Hunting with a Camera?

[Nicks Pics]

This is, to me, what might be called the "fun part" of my interest in photography. I"m not sure I would have wanted a camera if it was not for interest in my preferred subjects, wildlife, but as for a subject, wild animals aren't very cooperative, if you know what I mean. Buildings don't wiggle and move while you're trying to shoot them, flowers don't mind you getting close, and people don't run away from you when you're taking their picture, (usually, I hope ) Animals do all these things! This makes it more fun, though.

I may be taking a trip soon hoping to find some wildlife. I suppose seeing some of the wildlife shots that are out there make an amateur like me wonder how these shots are captured.

I'm thinking the best shots probably don't come from carrying your camera around your neck like a tourist with binoculars, but taking the time to go and concertedly look for animals. Perhaps set up your tripod where you expect to see something, either a specific animal, or where you think you would see lots of animals, and wait for them, choosing the right time of day/season.

Also, usually an animal sighting does not last for long, so you can't spend too long setting your camera settings; yet taking a photo with the wrong settings isn't always worth doing anyway, so do you set your settings before-hand for where you guess your subject will appear?

If you have any experience or ideas beyond my own thoughts you'd like to share it would be fun to hear from you.
Thanks!

Nick

[AB26]

Perhaps set up your tripod where you expect to see something, either a specific animal, or where you think you would see lots of animals, and wait for them, choosing the right time of day/season.

That is what is called anticipation. Play the waiting game, enjoy the scenery, go back and do it again and again.

set your settings before-hand for where you guess your subject will appear?

Take a few test shots, see what it looks like and wait for the right moment.

You know what to do! No need to ask for advice.
Go get them!

[IzzieK]

Go to the zoo for practice. It beats wildlife hunting because the wildlife is already there in front of you. I know of a guy who takes the most beautiful shots of animals -- from the zoo.

[Shadowman]

Nick,

Be prepared for some of you potentially best shots being ruined by other urban hikers. People have a tendency to talk very loud when traveling in groups and this can send the critters scurrying faster than my heavy footsteps.

[chauncey]

If you're new at that game, heed Izzie's advice and try the zoo or maybe a Safari Park http://traveltips.usatoday.com/safar...hio-60771.html
But, beforehand, learn your camera...fumbling with settings when you're in a hurry doesn't work.

[rtbaum]

Wildlife photography is a lot like hunting. You need to be in position in the proper habitat early in the day. The use of a blind is very useful. You can use your vehicle as a blind, I usually drive backroads and keep my eyes open.
Another favorite trick is to find a nice stump in the woods, have a sit and wait for the action to start.
I always have aperture wide open, shutter speed around 1/1000 sec, iso is generally 1600. I generally shoot birds with these settings.
I would think that a trip to the lake shore would be productive. The stretch of shoreline from Leelanau to Ludington has a wealth of subjects. Wilderness State Park is another good spot for wildlife, I have seen deer, black bear, and lots of ducks there. There are also elk to be seen north of Grayling.

Good Luck hunting

[Manfred M]

Nick - the other piece of advice I would give at you is to go looking in areas where animals are already quite familiar with humans and are not spooked by them. That way they will tend to get closer to areas where you can actually get a good line of site on them. Hiking for hours in the back woods where no people go means that they will be spooked more easily and you will likely to come back with minimal to no shots. I frequently bike to work and home, and I have gotten to within 2m / 6ft of deer quite a number of times; they are often standing just off the bike path (and this is in a suburban area, not even a park setting).

Timing is also important; early morning and gettng close to dusk is where I see more wildlife than mid-day (and unfortunately more mosquitos too).

[Nicks Pics]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your ideas.

Take a few test shots, see what it looks like and wait for the right moment.

Taking test shots is something I need to do more, probably.

Go to the zoo for practice. It beats wildlife hunting because the wildlife is already there in front of you. I know of a guy who takes the most beautiful shots of animals -- from the zoo.

I shot a lot last winter at my bird feeder, perhaps that is similar.

