Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Another reason to plan a weekend trip. | Photo: Pierre Emmanuel Chaillon
The next time someone asks why you’re disappearing with your paddling buds into the wilderness for days at a time, tell them this: studies prove paddling is a factor to happiness.
Since 1939, Harvard University has been conducting what’s become the longest-running study on human happiness in the world.
For 80 years, the Grant and Glueck study has tracked the physical and emotional well-being of 724 men. A third were graduates of Harvard’s classes of 1944, and the rest were from inner-city Boston. A few dozen of the original subjects are still alive and in their mid-90s.
“The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships
at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.”
After meeting with and interviewing these men every two years for the last eight decades and generating tens of thousands of pages of findings, the study confirms it’s not the oft-lusted after fame, fortune and success that creates long-term happiness.
Paddling can be a big factor in your happiness.
“The clearest message that we get from this study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period,” says Robert Waldinger, the study’s fourth director and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
His 2015 TED Talk, “What Makes a Good Life,” has been viewed 25 million times. “The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80,” said Waldinger. The study found a person’s level of satisfaction with their relationships at age 50 was a better predictor of their future physical health than even cholesterol levels.
Close relationships—which doesn’t mean conflict-free relationships—help protect from life’s discontents, delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, and even genes, the study reveals.
All of this is good news for paddlers. Aside from a small minority of dedicated solo trippers, most canoeists go paddling with other people most of the time. And we know there are few better ways to foster a meaningful connection than wilderness travel.
Good relationships keep us happier and healthier–another reason to plan a weekend trip. | Feature photo: Pierre Emmanuel Chaillon
Scientists who study such things say developing friendship boils down to four factors—proximity, frequency, duration and intensity. This must at least partially account for why it’s so much easier for kids to strike up friendships. Being stuck in one elementary school classroom for six hours a day, five days a week does a lot for building comradery.
The last piece of the puzzle, intensity, refers to the quality of the interaction. Think of these four factors like pieces of a pie. You don’t need an intense personal connection to form a solid friendship with someone you see every day at work. The reverse is also true. A brief but intense experience can connect for life two people living on opposite sides of the globe.
Canoe tripping is an intense interpersonal experience, stoking embers of friendship and future wellbeing.
Dr. Steven Howell studies the science of friendship at Keystone College in Pennsylvania and found exchanging confidences and taking risks together are two ideal ingredients for establishing or rekindling bonds. Perhaps not so surprisingly, his research found a night out drinking is often a quick and successful way to do this. He also found two people who handle a challenge together—even something small like stumbling home at the end of the night—were more likely to become close.
Time in the wilderness, on the water or around the campfire, also encourages sharing confidences, overcoming challenges, managing risks and lots of high fives—all the benefits of Dr. Howell’s prescribed night out, but without the hangover.
Canoe tripping is an intense interpersonal experience, stoking embers of friendship and future wellbeing. “This message, that good, close relationships are good for our health is wisdom as old as the hills,” says Harvard’s Dr. Waldinger, acknowledging we’re just not always very good at following this advice.
“The ways to enact this lesson in your own life are endless,” Dr. Waldinger adds. “It might be as simple as replacing screen time with people time, livening up a stale relationship by doing something new together, or reaching out to a family member you haven’t spoken to in years.”
Or you could call up a buddy and go paddling. It’s good for your health—Harvard University says so.
Good relationships keep us happier and healthier—another reason to plan a weekend trip. | Feature photo: Pierre Emmanuel Chaillon
In the words of Ronnie Lane of the Ooh La La’s, “I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger”—a statement that rings true when most of us think back to our years as newbie-paddlers.
Of course, there isn’t a textbook substitute for first-hand experiences; our water literacy mostly develops through trial and error. Still, we thought it would be fun to ask our readers (via our Instagram account) what they wish they had known when they were beginners. After sifting through hundreds of great responses, we’ve handpicked our favorite 17 pieces of advice.
