The deer whisperer?
8:15am, 28th Jan 2025 | 1 Comments
Blog by um
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aka “Walking with Deer”
As some of you may have realised, one of my favourite activities is ‘walking with deer taking photos’. Not necessarily those remote Scottish or even Peak District moors, with hours of walking, but the far more treacherous soft southern New Forest. With it’s bogs. Where probably the biggest risk is cyclists on (or illegally not on) the cycle paths.
Saturday started bright and sunny. I’d felt a twinge in my knee, so we headed off to the Canadian Memorial car park, Off Roader would run and I’d walk, hunting deer. but by the time we were parking the sun had disappeared behind high level hazy cloud. But I was there. with camera, so stuck to the plan and we set off at different paces.
It didn’t take long. Within a few hundred yards I’d spotted a few deer in the woods. Helped by some useful ponies, I crept up on them.
At this time of year, the bucks are relatively relaxed, and barring sudden surprises, not really bothered by a lone, slow, quiet photographer. Happy to let me get alongside or even in front. And walk with them as they grazed their way along.
At this point we were getting close to the cycle path and a (perfectly law abiding) cyclist zipped past, spooking the deer
So I left them to it and headed down towards the main sanctuary fields.
Although first, I spotted another group to my right, heading back up towards the others. There was a bog between me and them, so I couldn’t get too close
Then, I spotted a few does off to the left of the path. I could get about half way towards them before another bog stopped me. But even when seen, they weren’t bothered,
I walked round the sanctuary fields, more pics in the link at the end, but just this one, which I quite liked
And then I walked back up the hill, looking all round for deer. All round except right in front of me! It was nearly across and gone before I noticed it,
At this point, and by prior design, Off Roader came running up the same hill, so we carried on together. Back to near where I’d left the first group of bucks, and the second group had been heading towards. And they’d joined forces.
All moving slowly through the woods, across the path, not too bothered by Off Roader or me,
Then one of the younger ones decided to move on, so the rest followed. It’s fairly easy to get rear views of deer like this, the real struggle is getting ahead and getting them walking towards the camera!
And that was it. Not a mega trek, 3 miles in 1¼ hours, close on 300 pics without the use of the continuous shooting (about 8 a second, so does increase the shot count a bit), of which about 80 to share.
Plus dry, but muddy trousers.
Then a bonus. On the way home, at the Nomansland/Landford cross roads, we spotted deer on the hillside, so we took a short diversion and stopped for a pic or two.
Here’s the full (80 not 300) set photos.app.goo.gl , including a pony or two!
As some of you may have realised, one of my favourite activities is ‘walking with deer taking photos’. Not necessarily those remote Scottish or even Peak District moors, with hours of walking, but the far more treacherous soft southern New Forest. With it’s bogs. Where probably the biggest risk is cyclists on (or illegally not on) the cycle paths.
Saturday started bright and sunny. I’d felt a twinge in my knee, so we headed off to the Canadian Memorial car park, Off Roader would run and I’d walk, hunting deer. but by the time we were parking the sun had disappeared behind high level hazy cloud. But I was there. with camera, so stuck to the plan and we set off at different paces.
It didn’t take long. Within a few hundred yards I’d spotted a few deer in the woods. Helped by some useful ponies, I crept up on them.
At this time of year, the bucks are relatively relaxed, and barring sudden surprises, not really bothered by a lone, slow, quiet photographer. Happy to let me get alongside or even in front. And walk with them as they grazed their way along.
At this point we were getting close to the cycle path and a (perfectly law abiding) cyclist zipped past, spooking the deer
So I left them to it and headed down towards the main sanctuary fields.
Although first, I spotted another group to my right, heading back up towards the others. There was a bog between me and them, so I couldn’t get too close
Then, I spotted a few does off to the left of the path. I could get about half way towards them before another bog stopped me. But even when seen, they weren’t bothered,
I walked round the sanctuary fields, more pics in the link at the end, but just this one, which I quite liked
And then I walked back up the hill, looking all round for deer. All round except right in front of me! It was nearly across and gone before I noticed it,
At this point, and by prior design, Off Roader came running up the same hill, so we carried on together. Back to near where I’d left the first group of bucks, and the second group had been heading towards. And they’d joined forces.
All moving slowly through the woods, across the path, not too bothered by Off Roader or me,
Then one of the younger ones decided to move on, so the rest followed. It’s fairly easy to get rear views of deer like this, the real struggle is getting ahead and getting them walking towards the camera!
And that was it. Not a mega trek, 3 miles in 1¼ hours, close on 300 pics without the use of the continuous shooting (about 8 a second, so does increase the shot count a bit), of which about 80 to share.
Plus dry, but muddy trousers.
Then a bonus. On the way home, at the Nomansland/Landford cross roads, we spotted deer on the hillside, so we took a short diversion and stopped for a pic or two.
Here’s the full (80 not 300) set photos.app.goo.gl , including a pony or two!
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um
Decided to take my retirement and focus on me time.More than 6 years on and still running, walking, deer stalking and taking photos.
SWCP and Wainwrights still work in progress.
Not getting any faster.
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