Be prepared for some of you potentially best shots being ruined by other urban hikers. People have a tendency to talk very loud when traveling in groups and this can send the critters scurrying faster than my heavy footsteps.

That is possible. Perhaps I should be cautious of when the louder members of the party are around

If you're new at that game, heed Izzie's advice and try the zoo or maybe a Safari Park http://traveltips.usatoday.com/safar...hio-60771.html
But, beforehand, learn your camera...fumbling with settings when you're in a hurry doesn't work.

Chauncey, The safari zoo sounds fun, probably worth seeing if I was going that way sometime. No, trying to monkey with your settings at the time doesn't often work. Knowing your camera, or having favorite settings would be helpful probably.

Another favorite trick is to find a nice stump in the woods, have a sit and wait for the action to start.
I always have aperture wide open, shutter speed around 1/1000 sec, iso is generally 1600. I generally shoot birds with these settings.

Randy,
In the past, I have tried to keep my ISO low to reduce noise, but end up with too dark images. My camera is not good with high ISO, but I think keeping it high would usually be worth it. My camera also often blurs birds in flight even at 1000/sec, but I'm not sure why? Thanks for telling me what settings you find work. A blind would probably help. I hear the elk are active in September. Maybe I'll get to go see them. I hope to see Lake Superior soon, and Ludington would be cool too.

Nick - the other piece of advice I would give at you is to go looking in areas where animals are already quite familiar with humans and are not spooked by them. That way they will tend to get closer to areas where you can actually get a good line of site on them.

Manfred,
Perhaps this strategy would be more realistic. I have gotten my best animal shots in my yard probably, but then the quality of the setting goes down sometimes. That idea still may apply to other situations though.

Thanks again for the responses!
This this topic is more fun than talking about digital image interpolation. (but frankly, I've never talked about that much so how would I know? )

[Brownbear]

Hi Nick,

I always have my camera set for birds in flight, generally f/8 SS 1/1600-2500, auto iso set to a max of 1600, single point auto focus and continuous auto focus. Upon arrival I check the light to see f I can change my max ISO set to 800, by lowering the SS and/or choosing a larger aperture.

I hike a lot, and frequent the same place often to become familiar with the direction of the light and wildlife in the area. For example I visit a place where the herons are nesting and since they just had their little babes, I know that bald eagles will be around this month (from my experience in the area last year). I've discovered an area frequented by seals but only because I was out and about photographing birds in that area. Visiting the same place frequently is rewarding as you see and learn about their preferred places and usual habits. I check the birding forums for the area that I live to learn what birds are about, visit parks and habitats designated as protected, etc.

I read a column(s) about the wildlife sightings in local areas and check out those places.

We don't have any zoos but as you know I practice my bear shots at a refuge for Grizzlies and when I finally have the chance to to visit a place on Vancouver island that is frequented by Grizzlies I hope to be well prepared. I've taken boat tours and photographed humpback whales (super lucky day) and most recently for Orcas (not so lucky, choppy seas and small boat but now I know where the whales are)

I once visited a place frequented by deer that were very shy, so I hid in a tent and waited for the deer to arrive at sunrise, and it worked out very well. I also visit the local parks where it is quite easy to get close to birds. I read a lot of touristic brochures to learn about the area. I also practice my BIF on pigeons and gulls. And I'm thinking about visiting the local aquarium to check out the fish, etc.

Mostly, I sit and wait and the eagle flies off in a different direction.

[flashback]

Nick, I think you hit it on the head when you said 'hunting with a camera,' as that is pretty much what you will be doing. So for starters you might want to talk to anybody you know that is a hunter. But you appear to be casting a wide net insofar as your goal is basically to just shoot wildlife. You may want to narrow it down some.

It pays to have a working idea of the habits, habitat and behavior of any particular species you're going to want to photograph. For example, if you want to shoot red fox you might want to first find out if coyote are often in the area as both species compete for the same resources and typically when coyote are present in an area, have established territories and are breeding, red fox are driven out.