1. It would take years to get good, but it would be worth it.
– @katbulk
2. You don’t have to eat dehydrated meals on trips! Bring a cast-iron skillet!
– @kevinkapala
With the right gear, prep and knowledge, your camping meals don’t actually have to be any different from your at-home kitchen meals. Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Ours is not a gentle sport. No matter how practiced and prepared you may be, a risk of injury exists around every rocky bend in the river. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing—but that’s just what we’re going to give you. Here are some of the most common paddling injuries and how to recognize, prevent and when prevention fails, treat them.
Cause: When your elbow is raised above your shoulder, even a small amount of backward pressure can stretch ligaments and lever the ball of your humerus out of its socket in the scapula.
Symptoms: The dislocated shoulder droops and the humerus ball protrudes from the pectoral area, accompanied by discomfort or intense pain.
Prevention: Keep your elbows low and tucked in when bracing and keep your lower arm bent at the elbow when doing a Duffek or draw stroke. If you do suffer a dislocation, work on your bracing technique because your shoulder will now be more vulnerable.
Treatment: Leave relocations to experts. At the scene of the injury, sling and swathe the arm in the position you find it, monitor blood circulation to the fingers and get ready for a hell of a portage out. If you are on a three-week solo expedition and you need to relocate your shoulder on your own, try sitting down with your knees in front of your chest, hug your knees with both arms and slowly lean backward.
2 Broken nose
Cause: Penciling in off a large drop with your paddle shaft in front of your face.
Signs/Symptoms: You’ll look and feel like an old-timer staggering out of the Legion Hall with a swollen, deformed schnoz and a dull ringing in your ears.
Prevention: Hold your paddle to one side, parallel to the boat, while hucking—not in front of your face.
Treatment: Control any bleeding by blowing out clots and pinching the bridge of your nose for 15 minutes. Plan on visiting a hospital when you get off the river. there’s no point in resetting it yourself unless you weren’t very fond of it in the first place and are willing to take some chances.
External otitis (swimmer’s ear)
3 External otitis (swimmer’s ear)
Cause: An infection brought on when your ear becomes host to the bacteria and fungus most often present in warm water.
Symptoms: Your ear is tender on the outside and red, swollen and itchy on the inside. The combination will leave you dizzy with pain.
Prevention: Use a drying, antibacterial solution of equal parts rubbing alcohol and white vinegar after paddling in warm or polluted waters. Wear ear plugs.
Treatment: Wet willies with antibiotic cream.
4 Exostosis (surfer’s ear)
Cause: Your inner ear defends itself against cold water by building up layers of calcium in the ear canal.
Signs/Symptoms: As the calcium blocks off your ear canal it impairs hearing and drainage.
Tendonitis
Prevention: Keep cold water out of your ear by wearing earplugs or practicing your braces.
Cause: Repetitive contraction of the forearm muscles, leading to inflammation of the tendons. A white-knuckle death grip on an old school, straight shaft paddle with extreme feather is a great way to afflict yourself. Tendonitis often occurs early in the season when your forearm muscles are weak and unaccustomed to paddling.
Symptoms: Swelling, numbness, pain, loss of motor control.
Prevention: Loosen your grip on the paddle, choose a stick with less feather and work on strengthening your forearm muscles off the water.
Treatment: Rest, but since not paddling is obviously out of the question, your best bets are anti-inflammatories and stretching. Chronic cases may require surgery.
Sprained ankle
6 Sprained ankle
Cause: Your ankle rolls to the outside over top of your foot after missing a step on a portage, stretching or tearing the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. This usually happens near the end of the day when you are tired or rushed, or when you are portaging but still staring at the set through the trees, wondering if you should have run it after all.
Symptoms: An ankle that’s bruised or swollen on the outside and even more painful to walk on than look at.
Treatment: In order to get to a place where RICE—rest, ice, compression and elevation—is possible, you’ll have to stabilize the ankle. Wrap the affected area from the instep to mid-calf with tape or a tensor, starting from the arch side and running under then over the foot.
