Seasons in the Wild

Mule Deer rut

As the season changes from summer to fall many will be heading to the field to partake in a bit of wildlife photography.  Fall is my favorite time of the year and being in the field is a spiritual experience for me.  Cold crisp mornings, the changing of the colors and the anticipation of spectacular wildlife images to come!  Whether you’re an amateur or seasoned professional we all feel the excitement of photographing wildlife even if from our car windows.  But for most of us we know very little about their behaviors, habitats, migration patterns or even the subjects themselves.  How is it that some photographers come back with inspiring, jaw-dropping images, is it luck or do they know something they’re not telling the rest if us?

Well, truth be told, it’s a bit of both; yes we can all use a healthy dose of luck whether it be dramatic light, a spectacular specimen or an unbelievable performance by our quarry luck is not a bad thing to have on our side.  But there’s a bit more to the story; just like the changing of the seasons, wildlife have seasons of their own.  These seasons drive their behavior, their movements, and even the timing of the birth of their young.

Elk combat

Let’s take a look at some of these seasons and how they can play a role in improving our photographic successes.  First we’ll look at a season you might be a bit familiar with, for ungulates or hooved animals the RUT, or the breeding season.  Whether you’re a bison, elk, pronghorn, deer, or antelope you go through the rut.  Whether you’re in the northern or southern hemispheres the rut takes place in the fall of the year but, its genesis begins much earlier with the increasing of testosterone levels in the males.  Throughout the spring and summer months these levels slowly increase until as the daylight hours shorten in the fall the rut is triggered.  Depending on how long the gestation period is for the females the rut may begin early in the fall, mid-September for elk, or very late, late November or even December, as with Bighorn Sheep in North America.  For instance, elk and moose have longer gestations than deer so they rut in mid to late September and into early October, deer on the other hand don’t begin their rut until mid to late October and stay in rut through late November.  This is when you’re going to see those unforgettable battles between the bulls or bucks to win the right to breed.  Herding, sparing, flehmen, and mating are other behaviors to look for during the rut.  The animals are also much more active during the rut as the urge to breed is all consuming.

Breaching Humpback Whale

How about MIGRATIONS?  Migrations are normally triggered by the search for food or to escape the colder temperatures brought on by winter.  For instance caribou in the far north migrate both in the early summer and fall; in the fall they’re moving from the more open tundra in the taiga forests where winter temperatures are warmer and the biting cold of the arctic winds is diminished.

However, in the spring they’re on the move again, back to the tundra where an explosion of growth brought on by the long daylight hours offers abundant food.  But, the male and female caribou only migrate together in the fall when the rut takes place during the seasonal migration. 

Each spring Humpback whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, from their wintering grounds near the Hawaiian Islands to the cold nutrient rich waters of Alaska.  Want to photograph breaching, bubble netting, and the classic tail shot?  Head to Alaska in June.

Alaskan Brown Bear chasing salmon

Generally mammals give birth in the spring and early summer, their BIRTHING season.  How about predator species?  Well, many predators key on migrations in order to feed their young or to put on weight lost during the winter.  Each year millions of salmon return to the rivers and stream of the Pacific Northwest.  Here, the gigantic brown bears gather to take advantage of this seasonal feast.  These coastal brown bears, actually grizzlies, grow much, much larger than their interior cousins on a fat, calorie rich diet of salmon.  The young of many predator species are born in March and April, that way when they are weaned prey species such as deer, moose, and elk have given birth in late May and June supplying plenty of food for the parents to feed the youngsters.  Looking to get some stalking images? 

Turkey Strut

These seasons hold true whether you’re north or south of the equator, remember the seasons are off by 6 months depending on which side of the equator you’re on; for instance spring in North America begins in March while it’s the beginning of fall in Australia.   One exception to be aware of is in tropical regions near the equator daylight hours vary very little and many mammals can and do breed throughout the year so it’s possible to see young in December and January.  Since food is readily available throughout the year, temperatures don’t vary, and daylight hours are constant, traditional rutting seasons are less likely.

Dall Seep pursuit

Understanding when these key seasons take place will dramatically increase your success rate at capturing stunning wildlife images your friends will be amazed with.  Of course you still have to get out in the field, what’s the old saying, “f8 and be there”.  A healthy dose of effort and ambition will go a long way also, if you’re willing to get out of the car are you willing to walk a mile?  If you go once are you willing to go day after day for a week?  Do your homework before heading to the field and you’ll be seeing results before you know it!

Hope this has helped even if just a little, if you’d like to learn more email; info@nickfucciphoto.com and request information on our photography workshops and safaris; we offer both private and group, field and classroom instruction.  

Nick Fucci Outdoor & Nature Photography, your “Photo Coach”