If you're looking to shoot deer, they prefer transitional areas, that between forest and field, as well as openings in the woods such as from forest fires or beaver impoundments. They tend to be crepuscular, or most active at sunset and sunrise, and during the daytime tend to bed down on hills or rises (better to smell, hear and spot predators) so hitting a ridge and moving down may provide some daytime shots. If you have beaver impoundments near you they can provide some excellent shooting of beaver, muskrat, various water fowl, raptors, deer, turkey and basically anything in the area.

Consider tree blinds, which give you a better vantage point and keeps your scent above the trails. Do some scouting trips to find sign of animals. Scat is a good indication of who's around and, if you've a mind, you can break open scat and see what the animals are eating; there are excellent field guides with which you can identify scat. If you can (perhaps talk to a local Conservations Enforcement Officer (ranger, game warden etc) first to find out if it's legal) one good way to find animals are to make bait stations (scent glands, etc, readily available in sporting goods stores or online); dirt roads are a good place to do so, rake a small area clean of rocks and debris, if you can sift some fine sand over (for footprints) and apply the scent in the center. Check daily to see if there have been visitors and if so you can then determine if or how you want to further bait and set up a blind.

You can buy or download bird calls which you can play back in the woods. Find the appropriate call, play in response to the particular bird and wait for it to come in; most songbirds are territorial and do not like other males in their territory.

Depending on your woodcraft skills, even walking silently, slowly you can often come across wildlife. The key is stealth and lack of scent, hunters often wash their clothes in scent free laundry and then hang them up outside away from human odors, putting them on when they leave for a hunt, or where they're going into the woods.

The techniques above are some of the ones I used when I worked wildlife research. The key is knowing your target specie(s), a good topographic map is priceless (possibly a compass) and a spotting scope.

[Brownbear]

You can buy or download bird calls which you can play back in the woods. Find the appropriate call, play in response to the particular bird and wait for it to come in; most songbirds are territorial and do not like other males in their territory.

Hi Jack,

Have you ever tried the bird call technique? I'm curious if it would work with birds of prey like eagles/owls/hawks and if the downloaded call would motivate the bird to take flight. I have a few bird spots, mostly eagles but they seem to be content to sit on the top of tall trees, forever, before taking flight.

Thank you.

[flashback]

Christina,
We used to do songbird surveys that basically meant we listened for bird calls at specific areas but, I have downloaded onto my phone bird calls (and the occasional few that I can do myself) and birds will respond and come in to investigate. I can tell you that chickadees and cardinals are very inquisitive.
I did do owl prowls, at night with recorded owl calls. They will and do respond and will advance in to investigate. A couple of caveats; their eyesight and hearing is excellent so dark clothing and an ability to be still are requisite. Also if you were to try this, always start with calls for the smaller owls, (screech, barred, etc) moving up to the largest (great horned) last. The reason is that if you were to start with a great horned owl call it tends to frighten the smaller owls who likely won't then respond to calls as they are aware of a larger owl in their area.
For raptors you can try predator calls (injured/distressed rabbit) and you could try finding a somewhat realistic stuffed animal (rabbit, squirrel, etc) that you can pull across an open area (try different speeds). This *can* often bring in a hawk or owl. Be aware though that there are federal laws regarding harassment of protected/endangered species and also against possession of any part of a protected/endangered species. So picking up a stray eagle (or even owl) feather can have legal consequences. I know when I was working in the field, if ones activity caused an eagle to fly, it could be considered harassment and a person could be fined. Always best to check with your local game authorities.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Jack!

It seems to me that the sounds of bird calls are a natural thing that wouldn't place a bird in any stress. Something I've never thought of or read about before. My husband just bought me a cell phone in case I ever get lost while out hiking. I will research the topic further and if it is not harmful, I will try it. Thank you.

Last winter I tried to find a snowy owl but alas no luck. I've spotted barred and horned owls during the early morning hours so I will have to do some more research before then. I've noticed that gulls harass eagle and they still refuse to fly. I'll stick with bird calls.

Thank you.

