burrowing owl stocking advice

donek

I really don't shoot a lot of wildlife, but my wife and daughter keep telling me about the burrowing owls they get within 25 feet of. They of course won't let me within 75 yards of them. We have 40 acres and they seem to be nesting on our property as well as my neighbors. I saw at least 4 different ones when I went out today.

I'm definitely no expert on birds, but figured if they got use to me, they might let me near enough. I thought I might head over near their nesting area for about 30 minutes every morning and just hang out with my camera. Is there a chance they'll accept me eventually or should I just take walks with my wife and daughter and hope they don't notice it's me?

These are 100% crops. Shot at 400mm on a d300.

dlplumer

Very cool. I am yet to even see one

Art Scott

Think of this as a hunting expedition---bowhunting, where you need to get extremely close to your prey.
Dedicate a pair of pant, shirt etc etc to this endeavor.....wash with fragrance free laundry soap, I use Purex free and clear,
Bounce free and clear for dryer or purex free and clear laundry sheets (those things that have soap and softener in one sheet),
Was body with fragrance free soap and rinse with a mixture of baking soda and water.....I use approx 1 cup baking soda to
approx 1 quart of water.....do not towel off and also do the same for hair.....baking soda is a natural deoderant and will
dang near stop all human smell......also make same baking soda solution and wipe or spray on shoes, every inch........

I used to buy all the very expensive Hunters Specialties stuff to bowhunt and one week end I was out and tried the baking soda
routine and even with out camo clothing I can get with in near touching distance of wild animals.........

just a side not......you are stalking the owls not stocking them........groceries are stocked and sometimes stalked also if the
groceries have 4 legs and are still in the wild............ :-}}


Good Luck

Harryb

Every bird is different with ther "tolerance zone". If you are not in a blind they will notice you. Birds live in a constant state of awareness as they need to find food and need not to become food to survive. There is no way they will not detect a human carrying a camerra and a long lens.

The trick to getting close is to get your subject to view you as a non-threat. Your approach should be very, very, slow and very, very gradual. Do not look direcly at your subject and try not to move in a direct line. Move a little bit closer, pause for a bit and then edge in a tad closer. Try to stay low as you approach. Study your subject and learn its habits. If you see it getting alarmed stop.

I always take a few trial shots before I approach to make sure I have the right settings. When the time comes to grab a capture you don't want to be changing your settings or looking at the histogram.

donek

Art Scott wrote: »

Think of this as a hunting expedition---bowhunting, where you need to get extremely close to your prey.
Dedicate a pair of pant, shirt etc etc to this endeavor.....wash with fragrance free laundry soap, I use Purex free and clear,
Bounce free and clear for dryer or purex free and clear laundry sheets (those things that have soap and softener in one sheet),
Was body with fragrance free soap and rinse with a mixture of baking soda and water.....I use approx 1 cup baking soda to
approx 1 quart of water.....do not towel off and also do the same for hair.....baking soda is a natural deoderant and will
dang near stop all human smell......also make same baking soda solution and wipe or spray on shoes, every inch........

I used to buy all the very expensive Hunters Specialties stuff to bowhunt and one week end I was out and tried the baking soda
routine and even with out camo clothing I can get with in near touching distance of wild animals.........

just a side not......you are stalking the owls not stocking them........groceries are stocked and sometimes stalked also if the
groceries have 4 legs and are still in the wild............ :-}}


Good Luck

If I could stock them, I probably wouldn't have to stalk them.:D

I've never hunted. Call me a wimp, but the only shooting I'll ever do is with a camera. Sounds like a big commitment. Any chance getting them use to my scent by leaving my dirty laundry near them would work? Or am I likely to scare them off?

donek

Harryb wrote: »

Every bird is different with ther "tolerance zone". If you are not in a blind they will notice you. Birds live in a constant state of awareness as they need to find food and need not to become food to survive. There is no way they will not detect a human carrying a camerra and a long lens.

The trick to getting close is to get your subject to view you as a non-threat. Your approach should be very, very, slow and very, very gradual. Do not look direcly at your subject and try not to move in a direct line. Move a little bit closer, pause for a bit and then edge in a tad closer. Try to stay low as you approach. Study your subject and learn its habits. If you see it getting alarmed stop.

I always take a few trial shots before I approach to make sure I have the right settings. When the time comes to grab a capture you don't want to be changing your settings or looking at the histogram.

Trial shots are always a good idea. I do the same in other situations. Sounds like my wife and daughter chatting away and in search of the cat may be part of their luck. Thanks for the advice.

Art Scott

donek wrote: »

If I could stock them, I probably wouldn't have to stalk them.:D

I've never hunted. Call me a wimp, but the only shooting I'll ever do is with a camera. Sounds like a big commitment. Any chance getting them use to my scent by leaving my dirty laundry near them would work? Or am I likely to scare them off?

No you're not a wimp.....just raised differently....hunting filled our freeze with food, so I have enjoyed the hunt......
tossing dirty clothes will only make them find new homes.......a blind (can be had at Gander Mtn or ordered from Gander or cabelas or bass pro) for around 50-100$ might be useful ...if you put it up and leave it then enter it and sit and wait...but then you will need a urine bottle with B. soda in the bottom to absorb smell.......

Actually once you get a pair of clothes dedicated to this...it is simple to keep them ready, just keep in a plastic bag ......wash once a month or so and as long as you bathe with baking soda rinses...it is simple.....I spend no more time getting ready to take pix of hunt than I do getting ready to go to church and run sound ......I do spend more time getting ready to shoot a wedding tho :-}} tying that tie and making sure that bug repellent and doe scent is NOT in my cam pack is troublesome at times :-}}

JohnDC

A car works.

Harryb

JohnDC wrote: »

A car works.

Good pics and an excellent tip too John.

Using a car as blind is very effective. Birds usually do not perceive a car to be a threat. At the wetlands I've found myself to be able to get closer to my subjects than I can on foot.

dlplumer

JohnDC wrote: »

A car works.

donek

JohnDC wrote: »

A car works.

Did you exit the opposite side of the car and shoot from under it to get this angle? I have a couple of large vans and shooting out the window would produce nothing more than a snapshot of a bird on the ground. A subject that sits on the ground needs to be shot from a laying position.

JohnDC

donek wrote: »

Did you exit the opposite side of the car and shoot from under it to get this angle? I have a couple of large vans and shooting out the window would produce nothing more than a snapshot of a bird on the ground. A subject that sits on the ground needs to be shot from a laying position.

My car was a blind on wheels. I shot these with a 300mm lens resting on the padded window sill of an old Subaru Outback. The owls obliged by resting on the top of an elevated embankment. In addition, I hid behind a piece of sheer fabric over the window opening that had a slit for the lens. I had another piece of dark fabric behind me to help hide my silhouette.