Prevention: Replace your neoprene socks with something more supportive, take your time while portaging or just stay in the boat and give’er.
Causes: Either opting out of a run, or else convincing yourself to run something and then realizing you should have opted out.
Symptoms: Susceptibility to self-doubt, low self-esteem and depression. Chronic victims are usually accomplished swimmers.
Prevention: Always carry a camera. This way you can excuse yourself from suspect runs for the sake of “getting some shots.”
Treatment: Beer.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Rapid Magazine and in Paddling Magazine Issue 65. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or download the Paddling Magazine app and browse the digital archives here.
Eager to launch on the water as quickly as possible, we kayakers are regular offenders when it comes to skipping warm-ups and warm-downs. Too often, it takes an injury to occur before many of us take body conditioning seriously.
In this training video, Dr. Sam (PT) of REI walks us through 8 tailored-for-kayaking exercises to increase mobility, strength, endurance and balance in the upper leg, hip, abdomen, and back. A handful of the movements will mimic certain kayak strokes. Ideally, you’ll need a resistance band to fully benefit from these exercises.
These movements are simple-to-follow and low intensity, making them a great way to ease back into paddling after some time off the water.
The Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, has appointed Victoria Grant, the Canadian Canoe Museum’s Chair of the Board of Directors, to the Order of Canada.
Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest civilian honours, recognizing outstanding achievement and dedication to the community and service to the nation. Appointments are made by the governor general on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada.
A proud Teme-Augama Anishinabai Kwe, Loon Clan, Victoria was appointed to the Order “for bridging the gap between Indigenous, non-Indigenous culture, business and communities through her facilitation and meditation”. Victoria accepts the Order as an Officer (O.C.), which “recognizes achievement and merit of a high degree, especially service to Canada or to humanity at large”.
Having stepped down as Chair of the Community Foundations of Canada, just prior to the country’s sesquicentennial, Victoria came into to the Canadian Canoe Museum family through the National Council in 2017. She went on to join the Museum’s Board in 2018, becoming the Chair of the Board of Directors just two years later, in 2020.
Victoria Grant, Chair of the Canadian Canoe Museum Board of Directors
“I cannot think of anyone who deserves this high recognition as much as Victoria; her contribution to this country has been immeasurable; the museum is so proud and fortunate to have her leadership and knowledge. She has been such a valuable asset to us, especially during those turbulent pandemic times, as we continued to forge ahead with our plans to create our new home in the community” says Carolyn Hyslop, the Canadian Canoe Museum’s Executive Director, adding “the Canadian Canoe Museum’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers, congratulate Victoria on this tremendous honour.
Victoria has a wealth of experience in organizational governance and administration, having served in her home community of Bear Island as Coordinator of the Noojimawin Health Authority, Manager and Assistant Negotiator of the N’Dakimenan Land Claim process, as well as serving as the Interim Band Manager of Temagami First Nation.
With the ambition to identify, sustain, and further the essential character of the community, Victoria co-founded the Temagami Community Foundation in 2000. Then, during the pandemic, she was instrumental in the creation of the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund; both have raised and disbursed millions of dollars through resiliency grants.
In addition to her commitments to family, community and her private practice in facilitation and negotiation (under the proprietorship banner of “Moving Red Canoe”…maybe she knew she was destined for the Canadian Canoe Museum), Victoria has served on numerous boards, including being a member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Vice-Chair of the Ontario Health Quality Council, Chair of the Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, Director of the Counselling Foundation of Canada and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award.
About the Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is one of our Country’s highest civilian honours. Its Companions, Officers and Members take to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“The desire a better country”). Those who bear the Order’s iconic snowflake insignia have changed our nation’s measure of success and, through the sum of their accomplishments, have helped us build a better Canada.
About the Canadian Canoe Museum (CCM)
With a world-class collection as a catalyst, the Canadian Canoe Museum inspires connection, curiosity and new understanding. In partnership with individuals, groups and communities – locally, provincially and nationally – we work to experience and explore all that our collection can inspire. This sees students opening their minds in our galleries; community members connecting through artisanry; people of all ages getting on the water and learning to paddle; and exhibitions and events that spark conversation and collaboration.
About the New Museum
The Canadian Canoe Museum is building a new home for its world-class collection along the water’s edge in Peterborough, ON. The new museum will be located on a five-acre site in Peterborough, ON that will provide stunning west-facing views of Little Lake, a connection to the Trans Canada Trail, and is surrounded by public parks. It will become a vibrant community space for outdoor activities and the Museum’s canoeing and outdoor programs and events.
The Canadian Canoe Museum has a unique opportunity to create a new cultural destination that will inspire visitors to learn about Canada’s collective history and reinforce our connections to land, water and one another – all through the unique lens of the iconic canoe. Learn more at canoemuseum.ca/new-museum.
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not immediately successful troubleshooting your kayak roll. | Feature photo: Jennifer Uppendahl/Unsplash
Years ago, a buddy and I tied a couple of borrowed kayaks to his car and headed to the lake. Our mission was simple: we were going to learn to roll. We even had a book that was going to teach us how. We studied the crude line drawings, barely bothering to scan the accompanying text. Being natural athletes and confident of mastering such an easy trick, we were sure that our kayak roll wouldn’t require any real troubleshooting. I remember that our main strategy was to throw ourselves into the water with maximum force in order to generate the momentum necessary to get back upright again on the opposite side.
We failed to roll even once.
In our defense, at the time it was just about unheard of to be able to roll (at least in our circles). In fact, I don’t think that I had ever even seen the maneuver successfully performed—there were rumors, but no confirmed sightings.
Now, with the benefit of hindsight and many successful (and a few less successful) rolls behind me, it’s time to present a few hints about the often elusive art of rolling.
12 tips for troubleshooting your kayak roll
1 Don’t beat yourself up
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not immediately successful. Most paddlers need more than one or two lessons. Be kind to yourself.
Most paddlers need more than one or two lessons. Be kind to yourself. | Photo: Jennifer Uppendahl/Unsplash
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not immediately successful troubleshooting your kayak roll. | Feature photo: Jennifer Uppendahl/Unsplash
2 Make sure your boat fits you
Do make sure your boat fits you. If you are so loose that you can’t achieve a solid grip on the boat with your lower body, you will not be able to roll.
3 Work on your hip flick
Don’t forget to really work on your hip flick. A great drill is to grab the side of the pool or a dock or the bow of someone else’s boat, lay your head down on the pool’s edge and practice rolling your boat upside down and then upright again, using only your lower body and not your arms. Keep your head down.
4 Find a buddy
Do have a buddy stand in the water beside your boat, and have them guide your paddle through the proper motion.
5 Watch your blade
Don’t let your blade dive during a roll. Maintain a climbing angle on your active blade. Use goggles or a mask to watch your blade.
Illustration: Paul Mason
6 Get your buddy to spot you with a rescue
Do get your buddy to spot you with a rescue. This way, instead of having to swim, you can simply grab her bow and pull yourself upright if you blow your roll.
Don’t bring your head up first. Duct tape your head to your shoulder, bite the sleeve of your jacket or use any other means to ensure your head comes up last.
8 Don’t be rigid
Strive to be supple and flowing, don’t be rigid or depend on power.
9 Practice a dryland roll
Do practice a dryland roll by sitting in your kayak and going through the motions in the backyard—this is a great drill helping your body learn the motions through repetition.
10 Use a paddle float
Do make rolling easier by using a paddle float on your active blade. But don’t get stuck at this stage—ditch the float once your body has learned the motions.
Do wear nose plugs to prevent water rushing up your nose. You’ll have an easier time concentrating on the motions, and avoid the dreaded post-rolling-session nasal drain, which for some reason usually happens during a meal.
12 One-on-one instruction
YouTube is great, but one-on-one instruction is better.
