Hunting with a Camera

Just had an interesting thought as I stared at a photo of a flying goose I shot last autumn that my husband printed and framed and had on a table in the nook of our kitchen.  I walked away with the goose in my mind.  

I began remembering that day.  I had gone into the woods on a foggy day and took a series of surreal photos of the woods and whatever wildlife I could capture.  

On my way out from the woods, on the path back toward my car, I saw the landscape covered with geese as I often do.  But right away I saw something unusual in the crowd- there was a white-headed goose while all the other Canadian Geese's head were black.

I immediately started tweaking the settings on my camera getting ready to keep up with the goose, and somehow- that goose knew it!  He must always attract attention because as I made my way closer, none of the other geese really ran but he started heading out- running.  I began snapping him with the camera, panning him as he ran and then jumped up and made flight.  He flew a wide circle around me that I managed to catch and flew off.  

And I started thinking about how I get to hunt in a way- but instead of a rifle, or other, I'm using a camera and documenting the creature in its own habitat, and leaving it be.  As a matter of fact, we feel privileged when we do encounter creatures that we are able to photograph.  I know I do.  I think- wow, that was cool to see.