Richmond Park or Bushey Park? For photographing Deer.

[RedRobin]

I am up in London this weekend staying with friends on Wimbledon Common and can visit these parks on Sunday on my way home to West Dorset. I have yet to photograph Deer and would value any tips or information about these two locations. I know that Deer are usually difficult to approach.

My longest lens is a Canon 400mm F/5.6L (on 7D Mark II).

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[maninsuitcase]

The lens/body will be fine, I've not been this year but last year I was using 300mm on a full frame and even that was too much at times, but I did use my 1.4x aswell.

I can't comment on which but bushy doesn't have much parking so unless you go early or later (ie for sun down) it can be hard to park. Bushy is smaller that Richmond to which may be an advantage or not depending on how you look at it. I like it as it means less hunting for the deer.

I wouldn't say the deer are hard to approach either, in fact you can get very close. But just because you can doesn't mean you should. These deer can cause you serious injury if you arn't paying attention to their moods and behaviour. Just pay attention, don't get too close and always keep an eye out as they can come up behind you if you're not paying any attention.

 

[damianmkv]

You can definitely get close to the deer, as my youngest demonstrated earlier this year. Taken with a 70-300


a helping held by damianmkv, on Flickr

Crap shot but hey ho. There are loads of deer in Bushy - this was taken near the entrance from Kingston

 

[dalegt4]

Thats amazing, ive seen them fairly close but go within 15m and they run, thats awesome that above.

I may have to partake in a drive down south!

 

[damianmkv]

The ones in Bushy are quite used to "interaction" during the summer months due to the sheer number of park visitors. They may not have the same placid temperament in rutting season

 

[maninsuitcase]

The ones in Bushy are quite used to "interaction" during the summer months due to the sheer number of park visitors. They may not have the same placid temperament in rutting season

I wouldn't try that in the rut, I've had to tell parents to back their kids away from a clearly angry stag more than once. To be fair I wouldn't do that even outside of the rut but then that's me.

 

[RedRobin]

Thanks for all the info, guys

Clearly they need all the same respect involved in approaching any wild animal, and even many farm and domesticated animals. You don't start pestering a mare when she has a foal, for example.

I don't intend to behave any less cautiously if it isn't but is it still the rutting season?

 

[Gremlin]

Rutting is almost over for the Red Deer, Fallows may still be going, but it is a bit late.
To be honest I'm not a big fan of Bushy, although it is smaller and if you walk through the fenced part
you may see the tame fox if it's still there, been a while since I went.
I prefer Richmond but you will probably have to do a fair bit of walking to see the deer.

 

[RedRobin]

I prefer Richmond but you will probably have to do a fair bit of walking to see the deer.

....I used to train nearly every weekday evening around Richmond Park when I was an amateur racing cyclist, so I know its size. I'll check it out and what will be, or not, will be. I once narrowly missed being hit by a leaping Deer over a hedge down a lane I was cycling on in Surrey - It could have been very nasty indeed as it was a young stag with antlers.

 

[Gremlin]

I see them regularly driving around for work, mostly Roe deer though

The Richmond Park Reds are quite friendly too, this one kept following us on a TP meet a couple of years ago, Tim had quite a chat with it

 

[RedRobin]

That photo is begging for a caption, Ingrid!

Thanks for your info Appreciated.

 

[The W]

IMO Richmond Park has the nicer landscaping to go with the deer, but it's also the 'bigger name' so you'll find yourself part of a larger rampaging horde of photographers (at least during the rut). Bushy Park feels much more like small park, but is better for 'deer in the bracken' shots.

I believe the annual post-rut culls is currently in progress so there's no 24-hour pedestrian access for several weeks. It might also mean that the deer are a bit more reclusive than usual.