Using Hunting Blinds for Wildlife Photography

If you like taking pictures with your camera and trying for nature or wildlife photos you know how trying it can be to get those ‘great’ wildlife photos. A person can spend a lot of time in the woods but never be in the right place or be quick enough to get those unique shots of a buck deer or bear in the wild.

You’ve seen the exceptional pro photos of wildlife and wished, “I wish I was lucky enough to get a photo like that”. Well, here’s the secret: The pros aren’t lucky and it takes a little work and time.

Most, if not all, great natural wildlife shots are taken from blinds or ‘hides’. If you are an experienced outdoorsman or hunter, you will understand how this works. And hunters even have an advantage over us wildlife photographers. A gun shoots a lot farther than a camera. No matter how much expensive gear you have, or how long your lens is, you still have to get close. Usually, real close.

Knowing this little secret is an advantage for anyone who is looking to get some great wildlife photos. If you set up a blind and give it a little time there, you will see wildlife. And you learn where you need to be and how close you have to be to get a good shot. Then it’s just a matter of being a little crafty and skillful to determine how to best set up your blind to be situated in the right place at the right time.

And if you want a place to learn how to take wildlife pictures, don’t spend a lot of time reading photography books. Instead, read everything you can about hunting and wild animal behaviour. You have to really understand the mind of a hunter that carries a camera rather than a gun.

One of the easiest and least expensive ways of taking photos from blinds is to use a portable ground blind. These are usually small one man units and are very lightweight. Made like a small hut, they are usually fully-enclosed with two or more windows. They can be put up where you choose on the ground and come with stakes and tie-downs for a quick set up.

It is like toting a small little very light weight house around with you. You’ll probably be surprised to know that these blinds usually weigh under 10 pounds and come with their own backpack allowing easy transport. And the cost is affordable, usually in the range of $50 to $100.

And if you don’t want to part with your money, you can use some camouflage burlap cloth or netting and some ropes and stakes to create a home made blind anywhere. While they may not be as handy, the net effect is the same.

Another technique is to use any natural material you can find nearby to add to your blind to help disguise it and have it blend in with the area. Use dead branches, leaves and other material you find to really disguise your blind.

Many of the portable stands that hunters use are very nice options for being able to locate yourself off the the ground and up in a tree and will allow you to get some excellent pictures. Climbing tree stands are extremely light weight portable units that you can carry with you and allow you to climb a tree using the stand and then have a place to sit while you wait.

Ladder treestands and tripod treestands are two other type of stands that are also good options. These are also portable and are somewhat heavier and take a little more time to set up than a climber, but they offer better stability and a more solid platform to shoot from.

Consider giving this a go. Even if you don’t get that ‘wall hanger’ shot on your first try, I guarantee you’ll be amazed at what you will see if you spend a quiet hour or two hidden out in the wild with your camera.