- Joined
- Mar 1, 2025
- Messages
- 427
- Reaction score
- 1,477
- Location
- Montana
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
I broke my foot bone, so I've been shooting from a vehicle.
For water birds, I use Google Maps to find a small clear pond on the west edge of a gravel road.
The evening before I will do a drive by to see the potential for a morning shoot.
Then I arrive at least an hour before sunrise the next morning.
I drape a ghillie blanket over the open window my lens sticks out of.
That way a bird cannot detect my movement and I can see through the ghillie.
Since my vehicle is higher than than the water level, I try for reflections at sunrise.
An example from yesterday morning, drake Cinnamon Teal:
Once the reflection potential is over, I head out for big game.
A vehicle slowing down typically spooks big game, while a stationary vehicle does not.
I try to park where there is a small hill outside the window so the subject is at eye level,
and I'm hundreds of meters ahead of the feeding direction of the animals.
A couple examples from yesterday morning: a bison calf, and a very pregnant pronghorn.
Another nice aspect of shooting from a stationary vehicle is the ability to stay dry while shooting in a downpour or blizzard.
But keep the vehicle inside temperature the same as the outside to prevent heat haze problems!
For water birds, I use Google Maps to find a small clear pond on the west edge of a gravel road.
The evening before I will do a drive by to see the potential for a morning shoot.
Then I arrive at least an hour before sunrise the next morning.
I drape a ghillie blanket over the open window my lens sticks out of.
That way a bird cannot detect my movement and I can see through the ghillie.
Since my vehicle is higher than than the water level, I try for reflections at sunrise.
An example from yesterday morning, drake Cinnamon Teal:
Once the reflection potential is over, I head out for big game.
A vehicle slowing down typically spooks big game, while a stationary vehicle does not.
I try to park where there is a small hill outside the window so the subject is at eye level,
and I'm hundreds of meters ahead of the feeding direction of the animals.
A couple examples from yesterday morning: a bison calf, and a very pregnant pronghorn.
Another nice aspect of shooting from a stationary vehicle is the ability to stay dry while shooting in a downpour or blizzard.
But keep the vehicle inside temperature the same as the outside to prevent heat haze problems!
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/41/41905-b622c7d92c817afea0d4f5704e7fb329.jpg?1734176270)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/41/41903-5ec48c22a1b66968c94f056b8ad647f2.jpg?1734176268)
