Wildlife: Don't Bait
By Deb Tappan
Contributing Editor
The idea of using attractants, called baiting, to photograph wildlife is a controversial one. Baiting is dangerous for both photographer and animal. There are those who choose to bait but with that approach comes great responsibility. At the very least, you are training wild animals to disregard their natural protective instincts when you bait. At the very worst, you are causing them to become dependant on a food source that you alone are providing them and this can be catastrophic.
The impacts are cumulative as well as sloping. For instance, if the bait isn't getting you the results you are after, do you try a "food," which is not naturally a part of that species diet? Are you knowledgeable enough about their physiology to know what food products are safe?
For certain species, something as seemingly innocuous as potato chips can result in their death. What about using other forms of attractants. Do you now add calls or scents? What about a blind?* If you're on US national parkland, all of these things are strictly prohibited. Eg. Professional Photography Program.
The US National Park Service has been actively engaged in educating visitors as to safe and proper food storage and animal watching behavior. Their efforts in this regard seem to be helping.
* A blind is a camouflaged structure from which a photographer shoots. It may be a permanent structure that is part of the parkland/protected land or a portable structure that an individual carries with them out into the field.
Dangers of habituating animals
Photo: Dall Sheep
Photo & text: Copyright 2006 Deborah Siminski Tappan. All rights reserved.
