Moose & Deer Safari

Hire me as a guide and get a chance to see and photograph the 2nd largest land animal in Europe - the moose.

Where & how?

In this workshop you must be driving your own car and I will jump in from an agreed location nearby Helsinki. We will then drive to the location (max 1 hour from Helsinki). We drive around small forest roads and fields and try to spot wild animals. We will take most photos from inside the car but may sometimes also approach by foot.

Which animals can we find?

Finding a moose is not guaranteed. Depending on the time of the year the chances of seeing one is anything from medium to very high. In most of the workshops we find at least one. It’s however possible to see over 10 different individuals.

If we cannot find moose, we can always photograph deer. We will see lots of deer both in the forests and on the fields. The most common species is the white-tailed deer but we might also see roe deer and fallow deer. Only during cold winter days seeing deer is not guaranteed but still very likely.

Common birds to see during the workshops are e.g. cranes, geese, swans, woodpeckers, white-tailed eagles.

If we’re lucky, we might also see foxes, badgers or raccoon dogs. Seeing a lynx, wolf or wolverine is not impossible but very unlikely.

When?

This workshop can be arranged at any time of the year. However the best chances of seeing the moose is from May to September. The very best month is usually July/August. Deer we can quite easily find at any time of the year but it’s a bit more challenging during the winter months.

Most wild animals, including moose and deer, are active at dark and go hiding in the woods for the daytime. To be able to photograph them we have to be at the spot either in early morning (preferably already before sunrise) or in the evening (max 2 hours before sunset).

We can stay out as long as the animals are active, which is usually max 3 hours.

After/before photographing moose/deer there’s also a chance to hike (15-20min) to the coast of the Baltic sea where it’s possible to see some sea birds.

Recommended equipment?

Sometimes the animals are just next to the road and can be photographed from close distance. Good lens options for these situations are for example 70-200mm or 100-400mm. Usually however they are further and at least 400mm is useful.

Binoculars can be useful for spotting and observing the animals. You can also borrow mine.

Tripod is not a must as we mostly photograph from inside the car but sometimes it’s possible to approach by foot and tripod can help when shooting in low light.

Make sure your have enough batteries and memory cards - we might see a lot!

Why do I need my own car?

Due to current laws/regulations, to be able to drive customers around, I’d need to have certain licenses/permissions/insurances that I don’t have yet. However as long as the car is yours and you’re driving it, there is no issues. Also when you’re driving it’s easier for me to focus on spotting the animals for you. We can shortly stop with the car at most places to take pictures from inside the car. The windows should be able to open completely for both sides.

Please note that any possible damage to your car or other equipment during the tour is at your own responsibility. The roads we use are mainly in good condition and the risk of hitting an animal is low when driving carefully.

You can pick me up from my home in Espoo or we an agree to meet at another convenient location in Espoo/Helsinki.

Price:

One morning/evening: 395€

Morning + evening: 495€ (also possible to camp at the location)

Included: