Animal recognition of human form

[bilko]

I made that easy sling yesterday with the 2 knots and while i was reading about the indian technique of hunting i came across a sentence that interestested me. it was to do with keeping your arms by your sides so the bird doesn't recognise you!
Also speaking to a good friend last night about cooking hedghog in clay and the topic of animals recognising you came up. is it true that if you don't walk in the robotic way that humans do then animals won't recognise you? almost like they don't see you? I also remember in Jeremia Johnson where he could walk out infront of deer from behind a horse and then pop up and shoot over the saddle.

So, apart from being quiet is there a technique to get closer to wildlife ( which are in view ) by hiding your human form? Obviously being down wind.
Sorry if it sounds naive or vague but it fascinates me to think that animals may not recognise us from a little distance.

 

[Hawkeye The Noo]

You know how when you just know someone else is staring at you; for example in a car on the motorway, you look and some kid is staring at you. Well there are two types of vision preditor vision which is direct and focused and herbivore which is wide angled and non focused. Try stalking on the animal you have tracked using wide angle vision. You will notice a big difference fast. You are being less threatining. The difference is not always between the animal noticing you and not noticing you but in the animal feeling threatened.

If there are no animals try creeping up on your friends or kids and attach a clothes peg on them without them noticing.

Hope this helps

Jamie

 

[HuBBa]

it depends a bit on what animal of course but a lot trigger on movement and shape first. Sound will alert them but not necessarily trigger flight unless it's excessive. But if they see something they do not like, they will move. And if they see movement that might also trigger flight. So stay low, try to use the environment to your advantage, and move slow.

then of course smell (which the wind will affect) is also an alert factor. But as long as you don't overly spook the animal, small alerts will work fine.

And if the animal bolts.. well.. thats why we have tracking

 

[bilko]

You know how when you just know someone else is staring at you; for example in a car on the motorway, you look and some kid is staring at you. Well there are two types of vision preditor vision which is direct and focused and herbivore which is wide angled and non focused. Try stalking on the animal you have tracked using wide angle vision. You will notice a big difference fast. You are being less threatining. The difference is not always between the animal noticing you and not noticing you but in the animal feeling threatened.

If there are no animals try creeping up on your friends or kids and attach a clothes peg on them without them noticing.

Hope this helps

Jamie

Thanks guys
This just makes sense in a feels right way though. Almost know exactly what you mean.

 

[beowolf762]

When I have stalked deer, I try to break up my steps into irregular patterns: take a step and wait, take three steps and wait, take one step and wait, ect. people usually walk in a regular cadence(sp) and I think animals can tell the cadence as human.
Also I try to avoid direct eye contact with the animal. I have been in well camoflaged blinds, with a good backdrop and have had deer come within 4 feet of the blind and feed., But if they saw I was looking at them directly the deer would bolt.