How To: Wildlife Photography and staying hidden

[DBrooker]

Thom - That is very true - When looking to photograph mammals scent gives you away more times than not - most wild mammals depend on their sense of smell for protection in addition to sight - Here in North America your choices are not to have any scent, which is difficult at best or to cover your scent with another scent - in the mid-west of the USA coyote urine is very popular to cover up human scent - of course there are many different options to choose from - Also many different native trees and plants have scents that you can rub on your clothing, just be careful and know which ones to stay away from such as poison ivy and poison oak, etc. Another thing that helps is not to bring your blind or clothes inside your home where they can pick up oders such as cleansers, cooking oders, etc. When stalking if possible keep the wind in your face and the sun at your back - Coming close to wild animals can be done with a lot of time, knowledge and work - I've been within 3-5 feet of deer and turkey both on more than one occasion but it is work and you've really got to want to do it and you've got to want to learn how to do it - DB

[ThomGascoigne]

Yeah I guess it also depends alot on the animal. I can get very close to alot of native Australian animals 15-20 feet isn't such a problem as long as you move slow and make yourself small. I have thought about making a small hut for my camera and then controlling it via a long cord but this isn't going to work well unless you can set the camera up to be focussed on the exact spot where the target will be.


I have thought about climbing tree's as-well but I'm not too sure if that would work or not.

[S.Horton]

See: Cabela's, same gear and setup as hunting.

You're basically using a camera, not a gun, with the same intent -- to shoot the prey.

Cover the lens with a lenscoat, too.

[jbdavies]

Cabela's rules! I was in there the other day.

For the smell, has anyone tried the ScentLock clothes? I always see them... don't know if they actually work. I'm sure they do... but just curious.

[BradM]

Using these more elaborate techniques or scent masking or overlays can be very effective in some circumstances. Consider extremely difficult animals to capture like large cats: Bobcats, Lynx or Cougar one probably must use them.

But in most cases it is a matter of what you are shooting and more importantly when and where you are doing it. If one was out in the woods this time of year trying to capture shots of deer or elk which are currently being hunted by bow and rifles you need to use the most stealthy methods possible.

But why try to get shots when the animal you want is the most wary and aware of differences in their enviornment? While a camera gives you the opportunity to "hunt" these animals year round, often in many areas the period you be should out after them is limited.

But if you have areas that are off limits to hunting like National Parks, or specific refuges, note that not all wildlife refuges are no hunting zones but many do limit the species one may hunt. Most often it is only waterfowl and larger mammals are protected but not in all cases, check with your local refuge to be sure.

But these areas are often populated by large animals which are much easier to capture in their prime because they are "aware" of their relative protected status. Also during hunting season many animals will move into these areas temporarily dramatically increasing ones odds of capturing the shot. Like Jewell Meadows in the costal mountains of Oregon, a refuge for Roosevelt Elk all but surrounded by open areas for hunting, there is currently some massive bulls there bugling each morrning for harems. Younger bulls sparring, cows and this years calves wandering about. There are areas like this across the country.

In other cases animals that are some what habituated to humans in their enviornment are usually much easier to capture, and I'm not talking about ducks in the local park but the behavior is the same. Coyotes, deer, elk, and other species live in close concert with humans and are often much easier to get close to if they are not hunted.

As mentioned time of year makes a BIG difference in the ability to capture different species. And usually the best time is the winter for diurnal predators, days are short, these animals must eat and are often seen much more often than during the days we humans normally prefer to be out when the light is long and days are warm and dry.

The winter is good shooting, you can sleep relatively late and still be up before sunrise to get out there and get the shot, so what if it is a bit cold, damp or breezy, no one said this was going to easy. Easy is going to the zoo.

When it moves in to Spring and animals are raising their current litter, brood or clutch they must hunt much more often to feed the young, again they are much more active and much less to be dramatically disturbed by human intrusion if it is quiet and discrete.

