Posted by Ian Jeffery on December 4, 2007 at 6:41 AM
Hello everyone! How are we this dark and dreary day?
I have a question! Well...several...and im thinking your the guys/girls to ask.
I really want to photograph some real life, proper wild foxes, my girlfriends garden is a sort of small woodland area, where i have seen foxes from time to time and where you can hear them every so often.
What is the best way do you think of establishing how many foxes are there and where their likely routes are? Once i have done this, what is the next stage in increasing my chances of snapping them? I have read about putting down custard cream biscuits as they love these.
Is the best course of action for me to lay a sort of sand trap thing on the ground so that i can see their footprints, then once i have done this, put some biccies down to get them to come back and forth more often?
Im not so worried about stuff like setting up a hide, but am just after a bit of info regarding preperation work before actually photographing them :)
Hope you guys can help :)
Posted by Andy Astbury on December 4, 2007 at 7:09 AM
Ian, I take it this is an urban or semi-so enviroment we're talking about, because their country cousins behave in a much different manner and frequently have much larger territories, but one thing they both share is their lack of desire to cross open spaces - especially mature animals.
Look along the fences and hedges that bound the garden area - holes under fences, apparent 'tunnels' in vegetation and scuff marks on the sides of fence panels - both sides.
Crusty old coots like me can smell foxes as they are rather pungent - once you know what they smell like you can't miss it!
More often than not they will only use a route one way, usually only travelling the opposite way down the same route as a reaction to a 'fright' - the upshot of all this is that they are quite predictable.
If you have an area where foxes frquently visit try putting food down to get them in the habbit of visiting your area with deliberate intent rather than by way of transit to somewhere else.
You'll perhaps need to 'bait' every day for a good 2 weeks to really get them used to the idea, and as this baiting time progresses use smaller items of food - broken biscuits, raisins, sultanas etc.
If you use larger items they will carry them away, the small stuff means they've got to hang around to get a feed - this is the stage where you can start clicking away to your hearts content.
Watch the breeze, keep downwind, well hidden, still, and wrap the camera to try and muffle the sound of the mirror.
AND THE VERY BEST OF LUCK mate
Posted by Ian Jeffery on December 4, 2007 at 7:18 AM
Ah cheeers Andy, well yeah, its in an urban-ish environment, but the garden backs onto sort of bramble bushes etc, and either side are next door gardens, which are quite wild as well. I saw a fox in the garden there about a month or so back in full view at 9 oclock in the morning, so i know they are about the place.
Is Winter the best time of year to start baiting? Im thinking it is as food is scarce, so its probably harder work to get food.
Yeah i've thought hard about the whole hiding thing, i have a possible location where there is a nice background there, the only trouble is the light is a bit of an issue as its in a wooded area there's quite a few shadowey areas. Im thinking i might assess the light situation and plan where i put the bait depending on this.
Im guessing earlyish morning/evening are the best time for snapping foxes?
Posted by Rob Howard on December 4, 2007 at 7:45 AM
Hi Ian,
Andy gives some sound advice, but please if you do start feeding them don't just stop when you have your images, as the Fox will be expecting food, much better to do little and often from the start. Once you know what a Fox smells like you will never miss the scent of another one!! Hard to describe the scent, it's a sort of musty damp smell. Will be best to leave food where the light is best dawn/dusk, as this is where they are most active. I have recently been working at night in the suburbs of Leicester and was staggered by the amount of Foxes that were active.
Good Luck
Regards
Rob
Posted by Ian Jeffery on December 4, 2007 at 7:54 AM
Hey Rob,
Yeah, i wouldnt stop feeding them, obviously the foxes welfare comes first before any photo, so thats top of my list that i dont cause harm to them :)
Well, i think im going to assess the light now on the weekend, see where is best at dawn and dusk and then work around that. Im quite excited about it, i love foxes and it would be amazing to get a few nice photos of them
Posted by Dave Sewell on December 4, 2007 at 9:45 AM
Hi Ian, Excellent thread. I'm now really looking looking forward to seeing what results you get. The occasional update on progress, whether you actually have achieved images or not, would be great. Good luck!
Dave
Posted by Ian Jeffery on December 4, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Ah thanks very much David, yeah ill keep you guys updated. Im going to start just by putting some sand down just to see the tracks a bit easier, the groud is quite leafy and i dont really want to clear too much as i dont want to leave disturb the ground and leave my scent etc. Thats this weekend's task i think, some sand and see what wanders accross it! :)
Yeah ill keep you all updated on stuff :)
Posted by Elliott Neep on December 4, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Hi Ian. After nearly 5 years experience with foxes, I can safely say that your project will depend entirely on the 'character' of the local fox. Some are used to humans and their smell - others will bolt at the slightest movement. My recent project involved about a month of setting up, only to discover that the dog fox was used to humans and approached me for food and the vixen was a polar opposite. Looking forward to seeing the results.
The softly, softly approach is best even though you maybe able to photo some foxes in the street without hiding. In back gardens they will not be expecting two-legged, smelly company.
I second Andy and Robs comments. This this link below should help your project. Please read the end to ensure you feed them the right food groups.
Posted by Ian Jeffery on December 4, 2007 at 11:09 AM
Hey Elliott, thanks for the tips and the link, super, super usefull! :) The food bit is brilliant, and very usefull, so ta very much for that.
