The Mammal Watching Blog
In 2005 I set up www.mammalwatching.com to provide information on where and how to see the world’s 5,000 or so mammals in the wild. I’ve started this accompanying blog to share some of the information that comes my way – often via those who look at the website – that doesn’t fit so neatly onto my site. Ok, so I’ll probably also use it to talk crap, spout my inconsequential and uninformed opinions, and vent about life in France, various airlines and, of course, Air France in particular …. but that’s what blogs are for. I’ll try to focus on mammals.
I hope others will start posting material here so that it becomes more like a listserver group than just me and my monoblogue. It could become a platform for people to share trip reports, requests for information, photos and anything else related to mammals and mammal watching. If you want to contribute posts then just drop me an email on jon@mammalwatching.com and I’ll send you an invitation to become an author. You’ll be posting quicker than you can say “Air France lost my luggage and are doing bugger all about it”.
Jon
2 Comments
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Vladimir Dinets
Oh, and by the way: spotlighting is not officially forbidden in US National Parks (unless you use something brutal, like an airplane landing light), and all of them are normally open 24/7. State parks are usually closed at night unless there are campgrounds inside (but the gate might sometimes be open only for exit at night). You might be harassed by rangers if you sleep in your car, but that’s the only problem. I remember once being stopped by a ranger in Great Basin NP, Texas, while driving with both high and low beams on plus a hand spotlight. The guy quickly checked the car for captured snakes (herp poaching is common there), but didn’t even bother to look in the trunk (good thing – I had a pile of Sherman traps in there).
Note, however, that any use of sound playbacks is not allowed in US National Parks (a recent reaction to widespread use of owl tapes by birders).
As for National Wildlife Refuges, they used to be very lax about night visits when I first got here ten years ago, but now many have installed gates and imposed visiting hours.
Another thing: if you use cat or dog food for baiting, expect to have your car thoroughly searched at US border crossings, since drug-seeking dogs react very strongly to such odors 🙂
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Vladimir Dinets
Wow! What a nice website! I can’t believe I haven’t found it earlier.