We’ve been hiking down Bear Trap Canyon for a couple of hours now, and I’m more than ready for lunch. I stop by a big log, turn to Bill and suggest that this would be a good stopping place.
“Well, maybe not.”
“Why not? I’m starving. It’s a good place to sit.”
“Ummm…the guy right behind you thinks so too.”
What?? I turn to my right, and about jump out of my skin. There’s a big dude sitting not three feet from me, totally decked out in camouflage. Holy crow…that stuff works! He laughs, we laugh, and we move on to find our own lunch spot.
We learned this nifty hiding trick from the animals, of course.
How about this example? Not the bear, he doesn’t need camouflage. But do you see anyone else in this photo?
Is it easier if you look where the bear is looking?
Sometimes we can be distracted by one critter and not see everyone in the frame. I bet if you just take a quick look at these photos who won’t see everyone…
Pretty cool, eh?
Standing still works pretty well, too. I saw a couple of these herons at first, but didn’t realize there were so many of them until I looked at the photo!
And I was so distracted by the lovely forms these two herons were creating that I totally missed that there were two babies in the nest:
Sandhill cranes can hide themselves incredibly well…except for that silly red spot on the top of their heads.
The system works much better if the light isn’t on them:
Owls have this camouflage thing nailed. I bet I’ve walked within feet of hundreds of owls without a clue that they’re there. Even when you know they’re there, it can be a challenge.
Of course, the old stand-by technique of putting a lot of brush around you is always a good choice. Do you see anything in this tangle of branches?
How about now?
Or closer? Now you see the moose, I bet!
She was so well hidden, I just about walked into her. What a shock that would have been!
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
You certainly proved the point. I hate the fact that I’ve walked by all these great opportunities.
I was thinking I should have photographed the guy in his camo gear! (I guess I could have posted a picture of a log with greenery around it and said that he was in it. Dang.)
That would have been good. Never miss a chance to drive people crazy.
So cool! I had fun trying to find everything…
Oh good…that makes me happy.
Love your pics! Recently my husband and I completed a four day backpack in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I told my husband that even tho we saw no bear, I’m sure they were there. We were so busy watching our step no telling what we passed by!
Yep, I’m sure they were watching you! Thanks.
Absolutely brilliant! Like a game. Only not a game in real life if you run into a moose! My favorite is the owl behind the twig screen. As for the first photo, I had to blow it up to see the little guy in the bottom right. I hope he wasn’t lunch for the bear! Great post!
Thanks. (And no, the bear was busy protecting a deer carcass from the coyote!)
These are great! I think I found all the animals in camo, but you’re right, it’s so easy to overlook them.
Thanks – and thanks for looking for them!
Wow! You are so lucky to see all that you see. I had to look hard to see the little guy near the bear. You should work for National Geographic!
Nice. The coyote was hard to see in real life, too. He came up when I wasn’t looking and just hunkered down, waiting for his turn at the carcass. I didn’t notice him until I saw that the bear was looking at him!
Great post. I too would have liked a photo of the guy in camo; or was he there and I just didn’t see him?
Ha! OK, yes…I’ll go with that: he’s in one of the pictures!
I didn’t see the deer carcass until you mentioned it. That could be a tricky situation if the bear thought you were too close. 🙂
Tricky indeed! The bear was – no surprise – in Yellowstone. I don’t think we’d be able to get that close anywhere else.
What an interesting post. I’d never really thought about this much since I’m not an outdoors adventurer like you. As always, this is a great lesson in not just looking, but truly seeing.
I’d never thought about it much either, until I started noticing things in some photos that I hadn’t noticed at first. Thanks.
Oh man, I kept looking for a photo of the guy in his camo outfit! LOL
Sorry! Should have taken one, that’s for sure. 🙂
Wow! Nice collection of photos. It is a fascinating world out there when we take the time to look.
Absolutely is. Thanks for taking the time to look at these!
Great proofreading test! That’s part of what I do for a living, and looking for creatures is more fun than hunting for typos. I especially love the sandhill cranes, and the textures and colors of the grasses. And the moose, of course . . .
Thanks so much. I love the sandhill cranes, too.
Very interesting shots. While hiking I occasionally wonder how many animals see me that I have no clue of. Thanks for the reminder to look a little closer.
Thanks for checking them out, too!
That was a fun and well-demonstrated exercise. Amazing how a very big moose can be hidden like that. 🙂
Thanks. I think there were two young ones bedded down with her as well, but I sure couldn’t see them anywhere.
Very interesting post, and so many good photos to illustrate the point! I followed a huge buck up an alpine ridge once and just lost him, that is until I stared at the only clump of low trees long enough from just 10 feet away, then I saw an eye staring out, then the antlers. I don’t know how he fit his huge body in there but he did.
That’s a great story. I wonder how hard it was for him to get out of there? Thanks!
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