Wherever there are oak trees, there are usually bears. Across the eastern deciduous forests of North America, black bears have a deep connection with these trees. However, to a black bear, not all oak species are created equally. If you want to find and photograph black bears across the eastern half of North America this fall, then understanding black bears association with these trees will set you up for success.

It's when we are not photographing that we actually learn something. Everywhere black bears live, they have some sort of association with a particular species of tree. Understanding this will significantly improve your ability to find and photograph these amazing animals.

A bear's sense of smell is unmatched by any other animal in the world. Everything about their biology is fine tuned for this superpower. As wildlife photographers, understanding the importance of smell for other animals can make or break our ability to fill memory cards. If you want to be able to step into nature and find and photograph animals, especially mammals on their terms, then it's time to understand the importance of smell.

Just as heavy snow or deep negative temperatures impact wildlife behavior, so too does a lack of winter. When temperatures fail to get cold, when the snow does’t come, when winter just isn’t winter, wildlife is impacted in myriad ways.

By understanding how mountain sheep such as Dall, Stone, and Bighorns utilize microclimates in the mountain haunts, we can learn how to predict where and when to find animals to photograph, from birds to mammals, no matter where we are this winter.

When winter comes, it’s best to throw out all of your old assumptions about the animals you photograph. Cold adapted species have any number of ways in which they shift their behavior to survive. And understanding this will make you a better wildlife photographer

Changing weather can be a matter of life or death for animals - especially in the winter. Every species on Earth has ways of responding to and coping with these events. When it comes to wildlife photography, understanding how animals respond to changes in the weather can give you the ability to find, photograph, and predict the behavior of wildlife this winter.

The ability to read and understand the tracks left behind by wildlife is a critical skill that all of us should strive for. Whether in the snow, sand, mud, dirt, or leaves, there is much to be learned from by observing tracks.

Once you begin to understand the importance of ecotones and “edge habitat” for wildlife, your ability to predictably find and photograph animals will grow exponentially. 100% of my success with finding and photographing bobcats, for instance, has been built around this basic knowledge

Compiling a species profile is a bit like creating a manual for finding and photographing wildlife.

One of the most important things you can do to up your wildlife photography game is to begin keeping a detailed notebook on observations.

Two things drive all life on Earth. Understand these things, and the challenge of finding wildlife ceases to exist.