Stalking vs. Waiting ... tips for a wildlife newbie

It's not very elegant, but I shoot a lot from the window of a Toyota Tundra. Around farms and ranches, deer and sometimes bear are somewhat used to vehicles and if you stop easily and don't get out, they often will let you get a photo. This year, I have got photos of seven grizzly bears (not counting what I saw in Yellowstone or other parks) from the vehicle, and in the past have gotten wolves, coyotes, eagles and black bears, and gobs of elk on the rural roads around my home.
Also, driving around on rural roads often gives you an idea of where the animals are active, and you can return and perhaps move off road and set up some sort of hide in the case of deer.

I spend a lot of time gawking around boggy areas because they are havens for so many of the smaller birds and animals.

Also, I never leave the house without a decent binocular, 6 magnification is my favorite because it has so much depth of field. Look for indicators- If there are magpies bunched up, there is likely carcass or other attraction and maybe a hawk or eagle there or a coyote.

I try to always have one camera set on full automatic sitting beside set on a relatively high ISO, because its' common to have something flit out of nowhere with no time to check camera setting.

hobowriter wrote in post #18561142
.
This year, I have got photos of seven grizzly bears (not counting what I saw in Yellowstone or other parks) from the vehicle, and in the past have gotten wolves, coyotes, eagles and black bears, and gobs of elk on the rural roads around my home.
.

.
That is incredible! . Especially to find Grizzlies along the roads that are not in a park!

And of course, it begs the question, where is it that you live?

I'd love to see some of your roadside photos. . Some of my best wildlife photos have also come from within my vehicle.

.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18561145
.
That is incredible! . Especially to find Grizzlies along the roads that are not in a park!

And of course, it begs the question, where is it that you live?

I'd love to see some of your roadside photos. . Some of my best wildlife photos have also come from within my vehicle.

.

I live in in western Montana. There are a couple places where there are a lot of grizzlies, and we saw one the first night, and a mother and two cubs the next day. At another place, perhaps 200 miles from there, we saw three different grizzlies in one evening.
I go at photography a little differently, I think. My main interest is in observing animals, and I use the pictures to document and remember the best times. Some of my (actually 'our', my better half is my willing partner in adventure) pictures are technically terrible, but evoke great memories.
I'll try to post a couple.

Thanks for the comments.

/Users/fredroyce/Deskt​op/widow shot - 1.jpg

We got to watch this old girl and her two cubs for about 30 minutes. At the closest point, she was about 200 yards from us. Sorry that I don't have metadata handy, this might have even been shot with our Canon SX 50, which has saved a lot of quick encounters.

This picture was probably our biggest stroke of luck ever. We were on a road trip in Canada, and went cruising back roads on day. A local resident had stopped in the road, and seemed to be excited about seeing something. We couldn't imagine what would get a local excited, since bear, moose deer and other things are common. When we got closer, he said "cat" and pointed in the woods, or "bush" as they call it.This lynx was squatting, watching us watch her, and finally she crossed the road rather nonchalantly.The local fellow said there were two other lynx that we didn't see, so it was apparently a mother with young. Never had even had hopes of seeing a wild lynx./Users/fredroyce/​Desktop/widow shot - 1 (1).jpg

hobowriter, if I were living in your area and traveling the paths you are, well, I'd probably feel more justified in getting a 7D ll with at least the 100-400 ll or possibly a big white prime, 500 or 600. I'm at the point right now that I have all I need but if a Grizz, Wolf, Elk or Moose were possibly just a short drive from the house I'd leave wish lists for xmas all over the house.

Grizz1 wrote in post #18561815
hobowriter, if I were living in your area and traveling the paths you are, well, I'd probably feel more justified in getting a 7D ll with at least the 100-400 ll or possibly a big white prime, 500 or 600. I'm at the point right now that I have all I need but if a Grizz, Wolf, Elk or Moose were possibly just a short drive from the house I'd leave wish lists for xmas all over the house.

Looking at your equipment, I think you are better off than I am in terms of lens and bodies. I have just started using my 60d and think it is a TERRIFIC camera. I am not sure why it has gotten a bad rap in some quarters.
As tempting as new lenses/cameras are, sometimes money spent on trade can upgrade our photo library more than a title more pixels in a black box.

hobowriter wrote in post #18562443
As tempting as new lenses/cameras are, sometimes money spent on trade can upgrade our photo library more than a title more pixels in a black box.

.
This seems like it may be a very interesting statement, but I must admit that I'm not sure that I now what you mean. . What do you mean by "money spent on trade"?

The phrase confuses me, because usually when you trade something, you are not spending money - instead you are trading goods that you already have, of services that you can provide. . I have always thought of "trade" as the opposite of spending money (a.k.a. "buying").

Any clarification as to the way you use this term would be appreciated.

Thanks!

EDIT: I'd also like to know what you mean by "title". . You used this in a very different way than that in which I am accustomed to seeing the word used.


.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18562446
.
This seems like it may be a very interesting statement, but I must admit that I'm not sure that I now what you mean. . What do you mean by "money spent on trade"?

The phrase confuses me, because usually when you trade something, you are not spending money - instead you are trading goods that you already have, of services that you can provide. . I have always thought of "trade" as the opposite of spending money (a.k.a. "buying").

Any clarification as to the way you use this term would be appreciated.

Thanks!

EDIT: I'd also like to know what you mean by "title". . You used this in a very different way than that in which I am accustomed to seeing the word used.

.

Sincere and robust apologies from me!
There are words in that statement that I have no idea where they came from. What I was trying to say is that sometimes a few hundred bucks spent on travel might do more to upgrade one's library of photographs than a lens that overlaps some capabilities that one already has.

My old key board would sometimes jump my cursor back three or four sentences and when I tried typing while tired I'd forget to edit carefully. Again, I am sorry.

So "trade" should be "travel." There's still a question about "title." Title ––> little? "A little more pixels"? That is, a few more pixels?

Thanks for the clarification - I appreciate it.
.

hobowriter wrote in post #18563061
What I was trying to say is that sometimes a few hundred bucks spent on travel might do more to upgrade one's library of photographs than a lens that overlaps some capabilities that one already has.

I completely agree with this. . In fact, I am still shooting with a 7 year old 1D4, and I just added a 5 year old 6D as a backup. . And I bought all of my lenses used, and they are old - discontinued models, except for the 100-400 v2 (which I did buy used).

I had wanted to - and even planned to - upgrade to a 5D4 this year, but November's deer photography took me much further from home than I had expected, and a chance to go to Alaska popped up (for this coming June) ...... so that 5D4 just isn't going to happen. . As you say, it is primarily the travel that will enable one to amass more good wildlife photos, not better gear.


.