Well, the one i saw in the garden previously, was quite close and sort of stood there and stared at me inquisitivly so i think they are semi used to humanoids.
Im going to aim for the garden approach as id like to have a certain, small amount of influence on lighting conditions, background and foreground conditions, and hopefully it will give me ace views of foxes, even if i dont manage to get amazing photos :) Plus the garden is semi-wild anyways, its just been sort of left to its own, so there is plenty of cover, ill head up there shortly just to build a rough hide so anything up there has time to get used to it and so the smell rubs off way before i use it.
Hopefully sometime early next year ill get some nice photos :)
Posted by Brian McGeough on December 4, 2007 at 11:28 AM
No pressure but I am waiting now for the next installment of foxy foxes already, keep us all updated as to how you get on, I would like to have ago at this myself.
Cheers
Brian
Posted by Ian Jeffery on December 4, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Haha, im feeling the pressure already...what have i done! :) I will definatly keep you all updated on the progress, im off down the beach later to "borrow" a little bit of sand to see what wanders across the garden when im not around.
And then the next stage is praying that something decides it would be a great idea to have a little walk over my sand, thus letting me know that there is actually something there to photograph in the first place! Im excited now, i see loads of foxes about the place, but have never really had a good look at one, so even seeing one will prove a very exciting prospect
Discussion
10 repliesI have a question! Well...several...and im thinking your the guys/girls to ask.
I really want to photograph some real life, proper wild foxes, my girlfriends garden is a sort of small woodland area, where i have seen foxes from time to time and where you can hear them every so often.
What is the best way do you think of establishing how many foxes are there and where their likely routes are? Once i have done this, what is the next stage in increasing my chances of snapping them? I have read about putting down custard cream biscuits as they love these.
Is the best course of action for me to lay a sort of sand trap thing on the ground so that i can see their footprints, then once i have done this, put some biccies down to get them to come back and forth more often?
Im not so worried about stuff like setting up a hide, but am just after a bit of info regarding preperation work before actually photographing them :)
Hope you guys can help :)
Look along the fences and hedges that bound the garden area - holes under fences, apparent 'tunnels' in vegetation and scuff marks on the sides of fence panels - both sides.
Crusty old coots like me can smell foxes as they are rather pungent - once you know what they smell like you can't miss it!
More often than not they will only use a route one way, usually only travelling the opposite way down the same route as a reaction to a 'fright' - the upshot of all this is that they are quite predictable.
If you have an area where foxes frquently visit try putting food down to get them in the habbit of visiting your area with deliberate intent rather than by way of transit to somewhere else.
You'll perhaps need to 'bait' every day for a good 2 weeks to really get them used to the idea, and as this baiting time progresses use smaller items of food - broken biscuits, raisins, sultanas etc.
If you use larger items they will carry them away, the small stuff means they've got to hang around to get a feed - this is the stage where you can start clicking away to your hearts content.
Watch the breeze, keep downwind, well hidden, still, and wrap the camera to try and muffle the sound of the mirror.
AND THE VERY BEST OF LUCK mate
Is Winter the best time of year to start baiting? Im thinking it is as food is scarce, so its probably harder work to get food.
Yeah i've thought hard about the whole hiding thing, i have a possible location where there is a nice background there, the only trouble is the light is a bit of an issue as its in a wooded area there's quite a few shadowey areas. Im thinking i might assess the light situation and plan where i put the bait depending on this.
Im guessing earlyish morning/evening are the best time for snapping foxes?
Andy gives some sound advice, but please if you do start feeding them don't just stop when you have your images, as the Fox will be expecting food, much better to do little and often from the start. Once you know what a Fox smells like you will never miss the scent of another one!! Hard to describe the scent, it's a sort of musty damp smell. Will be best to leave food where the light is best dawn/dusk, as this is where they are most active. I have recently been working at night in the suburbs of Leicester and was staggered by the amount of Foxes that were active.
Good Luck
Regards
Rob
Yeah, i wouldnt stop feeding them, obviously the foxes welfare comes first before any photo, so thats top of my list that i dont cause harm to them :)
Well, i think im going to assess the light now on the weekend, see where is best at dawn and dusk and then work around that. Im quite excited about it, i love foxes and it would be amazing to get a few nice photos of them
Dave
Yeah ill keep you all updated on stuff :)
The softly, softly approach is best even though you maybe able to photo some foxes in the street without hiding. In back gardens they will not be expecting two-legged, smelly company.
I second Andy and Robs comments. This this link below should help your project. Please read the end to ensure you feed them the right food groups.
http://www.enwp.co.uk/blog/photographing-urban-foxes.htm
Well, the one i saw in the garden previously, was quite close and sort of stood there and stared at me inquisitivly so i think they are semi used to humanoids.
Im going to aim for the garden approach as id like to have a certain, small amount of influence on lighting conditions, background and foreground conditions, and hopefully it will give me ace views of foxes, even if i dont manage to get amazing photos :) Plus the garden is semi-wild anyways, its just been sort of left to its own, so there is plenty of cover, ill head up there shortly just to build a rough hide so anything up there has time to get used to it and so the smell rubs off way before i use it.
Hopefully sometime early next year ill get some nice photos :)
Cheers
Brian
And then the next stage is praying that something decides it would be a great idea to have a little walk over my sand, thus letting me know that there is actually something there to photograph in the first place!