Christina,
We used to do songbird surveys that basically meant we listened for bird calls at specific areas but, I have downloaded onto my phone bird calls (and the occasional few that I can do myself) and birds will respond and come in to investigate. I can tell you that chickadees and cardinals are very inquisitive.
I did do owl prowls, at night with recorded owl calls. They will and do respond and will advance in to investigate. A couple of caveats; their eyesight and hearing is excellent so dark clothing and an ability to be still are requisite. Also if you were to try this, always start with calls for the smaller owls, (screech, barred, etc) moving up to the largest (great horned) last. The reason is that if you were to start with a great horned owl call it tends to frighten the smaller owls who likely won't then respond to calls as they are aware of a larger owl in their area.
For raptors you can try predator calls (injured/distressed rabbit) and you could try finding a somewhat realistic stuffed animal (rabbit, squirrel, etc) that you can pull across an open area (try different speeds). This *can* often bring in a hawk or owl. Be aware though that there are federal laws regarding harassment of protected/endangered species and also against possession of any part of a protected/endangered species. So picking up a stray eagle (or even owl) feather can have legal consequences. I know when I was working in the field, if ones activity caused an eagle to fly, it could be considered harassment and a person could be fined. Always best to check with your local game authorities.

[LocalHero1953]

The sad thing is that those who get the best wildlife shots are not just great photographers, they are also experts in the particular wildlife they photograph. So aspiring wildlife photographers have to gain a new area of expertise. The wildlife knowledge tells you where and when you will have the best chance of a great shot, and also precisely how creatures move and behave, and so what angles you should look for. As a geologist, my wildlife knowledge is limited to dead and fossilised things, so I am not the best person to give advice, but I believe the great wildlife photographers take vast numbers of shots for each winner - patience is required!

[flashback]

Of course, if you happen to be in a area in which it's stupid crazy crawling with deer who see people not as a threat but as an inferior species, then you're likely to get some interesting shots. This happened to be shot with my smart phone and the only reason he moved is he wasn't all that comfortable with my dog. With me, he's as likely to stand his ground and challenge me.

[Nicks Pics]

Hi everyone. I've enjoyed reading about your experiences with this subject.

We don't have any zoos but as you know I practice my bear shots at a refuge for Grizzlies and when I finally have the chance to to visit a place on Vancouver island that is frequented by Grizzlies I hope to be well prepared. I've taken boat tours and photographed humpback whales (super lucky day) and most recently for Orcas (not so lucky, choppy seas and small boat but now I know where the whales are)

Cristina

Firstly, your area sounds like a really neat place. I like seeing photos from it and hearing about it.

Reading about the wildlife you might see is a good idea. I sort of do do that some, but maybe I should make a more conscious effort to do so. I don't know if e-bird, is one of the places you check, but that is a good resource if you want to know what birds are being found in an area. (Does anyone happen to know if there is any similar resources for finding where mammals have been sighted?) Your experience helps me get a better idea of what getting wildlife photos is like. Don't forget to shoot for the Vancouver Island Marmot if you go there!

Jack,

It was interesting to hear from a practiced wildlife researcher about this. I would definitely like to know more about wildlife so I would know how to photograph it, and because I'd like to anyway.
I appreciated all your advise. I was curious, if in addition to recorded bird calls you use "pishing"? I do know of a flooding where beaver live, along with most of the other kinds of animals you mentioned that would live there. That may be one of the best places to find wildlife I've seen so far, I haven't given a very concerted effort to photograph wildlife there much yet, though I incidentally encountered this beaver there this spring.


Paul,

Maybe one who spent a lot of time with animals actually would end up with more good pictures than one who just knew their camera, like you said. Yes, maybe the proportions of good shots to shots are usually low, as well as the proportions of successful opportunities to opportunities you had.

[Peeshan]

I love the title of this thread.
To answer the original post, it helps to have a camera where you can save different setting ( for example on the d7000 there is two custom modes, so you can save your favorite setting for bird photography against the sky in one, wildlife in shadows in the other and keep active the manual mode. That way it's really easy to go from one "extreme" situation to another.

