Photographing Wildlife - Charlotte, NC - Suggestions?

I will be in Charlotte for a couple of months for work and will be bringing my camera gear. I'm hoping to have some free time to photograph some wildlife and birds while I'm there. I'm not familiar with the area, can anyone give me some suggestions?

I'd really like to catch some mammals (deer, bobcats, foxes, bears?) and some birds.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

The Carolina Raptor Center is in Huntersville, just 30-45 minutes north of Charlotte. For deer, check out some of the state parks near Lake Norman. Bear sightings are very rare there. You'll probably need to be in the mountains for those. Check out the Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge in Huntersville. Lots of deer there.

I lived in the Charlotte area for 28 years. Some decent wildlife if you get out of the city. Good luck!

actaylor wrote in post #17357303
The Carolina Raptor Center is in Huntersville, just 30-45 minutes north of Charlotte. For deer, check out some of the state parks near Lake Norman. Bear sightings are very rare there. You'll probably need to be in the mountains for those. Check out the Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge in Huntersville. Lots of deer there.

I lived in the Charlotte area for 28 years. Some decent wildlife if you get out of the city. Good luck!

Thank you very much for these suggestions. I will definately check them out!

how much time are you willing to spend in the car? or maybe camp out?

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17362395
how much time are you willing to spend in the car? or maybe camp out?

If I actually end up getting a day off, which is unlikely but I'm going to be optomistic, I'd say a 4 hour round trip would probably be the max. Camp out might be possible.

Have some suggestions?

sure. I didn't want to get into a lot of stuff if it was out of your range or available time. The mountains might be a stretch, not that they are that far away but getting up there and actually finding an animal to shoot are two different things.

i'm an hour and 15 minutes north of Charlotte. The Uwharrie Mts National forest is a decent place this time of year (they prohibit the 4X4s that run up and down much of the main area during the summer). There is an area called Falls Dam that is very secluded and has lots of birds. Hiking is tough there, i'm usually out in a canoe, but you can park at the side of the road and find a couple of trails down to the water's edge. On the opposite side of Falls Dam is Morrow Mtn State park, lots of deer. That area is 30-45 minutes north of Charlotte. Access to the water on foot is a bit easier on that side, but i'm not sure how much wildlife sticks to that side of the water. I see most stuff a bit north up towards the damn.

Birkhead Wilderness is a bit further north by 30 minutes or so, I've seen turkeys and hawks, but you have to be lucky to come across a turkey. Be aware of hunting season in any NF area, pretty sure hunting is off limits in all State Parks.

A bit further still is the NC Zoo. Not exactly wild life, but the aviary is heated. :P I spent some time there just the other day and grabbed a couple of nice shots between telling my boys not to harass the animals.


I'll think of some more, but I have some work to do before a couple of shoots this weekend.

^ Wowsers! Thank you for all that awesome info. Falls Dam definately sounds like it will be #1 on the list to check out.. When you say hiking is tough, do you mean there isn't much of a trail, if any?

yup.

i'm not at all afraid to get off trail and have covered much of the UNF forest that way. I haven't covered that area on foot but it is pretty simple. Basically a high road that is a few hundred feet off the water. i have topos and all that stuff. If you're really adventurous i could meet you down there. I'm not much of a nature photog, but am expanding my horizons beyond my commercial background.

I have only been down to Morrow Mtn a couple of times but think it would be better, at least for deer. To find birds you'd probably have to get out on the water or be willing to bushwhack and sit for a while.