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2007 and in Paddling Magazine Issue 65. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or download the Paddling Magazine app and browse the digital archives here.
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not immediately successful troubleshooting your kayak roll. | Feature photo: Jennifer Uppendahl/Unsplash
When it comes to the art of whitewater kayaking, Eric Jackson has been best in class for as long as we can remember and, heck, he is still competing as one of the world’s best in the discipline of extreme slalom.
Roughly a decade ago, he came out with a series of instructional paddling videos for all levels of kayakers. These videos have proven to be timeless classics and unrivaled in the knowledge they exude.
In this tutorial, EJ walks us through the fundamentals of the forward stroke; how to effectively harness power and avoid bad habits that’ll slow you down. This might all seem simple enough for the seasoned kayaker, but we think you might be guilty of falling into some of these speed traps.
These tips will be valuable for springtime training, as we move to condition our bodies for the upcoming paddling season. Make sure to bring your technique back to basics from time to time, to ensure you’re not developing lazy habits.
We asked our Instagram followers to name one piece of non-essential gear they simply can’t trip without. After reviewing over a hundred responses, we’ve come to the conclusion that “non-essential” is, of course, a relative term. However, we think you’ll find value in some of these ideas–if only to make your next paddling trip a little more comfortable. Enjoy our favorite 19 responses and let us know what’s missing from this list.
1. A knee pad. Let’s you shift your weight around in the boat to deal with wind or waves.
– @willem_hunt
2. Headlamp. When I’m wearing it it means something fun is about to happen.
Kelley Woolsey has joined Hobie as Vice President of Global Sales, Service and Marketing, bringing more than 30 years of watersports and lifestyle brand experience to the company.
Woolsey began his career in the surf apparel business under the mentorship of Jack O’Neill, a legendary surfer-turned-entrepreneur best known for bringing wetsuits to the masses. From there, Woolsey moved into executive leadership roles at some of the biggest players in the paddlesports business. He served a decade with Confluence Watersports (now Confluence Outdoor) as their EVP of Marketing and Sales, before moving to a similar role with Quebec-based Pelican International. Most recently, he worked with Bonafide, YakAttack and Big Adventures as Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
We caught up with Woolsey in Hobie’s Oceanside, California, offices, where he’s been settling into his new role since February 5.
Paddling Business: Catch us up. How did you land at Hobie?
Kelley Woolsey: I left Big Adventures at the beginning of May [2021], so I’ve been taking it easy and looking around, kind of observing and planning what I would do next. This is the second time I’ve taken a lot of time between jobs. After I left Confluence, I took about four months and went surfing in Hawaii before joining Pelican.
PB: Were you looking to stay in the paddlesports industry this time around?
KW: No, not at all. But I was looking to land with a brand like Hobie. A brand that has staying power, that’s an industry leader. Because I’m not going to make more anymore stops in my career.
PB: I’m reminded of the famous scene in the Godfather, where Michael says, ‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.’ How did Hobie lure you back into the life?
In my history with companies, I worked for Jack [O’Neill], which was family-owned and it was great. Then I went to work for Confluence, which was V.C.-owned, by guys who I’ll leave nameless. That was probably one of the more challenging things in my career and I wouldn’t wish that experience on my worst enemy. Then I got a chance again to work at Pelican for the Élie brothers, and they were incredible. Again, a family-owned company.
Photo: Courtesy Hobie Cat Company
PB: Hobie’s ownership group is a tight-knit group, but they’re also private equity.
KW: It was an easy decision because of the people and what I know about Hobie. The whole courtship this time was a fantastic experience, and in my former life dealing with V.C. folks it hadn’t been.
And the cool thing for me is that when I was working at O’Neill where I started my career, one of Jack’s good friends was Hobie Alter. I was fortunate enough to work for a guy like Jack, who was fortunate enough to have friends like Hobie. So for me, it’s kind of coming full circle.
