Most people are unaware of the vast amount of wildlife that surrounds them. People venture out into nature, hoping to see…well…see something…anything…and are often disappointed by the lack of what they saw.
The key to seeing more wildlife in natural settings is not to look for animals as they appear in magazines or TV specials. Let’s be honest; animals are not going to pose for you when you enter their domain. They will most likely try to avoid you altogether.
As a result of this avoidance behavior, the animals will move to places where it is difficult to see them, places that provide cover. Look for low areas rather than open spaces. Brambles and brush provide excellent cover for animals, so check those areas when looking for wildlife.
Another great place to see animals are those areas where the forest meets a meadow or stream. These marginal areas provide cover for the animals, yet allow them to take advantage of the adjacent terrain to find food or water.
When trying to see more wildlife, it’s also important that you don’t look for the whole animal. Remember, the animal sees you as a threat and will most likely avoid your sight. Instead, look for part of an animal. You might see an ear, a tail, or perhaps a lower leg hidden in the undergrowth. The chances of you seeing a part of an animal are much better than the whole of it, at least at first.
The time of day is also a factor in viewing wildlife. Keep in mind that animals are usually nocturnal or diurnal. The best time to see a lot of animal activity is right at sunrise or just as the sun goes down. Most birds are most active in the morning, while other animals (raccoons, skunks, etc.) prefer to be out at night.
Whether you like to hunt or not, there are some wonderful game calling devices used by hunters that can be used to help you see more wildlife. There are some really compact and inexpensive radio controlled modules that can be used to call the fox or the coyote. It is interesting that other types of animals will also come to investigate the sounds that these devices make, so do not think that if you are trying to call a fox using a distress call that a deer or other animal will not come. investigate!
Camouflage is also important when you’re trying to see more wildlife. There are many ways to blend in, both primitive and modern. The most important thing to remember is that you need to split your outline and remove the straight lines associated with the human body. Typical commercially available camouflage doesn’t do this very well. Instead, consider wearing a ghillie suit or ghillie wrap (basically, a ghillie-style hooded garment, similar to a poncho, that wraps around you).
Ghillie wraps offer comfort as they are easy to put on and take off. In addition, they break up the human outline quite well, and people can also incorporate local foliage into their structure.
Make sure before using any type of camouflage that you first check your local hunting season calendar. Some hunters, particularly those who are new and inexperienced, have a shoot first and see what happened next philosophy. We don’t want to get accidentally shot, mistaken for a bear or other animal. I can hear it now, “Hey, honestly officer, I swear I thought it was one of those big-legged bugs.” Yes… please let’s avoid this scenario.
Smell is also something to worry about when trying to spot more wildlife. You need to mask your scent as much as possible, and there are several methods available on the market to do this. One of the best and easiest ways to descend is to stand in the smoke of a campfire. Contrary to what some people believe, a slight smell of smoke does not bother animals. The amount of smoke it will absorb will adequately mask its odor without disturbing wildlife.
One last odor related issue is the cleanliness of your clothing or ghillie suit. People wash their camouflage and then go into the woods. Cleanliness is next to godliness and all that, they think it’s a good thing to do. Keep in mind that the scent of detergent announces your presence like a foghorn. It is important to purchase a detergent specially designed for hunting clothing.
Also, keep in mind that any detergent that has color-enhancing components basically embeds particles that reflect ultraviolet light into your clothes, and some animals see in the ultraviolet range. Deer are included on that list, according to the findings of a 1992 study by researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens. His findings, you ask? Basically, when you wear clothes in the woods that have been washed with color-enhancing detergents, you appear as a huge, bright neon light to those animals that can detect the ultraviolet reflected by color-enhancing agents. Moral of the story, don’t wash your camouflage or ghillie suit with color enhancing detergents.
Learning to see wildlife is not a difficult skill. Time, practice, and a little knowledge will give you wonderful experiences and memories of the great outdoors.