Wildlife Callers

This is part 2 of Chad Messa’s guest post here at Wildlife Callers.  Chad talks about the importance of scouting and using animal calls to get his photos. This information hopefully will help our readers in their own pursuit of that one great wildlife photo shot!  This information also applies to hunting predators as well. 

Photographing wildlife is very similar to hunting, although I sometimes have to get closer and be a lot more patient. This is because I have to get more than just one shot of a given animal.

I like to be anywhere from 20 to 30 yards away. This gives me the opportunity to get a good tight photograph of that animal for cover shots. When good action shots are needed I try to stay a little farther away.

The single most important lesson I can give is this, learn about the species you are going to photograph, read all you can about that species before you even attempt to go out and photograph them.

Learn when they are breeding, what their diet consists of, and when they are most active.

After hours and days of scouting for my subject, it’s time for the shoot. I now know that the particular species I need to photograph is in the general area. People ask if I just sit and wait for animals to come by so I can photograph them. Well, it’s not quite that easy, so now it’s time to get to my stand and break out the calls.

I use hand calls once I have done my scouting, this gives me the opportunity to get the quality photos I need for my business. 

If I am shooting bull elk during the rut, I use a Primos cow call. This will make the bull think there is a female that got away from him and come running to the call to round her up. Of course finding that big bull elk is a challenge in itself. For that I use a Bugle call.

When shooting whitetail deer during the rut, I really like the Primos buck roar, paired with a doe bleet. But keep in mind that I have scared away many small bucks with this call. It is designed to mimic the sound of a very large buck and if there is one anywhere around it will respond to this call. It also straps around your wrist so while I’m shooting I can still blow through the call.

I use calls for nearly every type of mammal out there.  Some are only good for the breeding seasons when the males and females are vocal.

 Here is where the predators come in.  I love calling and photographing predators as you can call them year round.

I normally have three calls with me – cottontail, woodpecker, and fawn bleet.  I normally use Johnny Stewart and Primos calls. I like them and have had great success with them, but there are a lot of other companies out there who make some great calls. When I find something that works for me, I stick with it.

I have been using hand calls for years but recently I’ve been introduced to electronic wildlife calls from the guys here at Wildlife Callers.  I’m slowly starting to realize that e-calls are the way to go.

 The downside to hand calls when shooting photographs of animals is I have to work the call while trying to get the shot. Also, the movements caused by calling and shooting add difficulty to the process. It’s not as bad with deer, elk and ducks, but predators are another story. Predators have keen eyesight and pick up on any movement, this is where using an electronic wildlife caller has it’s advantages because I can set up the caller and my stand in seperate areas. 

The biggest difference in hunting with a gun and hunting with a camera is that I need the subject animal to hang around a while longer.  My camera is constantly moving to keep up with the action and this is where I like the idea of e-calls. The subject animal zeros in on the sound and I’m free to concentrate on getting shots.

The advantage to hand calls are they don’t need batteries, are very light, and fit in my pocket, but the subject animal will always be focused on me.

Camouflage is also a tool I use but not always necessary, but can make a huge difference with certain animals. I have photographed bull elk wearing just Carhartt jeans and a black t-shirt, yet have worn full leafy wear camo when shooting whitetail deer.

With that said, normally I am in camo while shooting because it is tailored to the needs hunters and outdoorsmen. I like having a lot of pockets and not having to worry about blending in to my surroundings. I would have to say that disguising your silhouette is also key i.e. Ghillie suit – The ultimate tool!  They can be heavy, uncomfortable, and hot, but, like I said, these are all tools I use.

When it comes down to it, all I really need is my camera and lens, knowledge of the animal I am photographing and patience.

I could go on for hours, but I won’t bore you with specifics. Thank ya’ll for the opportunity to share my experience in wildlife photography. Wildlife is my first love, photography is what I do. I have been fortunate enough to combine the two and enjoy my rewarding career.

 Thanks Again,

 Chad Messa

Mesa Sky Wildlife Photography

http://www.mesaskyphotography.com/

Chad@mesaskyphotography.com

Wildlife Callers wants to thank Chad for sharing his tips and his photos with us and our readers.  We hope Chad will continue to contribute to the blog when he has time, I’m sure our readers would appreciate that and I know we will welcome his posts anytime he wishes!

Remember, Wildlife Callers blog is free, sign up so you don’t miss a post!  Thanks for visiting, we’ll see you in the field!

Marc Reindell

marc@wildlifecallers.com