Photographing Wild Boar in the Forest of Dean with Nikon Z8 & 180-600mm Lens | Wildlife Photography
Join me on an exciting wildlife photography adventure in the Forest of Dean, as I capture photographs of wild boar using the powerful Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera paired with the Nikon 180-600mm lens.
Wild Boar in the Forest of Dean: A Wildlife Photography Adventure
The Forest of Dean, a sprawling woodland in Gloucestershire, England, is renowned for its rich biodiversity and, in particular, its population of wild boar. These elusive, powerful creatures, reintroduced to the area in the early 2000s, offer a thrilling challenge for wildlife photographers. Drawing from my own YouTube video, which documents my pursuit of wild boar in this enchanting forest, I set out to capture their essence through my lens. In this blog, I’ll share insights on searching for and photographing wild boar in the Forest of Dean, using the Nikon Z8 and NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens, highlighting the techniques and patience required to succeed in this rewarding endeavor, as showcased in my video.
The Allure of Wild Boar in the Forest of Dean
Wild boar (Sus scrofa) are a captivating subject for photography, embodying a sense of primal wilderness that harks back to Britain’s ancient woodlands. The Forest of Dean, with its dense forests, open glades, and muddy wallows, is one of the UK’s primary strongholds for these animals, with an estimated population of around 1,172 in 2024, down from over 1,600 the previous year. Their secretive, largely nocturnal nature makes sightings rare, adding to the excitement of tracking them down. My video captures this thrill, showcasing the boar’s distinctive bristly coats, muscular builds, and cautious movements as they root through the forest floor.
The boar’s history in the region adds intrigue. After being hunted to extinction in Britain 300 years ago, they returned to the Forest of Dean through farm escapes in 1999 and an illegal release near Staunton in 2004. Today, their presence divides opinion—some locals appreciate their ecological role, while others lament the damage they cause to gardens and sports fields. For photographers, however, they represent a unique opportunity to document a species that feels both ancient and elusive, as I aimed to convey in my video.
Preparing to Find Wild Boar
Successfully photographing wild boar requires careful preparation. Here’s how to set yourself up for success in the Forest of Dean:
1. Research Boar Behavior and Habitat
Wild boar are omnivorous, feeding on acorns, roots, grasses, and even small animals, with their movements dictated by food availability. In winter, they seek out seeds like acorns and beech masts, while summer sees them foraging for grasses and roots. They prefer dense cover—bracken stands, conifer plantations, or overgrown clearings—during the day, emerging to feed at dusk or night.
2. Learn to Track Their Signs
Look for:
- Rooting Marks: Patches of upturned soil where boar have dug for food.
- Hoofprints: Cloven hooves with two slots, sometimes showing rear dew claws, distinct from the rounded, inward-pointing prints of deer.
- Droppings: Large, clumped droppings resembling sheep’s, unlike deer’s pellet-like scat.
- Tree Rubs and Hair: Bark scratched from mud wallows or hair caught on fences.
These signs, often found along smaller animal paths, guide you to active boar areas. My video shows me following rooted patches and tracks to locate a group.
3. Gear Up for the Challenge
In my video, I used a Nikon Z8 with a NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens, a stellar setup for wildlife photography. This combination is ideal for capturing wild boar from a safe distance, given their unpredictable nature. The Z8’s weather-sealed body and the lens’s versatile zoom range were perfect for the forest’s damp and variable conditions. A monopod or tripod helps stabilize the heavy lens during long waits, and camouflage clothing blends you into the environment. Carry spare batteries and memory cards, as extended shoots are common when stalking boar.
Techniques for Photographing Wild Boar
Once you’ve located boar, capturing compelling images requires stealth, patience, and technical finesse.
1. Master Stealth and Fieldcraft
Boar have keen senses, particularly smell, so position yourself downwind to avoid detection. Move slowly, avoiding crunchy leaves or snapping twigs, and use natural cover like trees or bracken to conceal yourself. My video shows me spending hours creeping closer to a group, a reminder that patience is key. I spent nearly two hours inching toward a clearing where I’d spotted rooting marks, pausing frequently to listen for grunts or rustling.
2. Respect Their Space
Safety is paramount. While boar typically flee from humans, sows with piglets can be defensive. Early spring, when piglets are common, is a sensitive time, so avoid frequent visits to protect both boar and ground-nesting birds.
3. Optimize Camera Settings
The Forest of Dean’s shaded woodlands and variable light demand thoughtful settings, as my video demonstrates:
- Fast Shutter Speed: Use 1/500s or faster to freeze motion, especially for running boar or piglets. I shot at 1/800s for a group darting through a clearing.
- Wide Aperture: The 180-600mm’s aperture (f/5.6 at 180mm to f/6.3 at 600mm) blurs busy backgrounds, isolating the subject.
- High ISO: Low light often requires ISO 1600–6400. The Z8’s strong noise performance kept images clean.
- Continuous Autofocus (AF-C): The Z8’s animal detection autofocus locked onto boar eyes, even in dense vegetation.
- Burst Mode: The Z8’s 20 fps burst rate captured fleeting moments. I used this to nab a boar mid-trot, a technique I relied on for action shots in the video.
Shooting in RAW preserves dynamic range for post-processing, especially in contrasty woodland light.
4. Compose for Impact
My video showcases varied compositions, from tight portraits of a boar’s bristly face to environmental shots of a sounder (group) in their habitat. I framed a sow against foliage at 180mm for context, then zoomed to 600mm for a close-up of her textured snout. Use natural elements like trees or streams to add depth, and aim for eye-level shots to connect viewers with the animal’s perspective.
Challenges and Workarounds
Photographing wild boar is not without obstacles, as my video candidly illustrates. The Forest of Dean’s dense vegetation can obscure subjects, and boar’s nocturnal habits can limit shooting to low-light hours. The Z8’s autofocus occasionally struggled with branches, requiring manual tweaks, a challenge I faced during filming. The 180-600mm lens’s weight (around 2 kg) fatigued me after hours of stalking, so using a monopod for stability can be beneficial.
Weather is another hurdle—rain is common in the forest, but overcast days provide soft, even light. Finally, boar’s elusiveness means you may return empty-handed, as I did on some trips.
Ethical Considerations
My video underscores ethical photography, a principle I adhered to. Never feed boar to lure them, as this alters their behavior and can lead to human-wildlife conflict. If a boar notices you, freeze or retreat slowly to avoid stressing them. These practices ensure the welfare of the boar and the forest’s ecosystem, preserving it for future photographers.
Conclusion
Searching for and photographing wild boar in the Forest of Dean is a thrilling blend of adventure, patience, and skill. Through my YouTube video, I shared how to track signs, move stealthily, and harness the Nikon Z8 and NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens’s capabilities to capture the raw beauty of these enigmatic creatures. From rooting sows to scampering piglets, the boar offer a glimpse into a wilder Britain, and the Forest of Dean’s ancient woodlands provide the perfect stage. Whether you’re drawn by the challenge of stalking or the allure of documenting a reintroduced species, this pursuit rewards those who prepare, persist, and respect the animals’ space.
Pack your Nikon Z8 and 180-600mm lens, study boar behavior, and venture into the Forest of Dean with an open heart. The wild boar are waiting—ready to test your skills and leave you with images that tell their untamed story, just as I aimed to do in my video.