Should I Purchase A Hide?
 

For a while now I have been wanting to buy a hide for bird photography. I am hesitating because I fear that a large dog may come sniffing around and be startled by suddenly discovering my presence. Who knows what might happen then! I suppose that my fear is based on experiences in the forests. Four times now I have been threatened and on one of these ocaissions I was actually bitten.

It's something that I've also considered and for some wildlife I'm sure essential but from recent experience finding a regular territory and wearing suitable clothing and just sitting still can often pay off.

I guess it depends on what your photographing - bearing in mind that if you intend to use it area open to the public you'll have to put it up and take it down each time you visit. This could be potentially more obvious and a disturbance to the subject than you just sitting there. If it's failry privae and wooded is it possible to make a hide from the material around - like the camps we all used to make as a child!

I haven't yet been approached by any dogs, even though I do visit numerous public parks, though I do tend to wander away from the main tracks into undergrowth. Having said that one or two people oblivious to me until they got close have been a bit startled.

I sit with a tree or bush behind me, and also the sun so that hopefully the subject is well lit and I'm in the shade reducing further my visibility. I face toward a tree or clearing I know to be used by the subject I'm interested in. More often than not they appear and it's then just a matter of time till I get a shot.

To some extent the public parks help in this as often the wildlife including the birds are more used to human visitors than those in remoter areas - I guess this is similar for snapping in back gardens.

Hope this helps!

By dogs, hopefully? ;)

You can't really go sticking a hide up anywhere as to many they look like something permanant rather than short-stay, you should always get permission from the landowner in advance. I have never erected a hide on land with free public access but I have had dogs sniff around me on private land... and they seem to quickly get bored and move on...but don't move a tripod with a dog about, they don't like them!! :eek:

What may be a better idea is one of the throw-over type hides, so you just sit on a little stool with tripod in front of you but covered by camo, with an aperture for your lens to go through (bit restrictive for visibility though).. this wouldn't give an air of permanance about it.

cheers,
Andy

This sounds bad doesn't it - I am well adjusted and don't skulk around public parks - honest!

Sounds like good advice. Thank you.

Hi John, its not always necessary to use a hide. I have a local wood designated an SSSI which I use for birdwatching quite often. I find the bestway to stay conceealed is to find suitable cover in the shape of Holly trees or other Coniferous Greenery. I wear subdued colours of Brown and green and when sat under this kind of cover I usaully blend in very well, so much so that the occasional person who wanders further into the wood quite often dont notice me unless they have a dog with them.

It works quite well for me the only thing I need to do is keep the camera stil!!

One tip is not to wear deodarant or other spray on scents, the dogs will pick it up very quickly and so will the wildlife.

Good luck

Nogbad

Thank you Andy. I did see one of these throw overs used by someone watching beavers. It was on a Bill Oddy programme. I wasn't thinking of sticking one up in the middle of a foot path LOL, I normally dissappear into little used areas of Sherwood Forest. Even so sometimes someone with a dog comes looking for me, or passing by at anyrate. What do you think about camerflage clothing?

If it is it must be Lincoln Green!!

LOL! I was thinking the same thing.

I'm a big fan of the modern camo patterns, I had a realtree jacket back in the early 90's and it's still in weekly use, i'm now almost 100% camo'd... but just can't get used to the face veils :D It may sound OTT but if nothing else, it gives me confidence, and that counts for a surprising amount.
Enter 'realtree' on ebay and there's some good stuff available. Besides, the modern camo patterns don't intimidate the public as much as the traditional ones did, you can go into the bank without the security shutters flying down in your face ;)