The point of this whole thing; decide first what you want to shoot, a specific animal. Then is to understand what the animals behavior might be, what they feed on, the behavior and techniques used in their feeding/hunting and their specific requirements for shelter. Study the animals or birds you want to capture and find the areas where these requirements will be found.

And understand what humans influence might be in the particular species you are looking for, particularly when that species is under pressure from hunting or other impacts. You will find the animal you want and find additional species you didn't expect to capture shots of.

[ThomGascoigne]

I might have to look into this scent hiding stuff. Not for wildlife photography but just to help me with my day to day odor.. Yeah you think I'm joking.

[ctranter]

I have a camo net, similar to the photo on page one. It works a treat for a lot of situations. A kingfisher actually came and sat on me

[Trainboy]

Looking at this forum, it's chock full of "what lens" posts, so I'll break off from the herd and ask simply, how do you do wildlife photography? Mine you, I'm not talking about pull-your-car-off-the-highway-and-take-a-picture-of-a-moose, who out there invests time seriously in it, and what are your techniques?

[Bubble]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=373933

that talk about bird. Pretty much the same as you do in wildlife. Patient is the key ingredient.

[ObiDamnKenobi]

yeah as one who's thinking about getting into more wildlife I would appreciate some tips on technique, where to go, tracking.. etc. I'll see if I can come up with some more specific questions later but a sticky with links or tips would be cool.

And also a sticky saying "wildlife = 100-400!" I think I saw 4 "which lens?" threads in a row the other day..

[BradM]

This thread has some tips I shared but it comes down to know what you want to shoot, where it might be found, understand it's needs and habits and then exercise patience while you await it to come to you.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=584262

[ctranter]

Go sit in a river and watch and wait.

[Diesel_Dog]

Not the answer you want to hear, but I get a lot of my wildlife shots from the window of my truck (or work truck). Often times wildlife get spooked when you exit your vehicle right away. So I just sit in my blind and wait for them to get used to the truck before trying anything. After shooting a few from the window I will try to get out and start to stalk.

I would agree with the above posters, getting to know your prey is key. For some animals it's getting to know where they water, or where a salt lick is.
The deer around here are used to people, so I try to blend in to my surrounding as much as possible and move slowly.

Good luck with your wildlife shooting!

[BradM]

Originally Posted by ctranter

Go sit in a river and watch and wait.

Maybe said a bit facetiously but it works, it is just what I did today with the exception I sat next to a slough and not in a river. These are a few of the shots I captured.

Nutria




Great Blue Heron



And two of 3 River otters I watched fish

[Naturalist]

Yeah, you have too dig up locations and then just persistently and patiently get out there. I frequent various National Forests, Conservation Areas and State Parks here in Missouri.

Once you start to find some locations that are suitable its a lot of patiently waiting (Quietly) just as a bowhunter would - and that even means using a hide (blind).

Vehicles work very well as a rolling hide since the animals do not spook near as much as they would had you been walking.

Here are some tips:
1. Do not SLAM the car door shut when you arrive on location. Gently push it shut - no sense in announcing to all the animal kingdom I AM HERE as the car door slams!

2. Walk to your location as an animal would. Only a human being walks through the woods as though there is no care in the world as he traverses from point A to B. Instead, do as the deer do: Take a few steps, stop, look around (you may see more photo ops on the way to the hide this way), then take another 3-4 steps and pause. Sure it takes longer to get there, but you are not disturbing the natural elements as much as you normally would by walking directly.

3. Silently and patiently wait within your hide, camouflage or ghillie suit. No smoking, chewing gum, coughing or other sounds.

You know how when you drop a rock into a pond a ring of water traverses the pond's surface, disturbing everything that had been going on beforehand? When you enter the outdoors, the woodlands, fields and streams to get some shots, you are upsetting the balance of things just as that stone in the pond had. It will take a couple of hours for things to settle down, for animals to return to their natural activities before they were alerted of your presence by your scent, sight and sounds.