How to photograph deer?

Hi everyone.. I was unsure if I should post this here or the nature & animals section, but since its supposed to just be for photo sharing, here goes.

My photography goal for semester break is to get a great frame filling whitetail portrait, but I have no idea how to find or approach them. They are plentiful in my area, but very skittish. I've never gotten close enough for a good shot. I have a general wildlife photography book that I've been reading, but it basically just says "go read specific stuff on the species you want to photograph". Can anyone point me to some good reading on whitetails? Or perhaps just offer advice of your own? Thanks!

Have you ever hunted? I haven't but it seems to be the same context...you sit quietly in the woods and wait, when he's in your line of site you shoot. They come right to our front door basically, and I got some decent shots but nothing spectacular (low light and no light). I've planned on camping out in camo and shooting deer with the camera but can't find it in me to wake up and sit in the woods at 5am.

TopGear1Ds wrote in post #4487102
... Can anyone point me to some good reading on whitetails? ...!

Your best bet is to explore bow hunting techniques as the two activitis share many similar traits. There are dozens of web sites out there offering hunting tips. I prefer the stalking method myself but there are others like tree stands and calling.

I hike one woods quite often and have learned where most of the deer paths are. You can follow the paths and if lucky, come up to where they are bedded down or grazing. Then approaching from downwind you can get pretty close before they notice you. Of course, a long lens helps a lot as well.

The ideal would be to use a tent style blind. If you don't want to buy one then make one out of natural materials. Try to find a natural choke point in the woods where deer must pass through a narrow area to get from feeding areas to bedding or the reverse. Deer bed during the day but move around about every 2 to 3 hours. You will need to wash your clothes in special scent eliminating soap. You need to wash yourself in special scent eliminating soap. Use a cover scent ....fox urine or raccoon urine. A doe bleat call is very effective but less is more....about two bleats 20 seconds apart every 30 minutes. You must be invisible and very quiet. When you trip your shutter you may loose the deer. Keep the wind in your favor. Climbing more than 15' into a tree is ideal but may not be a good angle for you. You need a 400mm lens. 25 yards is close. Deer have senses much much better than yours. When you move, move very slowly. Sit very very still.
Good Luck!

Check out State Parks, too. Many do not allow hunting (or rarely) and the deer are used to campers and others who mean them no harm.

Other than that, the suggestions so far look good.

Look for game trails, set up a blind along the edge where the woods opens into a field. Get there EARLY. You'll usually see them on the far side of the field waaaay over there so the next day you set up on that side and then they reappear where you used to be.

Great advice so far! thanks!

poloman wrote in post #4487441
... Use a cover scent ....fox urine or raccoon urine.

LOL, Is this a thing you'd buy from an outdoors store, or do I need to go catch myself a raccoon

You can buy many different kinds of scent covers/eliminators at any store that sells hunting gear. Depending on the laws in your area and if you have the acreage you could try to put out feed into an area to help draw them in. If the law doesn't permit and there are hunters in the area do not put out feed. It is also right in the middle of hunting season so the deer will likely not be moving during the day. Before or just after sunrise and sunset and just after will probably be the only time you will see one.

White tails are very skittish deer. They range over a large part of North America; in some areas they share range with mule deer (which are far less skittish).

I have hunted them on at least four occasions with something other than a camera and personally never had any luck. Commonly hunters will use a scope on their rifle as getting close to white tails is tricky unless you really know their habits, and know what you are doing.

Being nocturnal, they usually come out of hiding to feed late in the day; a time that makes it difficult for both hunters and photographers for similar reasons (hunters often have an additional disadvantage in that hunting is generally restricted to a set time after sunset - often 1/2 hour - so much for the Golden Hour of photography).

I lived many years in white tail country, and saw them often, but virtually never in a situation in which I would want to have to take photographs; not enough light, not enough time to prepare focus and composition, and frequently partially obscured by trees.

Anyone that gets good images of white tails is either damn good or damn lucky or the white tails are penned or dead.

TopGear1Ds wrote in post #4487496
Great advice so far! thanks!

LOL, Is this a thing you'd buy from an outdoors store, or do I need to go catch myself a raccoon

Hang around the Raccoon bars just about closing time. If you stand still enough, the will come out an pee on ya.

Sorry, in a former life I use to work right by a stadium and while looking out the window we would see all the patrons mostly male, but not all using neighborhood objects as urinals.

I'm in a metro area & they come in to eat my friends garden. Ask around...
2nd choice would be to try a National park in your area where they might be tamer.
If you do see one, wait for THE shot, 'cause they probably won't be there after they hear the shutter.

Since it is hunting season...you might try going out at about 11am and sitting until 1 or 2 pm. The big bucks in my area will often move at that time of the day as most hunters go in for lunch. Check out your sporting goods stores for the scent products. Unless you are going to get up into a tree stand, I would suggest you not use any actual deer scents...bad things could happen.....really! I use one scent that is a mixture of doe in estrus urine and subordinate buck urine. It really makes big bucks mad! I hunt and photograph from a tree.

Go to the bowsite.com website and look for a link to the state forums. Find your state and post a message asking this question and to see if any of the bowhunters would help by taking you out.

As mentioned above, scent control is a major help as is concealment and remaining still, very still! Then provided you are in the right area just be patient.

One more thing to mention that goes along with the cover scent is to be mindful of the wind direction. If you think you've found a place where they may be, set up down wind and pack plenty of patience! Good luck to you!

If you intend to go out during hunting season, better get a nice and bright range hat. Some hunters tend to shoot at the slightest movement of brush...make sure that you're visible to them.

Take a pistol just in case you get the unwanted attention of a bear or something equally harmful. Make sure when you trample though the undergrowth that you're aware of snakes etc.