Camo clothes and hat with a face mask and get into the surrounding vegetation and don't move all over the place MOVEMENT is what animals see
Your ideal wildlife set up
- Thread starter Vincent
- Start date
Camo clothes and hat with a face mask and get into the surrounding vegetation and don't move all over the place MOVEMENT is what animals see
I take this approach most of the time. I hunt a lot too (unfortunately there is no bowhunting in the UK as I like archery) often using an air rifle so need to be close but I much prefer to use natural cover than taking my pop up blind. I think for photographing deer or foxes I might find the blind handy, if nothing else its more comfortable if I'm waiting in one place for a long time.
I do think this just shows you need to adapt your lens also to the behaviour of the animal you want to take a picture of.
On the hide: I do not want it to be the main thing I'm carrying, I saw some good hides, but you would have 2 go with 2 people, one carrying the hide and one the photo equipment.
On movement I did the test a few weeks ago, I was fully exposed on a road when I saw a row deer, I froze before it turned the head. It then looked at me but did not react, when I duck to hide they always are gone when I come back up. So it does work on deer. For raptors this is something else, they see body heat, sense heartbeat, etc... other things then avoiding action are needed.
A hide is a great idea but not practical in loads of situations,good field craft is the first and most important thing,where i go you have to be in full view of the target most of the time i have found the other very important aspect is avoid eye contact with birds,most of the time its what lets them know you have seen them,if they think you are concentrating on something else it can give you those extra few vital seconds to get your shot.
OK this is the way I do that, at my feet you see a Camo blanket that I had put in front of me:
Down here I just need to stretch my arm and grab one.
Welfare ducks we have them here too local parks etc. I won't take a pic of them way too easy
The main problem is that they crossbreed. If it continues for too long, there's nothing but bastards left. But people just like to go to the canal with their kids and feed them fat.
You can't blame the ducks.
Thats why I like the Migrators here and I don't go to the parks in town
I don't blame the Ducks at all
I had to stop right here and make the decision to become a hermit, living on grubs and ramen noodles for the rest of my life.
You indeed have to adapt to the target. Deer do not see red tones, some animals are looking for movement or shape; others detect your body heat or electric nerve system. Camo wear works for many, cars or hides for others, you have to adapt. Better even get the animal while it is concentrating on something else then you.
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I always use combat boots/pants (24/7) but don't bother with going all SAS with the rest. For the birds I shoot, usually movement is what scares them. If you move in slow motion they can get pretty close regardless what shirt I wear.
Where you position yourself matters too. One of the reserves I go during the morning, I frequently see herds of photogs nicely grouped together. It's all impressive and such, especially their collection of tripods and monster lenses. One day I might point out that they're always at an angle towards the morning sun and from the opposite side the reflections looks like fireworks.
But they look great in camo.
Stoshowicz
Senior Member
As far as being sneaky goes....I guess I'm in the same camp as Jsee, exercise in futility is an appropriate term. I think you need to cover ground,look around bushes etc , reasonably quietly yes, but laundry detergent shows up in UV as does hair and fingernails , so basically I am a walking streetlight anyway. I always get seen , but the thing is not to be alarming. Otherwise youre limited to sitting very still, in hot gear, in a single location, like a snake. Snakes may wait a week for a mouse to go by and thats on top of being able to read their urine trails to set up in an ideal location. Break a twig when stuff doesnt know where you are , and it sounds very threatening .
BUT I remember early on, creeping slowly up on a snail kite , only to see it ignore an airboat! coming in to the dock , ten feet away from it. Hawks often have a habit of restlessly stopping and then flying a few yards , so some stuff is just primed to move for any reason at all, they may sit still to watch where you are going, and so when you stop, they take off. Going to spots where the wildlife has become habituated to people that are not in cars makes a huge difference. So I figure you should use the system that seems to work for you and understand that some folks will get bird A, and you will get bird B.
BUT I remember early on, creeping slowly up on a snail kite , only to see it ignore an airboat! coming in to the dock , ten feet away from it. Hawks often have a habit of restlessly stopping and then flying a few yards , so some stuff is just primed to move for any reason at all, they may sit still to watch where you are going, and so when you stop, they take off. Going to spots where the wildlife has become habituated to people that are not in cars makes a huge difference. So I figure you should use the system that seems to work for you and understand that some folks will get bird A, and you will get bird B.
Went out with minimal gear yesterday for Rabbits. Camo gear on, D7000 + TC2 + 70-200 & A7s + TC2 + 500mm + Beanbag + remote + camo blanket.
Was very quiet flat on the ground, but rabbits ran at arrival and did not re-appear, when I went away I saw 5 rabbits were at 2m from me on the other side of the bush I had used as cover. Man where they fast to get away.
Was very quiet flat on the ground, but rabbits ran at arrival and did not re-appear, when I went away I saw 5 rabbits were at 2m from me on the other side of the bush I had used as cover. Man where they fast to get away.