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How I Get Close to Wild Animals

E

Evolute

Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Messages
4,769
I wrote another post on my blog which I thought might interest you. It's about how I get very close to to wild animals, for doing the wildlife photography part of my job. It's not all about how to walk up to them without scaring them.

http://naturography.blogspot.com/2009/10/secret-of-stalking-wildlife.html

I hope you enjoy it.



P.S. Brian, and the other mods,

I don't want to come across as SPAMming the forum. I write a lot on my blog about subjects that are of interest for this forum, and the easiest way to share them is to share the link. Let me know if you have any issues, and I'll stop. Otherwise, I'll assume it's OK to share links to topical articles I write.

Thanks.
 
Great writeup, very interesting and helpful as I also like taking pictures of the outdoors. Of course the stuff I do is entirely for fun and amateur, especially compared to your stuff :o
 
I don't see it as spamming. It's only a shorthand way of posting an already written article that fits in this W&SS forum very well. As a paid member, you are authorized in any case to post links to your work.
 
Good thinking. I see the school of slipping up on animals to photograph them as derived from hunting, only changing killing to capture to picture. Lying in wait is a classic hunting technique in its own right, more like trapping, though, than the thrill of the chase.

Another advantage of waiting for the animals to come to you is the freedom it gives you to set up more complex equipment for difficult shots. This would be especially true in rough terrain or harsh weather.
 
Interesting stuff thanks.

I certainly like the idea of having the animals come to me when I'm out in the bush, but I find it hard to imagine that anything other than baby pigs or goats ... and maybe brushtailed possums.... might come close to me by choice.

The land mammals here (except bats) were all introduced and they are hunted all year round. The powers that be have given them pest status, and the idea is to eradicate them (which I strongly disagree with). So our local wild animals are very shy indeed.

..... Coote
 
Yes, it also allows for a more complex equipment set-up.

I find –

(A) the challenge of figuring out the puzzle of where and when to position myself, to get animals to come to me; and

(B) the thrill of spending time within a few feet of these animals

– outweighs the thrill of the chase.

Also: Thanks for your opinion about sharing this way being OK.
 
Though I've succeeded in it for very few times, I agree with you, Evolute.
In my case, some birds are very curious and had interest in me, came to look closer
at the antenna of my radio :).
Amazing to see their intelligence as well as having their closer view.
 
Interesting about not making eye contact. Twice I have passed within fifteen yards of deer , head down, and just acted like I never seen them. They just stood motionless and let me go by.
 
Evolute said:
I wrote another post on my blog which I thought might interest you. It's about how I get very close to to wild animals, for doing the wildlife photography part of my job. It's not all about how to walk up to them without scaring them.

http://naturography.blogspot.com/2009/10/secret-of-stalking-wildlife.html

I hope you enjoy it.



P.S. Brian, and the other mods,

I don't want to come across as SPAMming the forum. I write a lot on my blog about subjects that are of interest for this forum, and the easiest way to share them is to share the link. Let me know if you have any issues, and I'll stop. Otherwise, I'll assume it's OK to share links to topical articles I write.

Thanks.
Click to expand...



No worries/ probs at all! As Esav said: post away!!!!
 
Agreed it will always be easier to stand still and wait than to actually close on some animal.

dipbait said:
Interesting about not making eye contact. Twice I have passed within fifteen yards of deer , head down, and just acted like I never seen them. They just stood motionless and let me go by.
Click to expand...

I'd say there are two possible explanation to that:
* the most anecdotal is that most prey animal instinctly recognize the predator "binocular" gaze pattern
* more likely is the fact that for animals running away means wasting energy which can be serious trouble in difficult seasons. Most walkers care little about their environment and they'll miss animals if those stand still enough. Animals have devised that if they stand still most of the time the passer by will go away without noticing them so no need running. Now if you suddenly stop, look at them, get too close or do anything odd, they'll assume they have been spotted and will go in "run away" mode
 
Man you really hit home on the eye contact. When I'm catching lizards, I can get within a foot of them as long as I'm not making eye contact. You won't believe how much wildlife you see when you just sit down on a log and wait for a few hours.
 
On the other hand ... :D

We have a real overpopulation of deer in the local parks. This is northern New Jersey, a busy, densely suburban area. I have seen deer on the trails within sight of houses here, and one day, encountered a fawn on the lake trail. I stopped, yelled, waved my hiking stick over my hand. The animal looked at me like I was crazy.

These are not entirely wild animals. Even observing them doesn't tell the same story as observing wild populations less accustomed to living in our backyards.
 
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