PB: I was going to ask if you knew Hobie, because his innovations really laid the groundwork for the company’s success. The Mirage Drive fueled Hobie’s rise in the kayaking business. Even though that wasn’t a Hobie Alter invention, it followed the pattern of innovation he set.
KW: Hobie was a real, sophisticated tinkerer. It started way back with surfboards. He became a pretty good friend of Grubby Clark, who was the guy who came up with the foam blanks that changed the development of surfboard shaping and designing. So Hobie was in the forefront of that, and then he said, ‘Hey, let’s do something cool for sailing,’ and he designed the Hobie 16 and it became sailing.
When they first came out with the drive we used to go to OR and every time we got to the Hobie booth we’d look at this dumb mannequin sitting on top of the boats. We’d all sit and laugh. Well, guess who had the last laugh?
That drive system has taken kayaks to a whole different level than any of us ever dreamed of. It’s kind of funny because we always call it paddlesports. Not anymore. Now you’d better start calling it kayaking, because pedal is a pretty important part of kayaking.
One of my missions will be to make innovation an even bigger part of who we are.
PB: Without giving away any trade secrets, does that mean we can expect to see some new products coming to market soon?
KW: For sure. The thing we all have to remember is we’re coming out of this pandemic. It’s been a challenge to make sure we can deliver the boats we have sold, and to take care of the dealers that we have orders from so they can take care of the consumers that they have orders from. Because of the whole supply chain thing, it’s been the hardest two years of my career. Just dealing with this pandemic and how it’s changed our lives and how we do business and how we go to market. And we’re still not done yet. The big thing in the pandemic is how do we re-imagine our business, and how can it be sustainable and meaningful to consumers? So, we’re going to focus very hard on what makes us unique. A big part of that is innovation, for sure.
PB: Have you had an opportunity to do a sort of listening tour with dealers? A lot of these folks are people you’ve known for decades. What are they telling you?
KW: We’ve kept my coming here really close to our chest, so I didn’t have the opportunity to say a whole lot beforehand. I’ve been here three weeks. People say, ‘Hey Kelley, are you going to make a bunch of changes?’ And I go, ‘Really?’ When you take a company like Hobie, who is the gold standard in our category, they’ve done a lot of things right. So, if I do make changes, it’s going to be to help make the company stronger, better, more efficient. I’m not going to come in here and make change just to make change, especially with this company because of who they are.
“When you take a company like Hobie, who is the gold standard in our category, they’ve done a lot of things right. So, if I do make changes, it’s going to be to help make the company stronger, better, more efficient.”
PB: I don’t think it’s any secret that deliveries have been a sore point with dealers, for Hobie as well as other manufacturers. Is there an end in sight, and what does it look like?
One of the big things is that we have three times the inventory to start the season as compared to last year. So we’re already three times ahead of the game.
PB: What’s the denominator? Does that mean the warehouse in Oceanside is full to the rafters and ready to ship, or just that there’s less floor showing?
KW: We’re almost to the point where we’re busting at the seams. Not quite, but before when you came in you didn’t see any inventory. Now you see a lot of boats everywhere. We’re getting closer to being the supplier that people have become accustomed to when dealing with Hobie. We’ve still got a ways to go to get back to where we want to be, but we’re three times further than we were last year.
PB: How are you set with specialty parts? I know some dealers have had a tough time getting things like seats, even if the hulls were available.
KW: It’s been a little bit of a challenge, but in some ways, parts and accessories haven’t quite been as big of a challenge because we make a lot of them here. So we’re maybe a little ahead of the game with parts and accessories as compared to kayaks.
I think most of our dealers will tell you we’re doing a pretty good job with getting them parts and accessories as they start to get boats. Now remember, we’re just at the end of February, so a lot of people are just starting to get their 2022 model year product in. There’s a lot of stuff happening as we speak.
PB: Are you now in a position to meet all orders?
KW: We’re still allocating. People aren’t getting all the boats yet that they want right when they want them. We’re getting there, but we’re still not quite there yet.
PB: But you’re confident you’re going to get there?
