encounters. Throughout the course of the entire tour we normally will have 5-10 great grey owl encounters, with the chance of encountering pygmy owls, barred owls, northern hawk owls, deer, foxes, coyotes, and moose.

OUR ROLE FOR YOU:
We're eager to provide you with the best possible experience! Myself and the second photographer leading this trip will take turns driving the group as we all keep an eye out for owls. If you would rather follow behind us in your own vehicle that is fine as well.

YOUR ROLE:

Enjoy the ride as we cruise some pretty countryside roads searching for owls. You'll love photographing these large birds of prey as they are typically quite tolerant of human presence, and allow for prolonged sessions where we can try different angles and compositions to capture their beauty.

PLEASE NOTE: Accommodations are not included, but there are many comfortable options in the area which we are happy to recommend. You will need to fly in to Calgary, Alberta, and then travel ~45 minutes to a nearby town (disclosed after booking) where you will need to stay for the duration of the tour. Many stores and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. We will pick you up and drop you off between outings.

Contact Me

with inquiries + booking requests

$1295 per person
Includes 2 guides instead of 1 for spotting owls

Booking now for winter 2027
(December-March, in collaboration with guests. Please message me with your interest)

Frequently asked questions

Click here to see my other tours

Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver prior to the tour.

A 50% refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. This is 100% refundable up until 60 days prior to the trip start date at which point it is non refundable. The remaining 50% is required 60 days prior to the trip start date (a reminder in advance of this approaching date will be sent out).

*The Owl Guarantee guarantees you see at least one great grey owl throughout the duration of the entire tour, assuming you are present for all of the owl outings, or I will reimburse this trip for you.