>>2572716I know nothing about photography but this anon does
>>2572720.
However, I can help with finding the best spots.
Look for animal tracks in the mud or sand near water. Ungulates, felines, canines, and bears drink water from rivers, lakes, ponds, etc., and have favorite places to drink water. Streams can also provide an easy route for many different animals to travel, and some animals like raccoon and beaver normally won't stray far from water. Elk like to wallow in mud to stay cool in the late summer. Ringtails are usually found near water. So look for water sources and you'll find nocturnal animals.
Look for game trails on ridges, saddles, below cliffs, between a water source and a food source (like an alfalfa field), at the edges of meadows and fields, and through brushy or heavily wooded areas. Animals will take the easiest way possible to move from a food source to a water source to a bedding area or den. Some animals, like cougars and wolverines, travel large circuitous routes within their territory and you can expect to see the same animal every few days at a spot on that route. Other animals migrate with the seasons and you'll have to locate fresh tracks or scat to find the route.
Once you find a place that has lots of fresh sign, immediately back out of the area, retracing your steps for a few hundred yards. Don't go back to the place where you turned around for a few days. The idea is to disturb the area as little as possible and prevent the animal from changing its routine. At this point, you should make camp somewhere a few hundred yards from the animal sign (tracks, game trail, scat, etc.). Now your mission is to let the animals get used to your presence at a distance, so if you camp quietly for a couple of weeks and don't move closer the animals will accept your scent and not freak out.
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