When I Make a Noise

Today I wanted to talk a bit more about being quite. This tip goes well with the Slow Down one and also with a future tip that I think you will find both fun and exciting once you can do it well.

Question

What should you do when/if you scare an animal into running off or giving an alert? Or if you make too much noise while walking (stepping on a twig etc.) through the woods?

Answer

What you should do is stop exactly where you are. Then with no movement not even your head count to yourself to 10 slowly. This helps to calm the effects down of the noise. In slowly counting to ten you give the animals of the woods a chance to react and calm down. In not moving you help to not give them any other signs of danger "to some extent".

To try to get better at not making a sound I have came up with a two minute program that I try to follow when I do make a noise. Simply I figure that I have to walk for the next two minutes using the Slow Down tip before I can see an animal. If I do see an animal before that I figure that is is not because of my skill as I am still paying for the noise from before.

This along with the first tip should help you on the road to seeing and experiencing more of nature. There are many lessons in the woods but this is a good place to start from.