Methods for wildlife - hike till you find it, or sit and wait, or bring them in, etc..?

[Matt Schwartz]

Some of you may recall I posted a question not long ago, regarding finding locations where wildlife are at. I have taken your advice and have been scouting some new locations and am trying to just get out and see what is around. This new question is kind of a follow up. I'm curious to get some input from various folks on what methods you prefer to use for finding wildlife when you are at a specific location (i.e. which are the most successful for you). It's kind of a general question and I know it can't really be divided up precisely, but overall, I see a few different options:

Hike through a location, constantly moving around until you find an animal, then photograph it and/or approach closer if reasonable
Go to a particular spot that looks promising, and just sit around and wait for the wildlife to show up (using camo, a blind, or just wearing regular clothes)
Bring wildlife in with bait and/or audio (again, using camo, a blind, or just wearing regular clothes)
Photograph wildlife at captive locations such as rehab facilities, zoos, or other such areas
There may be other options I'm not aware of, and certainly many of these can/will be used in combination.

I'm hoping to get an overall view of what methods you all feel are most effective in finding and getting close to wildlife. Thanks for any help, and I apologize for always asking what I imagine seem like stupid questions.

[Paul Whitbread]

It's a bit of a non-answer but different targets require different techniques; roaming (eg deer) or sedentary (little owls), bold or flighty. I guess my recommendation would be to make sure you decide what it is you want and then dedicate yourself to it wholeheartedly. Avoid turning a day in to a series of half-arsed attempts not followed through because 'the grass is greener elsewhere'.

I tend to get better results when I'm camped at a particular spot, but I think that's more of a sign that I need to work on my stalking skills!

[David Stephens]

Know your subject. For instance, deer will tend to bed down in the same area every night and then move at dawn to another area and move at dusk back to their bedding site. If you watch week after week, then you'll know the likely paths and you can be there at the right times to get your shots. Try to meet experienced photographers or wildlife lovers in the areas you're interested in and ask about animal tendencies. Lacking that, start by wandering around (dawn and duck are usually the best times) and paying attention to what's going on.

While looking for deer, don't forget to look for owls and other raptors, etc. This can make the going slow, but that's good. As you come to each clearing, scan for all possible movements, from ground level to tree tops. Try to be quiet. Be ready for anything.

[Matt Schwartz]

Paul, Dave, thanks for your replies. I appreciate the advice. Dave, you have some amazing photos on flickr. Great work!

[David Stephens]

Paul, Dave, thanks for your replies. I appreciate the advice. Dave, you have some amazing photos on flickr. Great work!

Thanks for looking Matt.

Persistence and patience are the keys. You'll learn more and more about the wildlife in your area and that'll lead to more success. Trying over and over and over leads to things that you could never plan for. You'll have dry spells and then suddenly be rewarded with an abundance of great opportunities. Still, you've got to be there and put in the time. Your questions are the correct ones, now you need to build the slow process of building local knowledge and putting yourself in position to be "lucky". It always kills me when someone says, "You were really lucky." Yes I was, but it might have taken four-years to get the shot.

Landscapes are always in season for me, but I've got a loose schedule around the animals in my area by season. January, deer and raptors, February - April nesting great horned owls, May -June warblers and other peepers, along with migrating waterbirds, June-July fawns, July-September bucks in velvet, September-October elk rut, October big horn sheep, November deer rut, etc., etc. There's overlap and I always shoot what God presents. If I miss the shot, I hit myself in the head and then I'm thankful that I even saw the event.

[Matt Schwartz]

Dave, your second post was really helpful to me and hit home in a few areas. I've been really frustrated lately, it seems I'll go out and give it my all for an entire day, and come home with no shots (due to either seeing basically nothing, or seeing things but they were too far away). I'll keep trying and learning the best I can. The general schedule you listed is great, and as I become a better naturalist I'll start to learn stuff like that. Thanks again.

[David Stephens]

Dave, your second post was really helpful to me and hit home in a few areas. I've been really frustrated lately, it seems I'll go out and give it my all for an entire day, and come home with no shots (due to either seeing basically nothing, or seeing things but they were too far away). I'll keep trying and learning the best I can. The general schedule you listed is great, and as I become a better naturalist I'll start to learn stuff like that. Thanks again.

You're welcome.

Dawn and dusk are key to observing the most animal activity with some birds being exceptions. (Some raptors don't get going until the sun's started warming them pretty good.) Get there when it's too dark to shoot, but shoot anyway (ISO 6400) to see what you get and learn what will happen. After waking and getting their first meal, many animals lay down for a while, so midday is not usually as fruitful.

Weather bad? Go out and shoot. Some of my favorite shots have been in snow storms. Even the mundane can look better in the snow. Also, the behaviors change a bit and you may see birds and animals where you haven't seen them before. Rain isn't always as good, but approaching storms and/or clearing storms can add to dramatics.

If all else fails, take a landscape image. Find favorite sunrise and sunset spots and shoot them over and over. Eventually, one will turn out stunning. Don't turn your back as soon as the sun sets, the next fifteen minutes or so may yield some pleasant surprises. You'll learn to read the clouds and predict the "special" sunset with some success.

[Paul Whitbread]

I do like being able 'setup camp', spending time at a specific location with repeat visits from a subject. Productivity without too much elbow-grease. But of course it relies on being able to find that right location that has a reason for your subject to keep returning.

Frankly, I've too feel I've not been terribly productive of late. My ideas haven't been translating in to photo opportunities for the level of photographs I want to take. Just got to keep working at it until it starts going right again, and put the rest down as experience. I think it's important to recognise that you can't suddenly build a portfolio of every subject you want in one go. Narrow your focus, and concentrate on specific 'projects', and keep working them until it starts to translate in to end product.

[David Stephens]

I always go out with an objective, but, more often than not, end up shooting something else that presents itself.

Sometimes the light is incredible. When that happens, I look for great subjects, but never fail to shoot the mundane. Incredible light is often the main subject.

[Matt Schwartz]

Thank you all for the comments and ideas. This is really helpful! Now I am so excited, I just wish I could be out shooting more than once or twice a week (with the daylight hours so short, Saturday/Sunday is all I have. But that's better than nothing). Thanks.