KW: Yes, for sure.
You know if we go back in time, none of us knew what to expect in March 2020. We didn’t know if our businesses were going to go away. We didn’t know if we’d have jobs. We didn’t know what was going to happen. Then at the end of 2020, we go, ‘That wasn’t bad. We were pretty good.’ Then we get to 2021, and it’s still going. So now that we’ve kind of worked through 2020 and 2021 and all the issues with supply chain, the question is whether the business is going to be there. That’s where we are now. We got all of our preseasons in and we’re looking great. So now the consumer is going to dictate.
PB: It almost sounds like we’re about to get back to normal.
KW: I hope it stays where we’ve been, because we’ve been far above normal. I don’t think any of us have a crystal ball yet. Things should get a lot clearer in March and April, and even part of May. Canoecopia and all the boat shows and fishing shows are happening. So everything leads me to believe that we’re going to stay on a roll, but I want to see what happens with people coming into dealers in March and April, and what happens at Canoecopia. That’s always a good precursor to what’s going to happen in the year.
Fun fact: Time Magazine ranked Disney’s 1942 animated feature film Bambi as one of the top 10 saddest kids movies ever made. | Feature photo: Robin Tapely
As more and more visitors try to capture that once-in-a-lifetime photo, some have little regard and respect towards the wildlife being photographed. The ethical engagement of wildlife photography ensures an animal’s natural behavior remains intact, allowing for a natural wildlife experience for the viewer while ensuring that being photographed doesn’t stress the animal.
Stressed animals may abandon their young, avoid a prime feeding area in the future or simply waste valuable energy trying to avoid a photographer. This can mean life or death. Use these do’s and don’ts for the best photography experience possible, for you and your subject.
Signs of this include the animal stops feeding or walks away, stares in your direction, moves its ears forward or straight back, or stomps the ground. If you are causing the animal stress, it’s time to leave.
Fun fact: Time Magazine ranked Disney’s 1942 animated feature film Bambi as one of the top 10 saddest kids’ movies ever made. | Feature photo: Robin Tapely
2 Do use a canoe or kayak
Traveling by paddle allows a photographer to access a variety of unique habitats with a stealth-like approach and ability to watch and listen from a safe distance. The boat becomes the photographer’s floating office, whether tethered to a snag, anchored in a wetland or drifting silently across a lake. Be aware that your paddle blade can flash in the sun with each stroke, which could alert an animal to your presence.
Utilize natural cover or a blind, and avoid damaging vegetation. Dress appropriately and blend in to the natural environment, then use your binoculars to study the distant shorelines. Watch for any movement, like an ear twitching or branches swaying, and listen for twigs snapping and sounds of scratching or feeding.
4 Do your research
Many species will utilize different habitats depending on the season, so understanding an animal’s behavior, feeding and mating patterns will help you to be in the right place at the right time. Once you have the knowledge of your target species’ behavior and habitat, patience, perseverance and dedication are your best assets.
5 Do learn the art of seeing
Observe by moving your eyes slowly across the horizon and avoid sudden head movements. Slow the process down and use all your senses. Wildlife is generally more active during the early morning and in late afternoon. Not only is this prime time to observe animals, the lighting can be excellent.
2 don’ts for wildlife photography
1 Don’t use food
Baiting to attract animals into your photos changes their natural behavior and feeding patterns. It can also habituate the animal to associate human scent with food, drawing it to campsites, roadways and populated areas, which is dangerous for the animal.
If an animal is getting too close to you, avoid surprising or startling wildlife with a small amount of movement to alert them to your presence. Most animals are wary of humans. Don’t crowd them or harass them by purposely making sounds to get their attention. Stay clear of dens and nesting sites.
This article originally appeared in Paddling Magazine Issue 65. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or download the Paddling Magazine app and browse the digital archives here.
Fun fact: Time Magazine ranked Disney’s 1942 animated feature film Bambi as one of the top 10 saddest kids movies ever made. | Feature photo: Robin Tapely