Also you could use food baits - check with the local authorities first because of disease and wildlife protection laws - and search for "photography cabins". For example not very far where I live they hide in a little wood cabin, put a dead pig carcass and wait for the bears to come, sometime just a few meters from the cabin. I wish I'll have the occasion to try that one day...

Finally: check out hunting supply stores, you can find interesting stuff.

[Brownbear]

Hi Nick,

Great pic of a soaking wet Beaver! Thank you for the link. I use a similar web site for local bird sightings. For sure I will research and look for the Marmot when I visit Vancouver Island. I don't know of any web sites for wildlife sightings in the area I live (too, close to the city). Typically one reads about it after the fact. ie; Cougar/bear/fox spotted somewhere. Funnily enough the only fox I have ever seen here was at the race track in the middle of the city.

I just learned that - Common rock doves (pigeons), European starlings, mute swans, and peacocks
Rabbits, rats, and Eastern grey squirrels - are not considered wildlife in Vancouver because they are not native to the area - therefore not protected under the BC wildlife act. Doesn't sound fair to me.

All the best to you!

[tclune]

I have literally just gotten back from a photo excursion to Maine with the Mass Audobon society. The trip was organized and led by a well-regarded nature photographer from this area (John Green) with the assistance of a naturalist on the Audobon staff. Both are very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of New England and knew where to go for terrific photo opportunities. The fact that John has deep knowledge of both photography and nature was particularly valuable, but if you can only find one in a guide, opt for the nature craft. Taking a few-day excursion like this or signing up for photo hikes at the local Audobon or similar is well worth the small expenditure. It is the royal road to getting up to speed on this hobby. And, of course, you can never have too long a lens...

Puffin


Egret

[Nicks Pics]

To answer the original post, it helps to have a camera where you can save different setting ( for example on the d7000 there is two custom modes, so you can save your favorite setting for bird photography against the sky in one, wildlife in shadows in the other and keep active the manual mode. That way it's really easy to go from one "extreme" situation to another.

That sounds like a really useful technique. I know my camera has a C mode, so I checked it out and find that you can set some things on it but the SS and aperture stay on auto. I guess it's not really fully customizable; however, I can save different settings with my S M A modes etc. Thanks for your other suggestions too.

Great pic of a soaking wet Beaver! Thank you for the link. I use a similar web site for local bird sightings. For sure I will research and look for the Marmot when I visit Vancouver Island. I don't know of any web sites for wildlife sightings in the area I live (too, close to the city). Typically one reads about it after the fact. ie; Cougar/bear/fox spotted somewhere. Funnily enough the only fox I have ever seen here was at the race track in the middle of the city.

I just learned that - Common rock doves (pigeons), European starlings, mute swans, and peacocks
Rabbits, rats, and Eastern grey squirrels - are not considered wildlife in Vancouver because they are not native to the area - therefore not protected under the BC wildlife act. Doesn't sound fair to me.

All the best to you!

Thanks, the beaver showed up by surprise. That was actually frame from a video I took. It needed some recovery in PP.
Often animals non-native animals such as the mute swan and infamous starling have aggressive habits and compete with native animals and are not liked for that reason. My book shows that the Eastern Cottontail, and Eastern Gray Squirrel, though native in parts of the east, are introduced Vancouver area, but I don't think I've ever heard of introduced animals not being considered wildlife for that reason. I don't think rabbits and squirrels are usually protected here anyway!

I have literally just gotten back from a photo excursion to Maine with the Mass Audobon society. The trip was organized and led by a well-regarded nature photographer from this area (John Green) with the assistance of a naturalist on the Audobon staff. Both are very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of New England and knew where to go for terrific photo opportunities. The fact that John has deep knowledge of both photography and nature was particularly valuable, but if you can only find one in a guide, opt for the nature craft. Taking a few-day excursion like this or signing up for photo hikes at the local Audobon or similar is well worth the small expenditure. It is the royal road to getting up to speed on this hobby. And, of course, you can never have too long a lens...

Great puffin picture! They are funny looking birds. I have been on one birding tour, for the Kirtland's Warbler, and that was pretty recent, but it wasn't long. I'm sure one could learn a lot from spending time with the guides of such tours.