By Sherwood "Woody" Wilkes

For the Salisbury Post

Gliding through the morning mist along a reflective surface of water, just like glass, I observed a pair of otters frolicking along the densely forested shoreline unaware of my presence and my enthusiasm at the sighting.

On the other side of the river a young yellow-bellied slider watched from his log basking place as a great blue heron captures his first meal of the day, a small sunfish impaled on his beak. The morning cacophony of birds singing to the rising sun filled the air with the joy of a new and beautiful day.

Only here, along a remote river, can you observe such natural beauty, undisturbed, the residents going about their daily business of survival.

Quietly canoeing along a remote river through the wilderness is one of the best ways to see up close the daily activities of the vast number and types of wildlife calling the Carolina forests and river systems their home. Although any time of year you can observe wildlife along river shorelines, spring, summer and fall offer the most comfortable times to enjoy it.

The best time to see wildlife is always near dawn or dusk, but in the summertime, you will want to get an early start to avoid the uncomfortable heat of the day. Spring and fall offer opportunities to canoe throughout the day in comfort.

Wildlife will seek the edge of the forest along a waterway where they can find a cool drink of water and the greatest diversity of food types. Not far from their homes, they will venture daily to their "watering hole" taking the risk of revealing themselves to their predators. The predators, too, will use the waterways for their daily provisions of water using the opportunity to capture their prey.

Great destinations for canoeing and wildlife sightings include river trips on the Dan, Lumber and New rivers, to name just a few. Cruising the shoreline of area lakes such as the Albemarle City Lake Park or impoundments such as Lake Tillery, Badin or Tucker Town can be very rewarding.

Great fishing will also await you. To learn more about these destinations and many more visit the Web sites canoenc.com and paddling.net/places/NC.

Take a gentle ride along one of the many Carolina waterways. Enjoy the beauty and serenity of the forests and fields bordering the waterways and always watch for the wildlife. Bear, fox and the non-native coyote all come to the river's edge for a drink of water while looking for that opportunity to predate deer, raccoon, beaver, fish or wading birds.

Canoe the Carolina waterways and enjoy your wildlife adventure.

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Woody Wilkes is a naturalist with A Walk in the Woods, an environmental education company that provides outreach wildlife programs. Contact him at 704-436-9048 or visit www.awalkinthewoods.us.