British Deer Society Code of Conduct for photographing deer

Wow never thought of them doing photography Tip's
Not the sort of shooting they normally advocate.
 
A lot of people leave common sense at the gates of Richmond and Bushy Parks - see idiocy each time I go through...
 
Many of us tend to think of Deer as docile subjects, which they usually are, just don't go near a loser during the rut! A friend of mine had to "leg it" a bit sharpish when photographing a Red Stag. He was using an APSH camera (1D4) and a 400mm lens, so he was certainly not close but had to dive for thick bushes, where the deer's antlers were too large to enter, so he could escape! The deer made quite a mess of the Rhododendron bushes that he dived into! When sneaking up on some Red Deer I found myself being stalked by a Pere David Buck - he got annoyed with me from 300+ yards away! Another Pere David simply went for me just for the hell of it! Luckily I was setting up an Archery target so I had something to hide behind.

Note these were all "Park" deer who are VERY accustomed to having people/dogs around - sometimes they just get grumpy..............
 
Many of us tend to think of Deer as docile subjects, which they usually are, just don't go near a loser during the rut! A friend of mine had to "leg it" a bit sharpish when photographing a Red Stag. He was using an APSH camera (1D4) and a 400mm lens, so he was certainly not close but had to dive for thick bushes, where the deer's antlers were too large to enter, so he could escape! The deer made quite a mess of the Rhododendron bushes that he dived into! When sneaking up on some Red Deer I found myself being stalked by a Pere David Buck - he got annoyed with me from 300+ yards away! Another Pere David simply went for me just for the hell of it! Luckily I was setting up an Archery target so I had something to hide behind.

Note these were all "Park" deer who are VERY accustomed to having people/dogs around - sometimes they just get grumpy..............

And don't go near a winner either !! I had to leg it after watching a contest between two stags near Bridge of Orchy. I was lying on the ground watching through binoculars. When the loser ran off I stood up (big mistake). The winner must have thought I was the next challenger and came towards me at a trot. Luckily, for me, running off downhill satisfied him.
Wild animals .......... always unpredictable.
 
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And don't go near a winner either !! I had to leg it after watching a contest between two stags near Bridge of Orchy. I was lying on the ground watching through binoculars. When the loser ran off I stood up (big mistake). The winner must have thought I was the next challenger and came towards me at a trot. Luckily, for me, running off downhill satisfied him.
Wild animals .......... always unpredictable.

I wish my experience on North Uist was as easy. My encounter ended up with 2 tirn and bleeding legs, torn harkila trousers and damaged pride. I had to run and dive over a barbed wire fence causing the damage to myself. All this when i was around 50-75m from some hinds but i disnt see the stag to the side about 150m from me. The hinds could hear my shutter but not see or smell me, they started barking which alerted the stag who came running, i stood up and he stopped then made 2 false charges. At this i dropped my camera gear to get ready for a short run and then he came running and my legs were in full flow till i got to the fence, by this time he was within 5m of me as i dived over the fence, luckily he stopped and he just stared for a few moment before walking off. Close on indeed but all my fault for being close to his ladies and thinking they couldnt see ir smell me but forgetting the shutter noise. Lol
 
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