Before you go...

• Don't use perfumes, flowery smelling shampoos, after-shave, or other unnatural scents when you go out to observe wildlife.
• Wear muted, natural-colored clothing. This will help you blend in with the environment. The farther you go into the wilderness, the more important this is.
• Dress in clothing that makes no sound as you move. Rustling windbreakers, nylon knapsacks, rattling plastic bags, etc., decrease your chances of seeing wildlife. Animals in parks and refuges are more accustomed to seeing people and cars and may let you get closer, even if you wear perfume, glittery jewelry, etc., but animals in the wilderness will slip away before you get a chance to see them.
• For better vision, shade your eyes with a cap or visor.
• Take binoculars or a spotting scope, so you can "get close" without getting close.
• Leave your dog at home!

• Be quiet. Talk sparingly in a soft voice. Walk quietly, but don't sneak.
• Find signs that animals use the area. Look for tracks. Animals use trails, and their tracks show you where you might wait to view them.
• Learn to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n! Stop and look for several minutes. Sit down and use all of your senses. Listen for movement and calls. Catch the smells of your surroundings.
• Look ahead. When you walk through an area, the wildlife may slip away unseen because you're too close. Ahead the animals are not aware of your presence yet.
• If you choose to sit in one place and wait, flatten yourself against a tree or rock and try to blend in with the landscape. Sit with the sun to your back. Sit in a place where there is cover for wildlife. Rarely will wildlife cross a big, open space to pass by you.
• Watch or movement or colors and shapes that seem out of place.
• If you are close to rushing rivers or streams, look upstream and down. Often the noise of the flowing water will deaden your noise and an animal will not realize you are there.

• If you glimpse an animal, freeze! Staying absolutely motionless is the same technique many animals use to keep from being detected. You can use it too.
• If an animal you are watching sees you, but doesn't flee, avert your eyes. "Staring" is a threatening gesture to most wildlife, so glance out of the corners of your eyes.
• If the animal seems to tolerate you, try the "lost wallet" routine to get a little closer. Watch for signs that you are getting too close.

At all times...

Respect the environment. Step lightly. Leave rocks, logs, flowers, nests, etc., as you found them.