you learn by personal experience, because it will cut down on your learning curve time. Then spend as much time as possible observing and listening to the animals for yourself.

For years I've told people in my seminars, "If you let them (meaning if you pay attention to the animals), they will teach you something." I don't think there is any substitute for personal experience, especially when it comes to understanding wildlife.

You can increase your chances of seeing more birds and animals, and see them closer, by looking for them where they are either accustomed to human and human related behavior (in which case you may not have to worry as much about disturbing them); or you can look for them in areas where they are not disturbed by humans and human related behavior (in which case you may have to use ways to avoid alarming the animals, such as camouflage and concealment).

In many instances you may also have to take steps to avoid making loud or unnatural sounds, such as talking, sneezing, coughing, the noise of your feet as they touch the ground, or your clothes rustling as you move or brush up against vegetation. Quietness and stealth are important when you try to get close to birds and animals.

Keep your voice low, open and close the doors of your vehicle as quietly as possible, don't stop your vehicle suddenly if you see something, either slow down until you come to a stop, or go by, turn around and then approach slowly. Use vegetation or terrain to stay out of the visual range of the animals, wear soft, quiet camouflage clothing, or use a blind when you can.

If you are trying to get close to mammals you may also have to use products to help you reduce human and unnatural odors, which will often alert the game to your presence, with the result that they hide or flee. Use unscented antibacterial hair and body washes, antiperspirant, and body sprays designed for hunters, and odor-reducing clothing designed for hunters. Wear latex or rubber gloves on your hands, and rubber or rubber bottom boots to eliminate odors from your hands and feet, especially if you are looking for any game animal. Unnatural scents alert more animals than most hunters, non the less photographers, realize.
In many cases you can look for birds and animals that are accustomed or semi-accustomed to humans in city, county, regional, state or national parks.

You can expect many big game animals, migratory waterfowl, and hunted upland birds and small game to be more wary and elusive than some birds, because they are hunted, even if they are in parks. The same can be said about animals in many wildlife management areas (WMA), because some type of hunting is often allowed on management areas. Since many wildlife refuges (WR, NWR) don't allow human activities within their boundaries, expect the birds and animals to be more wary and elusive there.

You can also use food to attract birds and animals to your location. Many wildlife photographers use food, or "bait" as it is called, to get carnivores such as mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, foxes and bears to come to particular areas where blinds are set up. You can also use bait or food plots to attract white-tailed and mule deer. Since hunting and baiting is often prohibited on public land, using bait can be very productive on private land that borders private land, especially for white-tailed deer.

One of the biggest problems I notice when people try to locate, see or watch wildlife, especially at the national parks I visit, is that they wake up at their normal times, have a big breakfast, and then expect to see birds and animals between the hours of 9AM and 5PM (which is often the resting or loafing period for many birds and animals). Looking for many birds and animals during midday hours is often futile, because many birds and animals are what scientists refer to as "crepuscular"; which means they are most active within a few hours before and after both dawn and dusk. This is particularly true of most big game animals.

If you want to see more animals you have to get up well before sunrise and stay for 1-3 hours, and get to where the animals are most likely to feed, mate or otherwise be active at or before the time when the are active. Or you need to get there 1-2 hours before sunset and stay until you can no longer see.
Scientific studies have shown that some songbirds are most active during particular hours of the day; the only way to figure out when is to look for information on the internet, or do your own study.

T.R.'s Tips: Locating, Viewing and Photographing Wildlife

Become part of the Environment

1. Wear natural colors or camouflage, or use a hunting blind.

2. Don't wear scented perfume, lotion or sprays.

3. Try to keep the wind from blowing from you to game animals.

4. Keep movement to a minimum, walk softly, and be quiet.

5. Use vegetation and terrain to hide from animals, or break up your outline.

6. Try not to show a shadow.

7. Remember that your reflection may be caught in water.

Observe, but Don't Disturb

1. Choose locations where you can watch and learn, without the birds or animals smelling seeing or hearing you.

2. Be patient. Wait in areas where you think animals may come to, let them come to you, don't purposely spook them in order to see them or get a picture.

3. Savor the experience of seeing the animals in their natural environment, and learn from them, and about them.

Use Your Senses

1. Observing birds and animals and learning about them, requires all of you senses. Use your sense of smell, your hearing and you sight to take it all in.

2. Start by taking in the foreground, then take in a wider area. Use binoculars or spotting scopes to view animals better in dark conditions, or when they are far away.

3. Use your peripheral vision rather than moving your head. When you do move, do it slowly, or when the animals aren't looking, or can't see you.

4. Look for out-of-place shapes or colors; bright colors, dark colors in light places, light colors in dark places, horizontal lines in areas of vertical lines, vertical lines in areas of horizontal lines, shapes that don't resemble or fit into the surroundings.

5. Look for out-of-place motions; a sudden movement, a stealthy movement, the jumping around or flight of a bird or small animal.

6. Look above and below; birds and animals inhabit niches from the ground, to shrubs, from the lower branches of trees to the tips of trees, and all elevations of the air above you.

7. Increase you hearing ability by cupping your hands behind your ears, and turning around to hear sounds from any direction, or use amplified headphones to hear better, and hear sounds from farther away.

8. Pay attention to your instincts. If you feel a chill or the hair on the back of you neck stands up, it may mean an animal is nearby. If you think birds or animals might be in one direction or place, instead of another, check it out. The more time you spend observing birds and animals in natural environments, the better your instincts will become.

9. When birds or animals stop moving or calling, or begin calling urgently or loudly, pay attention, it may mean a predator or large animal is nearby.

Take it Easy

1. Relax your muscles, walk slowly, going step by step in some situations, and don't swing your arms; birds and animals can detect tension and unnatural movements.

2. Make yourself small or unnoticeable: if bird or animals see you, stop moving, when they aren't looking or can't see you, take cover or slowly lower yourself to the ground or crouch on your heels. If you can hold still (without an animal smelling you) for 3-4 minutes, they will usually forget you are there or forget exactly where you are.

3. Don't stare at animals; they often a direct stare as a threat or challenge.

4. If you alarm a flock of birds feeding in a wooded area, and they fly away, hold still for several minutes and be quiet. It nothing more disturbs them they may come back and give you a chance to identify them.

Think like an Animal

1. Figure out the best time of day to see the animals during particular activities. When do they rest, eat, drink or breed? Dusk and dawn are often good bets.

2. Animals and birds may not move when it is too hot, too cold too windy, or too wet; they are generally most active when it is nice. If the weather is inclement think about what you would be doing, and how you would react to the current weather conditions if you were the birds or animals. Where would you go to find forage, to rest, to breed or find protection from the elements. Read field guides and articles or attend seminars to learn more about the normal daily and seasonal activities of the animals, and how they react to the weather.

3. The edges where two types of habitat meet are good places to look for birds and animals. Generally speaking, birds and animals use edges (the borders between two different types of habitat) because edges provide a wider variety of foods and cover. You may also see species from two or more types of habitat in areas where those habitats meet.

4. Look for birds and animals in "high use" areas; resting areas, forage areas, watering areas, and breeding areas, and trails or travel corridors between them. Look for vegetation, water or terrain that might cause game animals to move through a bottleneck. Game animals often use trails and old roads; look for places where they join or intersect. Birds and animals often use branches, ledges or high terrain overlooking water and forage areas before they come in to drink or eat.

5. Take note of the season and the weather conditions; consider whether the animal may be interested in breeding, feeding, resting, migrating or looking for security or thermal cover. Then use that knowledge to locate the animals and choose the best places to see them. After a rain, wind storm, or prolonged hot or cold spell birds and animals often become active.

6. Know what foods bird and animals eat, and which foods they prefer; and look for them. Many birds and animals feed heavily on berries, nuts and acorns, ripening fruits, flowers, grass seeds and invertebrates and insects during certain portions of the year. Locate those food sources at the right time and you will probably locate the birds and animals.

Fall / Winter 2006-2007 Trumpeter & Tundra Swan and Bald Eagle Sightings & Tours

Tawnya Michels Outdoor Photography

November, right after the northern lakes and rivers freeze up is usually best for tundra swans, and there are generally some bald eagles around. The swans will leave for the East Coast when the back waters of the Mississippi River, or the Mississippi River itself, freezes. There were about 300 tundra swans along the Mississippi River in late November, but they had left by early December

T. R. Michels Outdoor Photography

January through March is usually best for trumpeter swans north of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and for bald eagles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul. However, we regularly see bald eagles in the twin cities throughout the year. We saw over 70 bald eagles in southeastern Minnesota in mid-December. There are over 300 trumpeter swans on the Mississippi north of Minneapolis in mid-December. If you would like to join us on a swan or eagle tour e-mail us at TRMichels@yahoo.com.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher and naturalist. For information on Natural History Eco-Tours for game animal, birding, wildflower and scenic photography trips throughout North America contact: Trinity Mountain Outdoor Adventures - Natural History Eco-Tours at www.TRMIchels.com, E-mail T.R. Michels@yahoo.com.