Wolves, Bears & Friends
Information and FAQ
The Wildlife
Everything you have seen so far in this brochure was taken during the past two trips from the hides that you will be visiting. The beauty of this trip is that every hide position is different so everyone gets slightly different images, the activity is different too from day to day to day and year to year. Here’s a brief summary of what you might see…
Wolves - very very elusive but the packs are regular visitors to the main hides where we have 4 days and vary which hides they might visit. There is no easier way to see wolves, you just need to be in a place where they like and hope for the best. At our wolverine site we have had great wolf sightings too, as always we will make a decision on which hides we go nearer to the time.
Bears - a lovely time for bears as they will have fattened up for their hibernation plus you get nice colours. We have four different hides for the bears with swamp, pond and forest habitats. At the pond hide they can come very close indeed and you can get great reflections.
Wolverines - again a tough animal to see and we just have to be happy for any encounter we get. They do not hang around at all and will never stop moving, but they are very cool and much liked by anyone who sees them. We have a single location where they frequent.
The Hides
In terms of the hides we will be using a few different setups. This is because each focuses on a different habitat or a different species; we will also hold multiple bookings for different hides on the same day. This of course increases the cost but it offers a huge amount of flexibility; once we are closer to departure time we can decide which hides to visit based on the very latest local information about sightings. This degree of flexibility is something that very few photography companies offer.
Think of the hides as large sheds and you will get the idea! You will spend a maximum of 5 hours in the hides, entering in the early afternoon and leaving after sunset. Hides are various shapes and sizes, some take 3 people with loads of room and some just take 2. All have comfortable seats, and slots for one or two cameras. There is no reflective glass in Finnish hides, you will shoot through a cloth opening as shown below. There are no toilets inside the hide, if you are travelling alone you will be with someone of the same sex, and there will be a bucket for the necessary!! Stays inside the hide are comfortable and peaceful as all around is quiet, and you will be so excited that the time will fly. Just remember that it’s only 5 hours, you will sleep and eat in a comfortable hotel!
Accommodation and Logistics
We are incredibly lucky to have such a close working relationship with one of the best wildlife photography companies in Finland. They have huge amounts of experience with the wildlife, the locations and the logistics involved. They also happen to be really good friends of Andy and Suzie. All of this means that you are guaranteed to be in very safe and experienced hands during this safari, and more importantly that you are going to have a great time too! This is a very relaxed safari; the wildlife that we will be targeting is only active in the afternoons which means that there will be no need for repeated early starts - which is always a bonus!
The hotel that we will be staying in is central to all of the hides and perfect for our needs. The rooms are warm and comfortable and the cooking and meals are always of a high standard. It’s a wonderful home from home and the social side of this trip is just as important as the photography, it is what makes it so special.
The Guide Team
For this trip, we are lucky enough to be using three experienced photo guides - spearheaded by Andy Rouse, we will also be joined by Suzie Rouse and either Kaisa or Jari Peltomaki.
Andy Rouse
Andy Rouse is one of the most successful wildlife photographers out there. Andy has won well over 30 major international awards, been a pro for nearly 25 years and has led photographic expeditions all over the world. He prides himself in only offering the very best destinations, and has built a reputation as one of the best photographic safari guides in the world. Andy’s safari’s are always packed with fantastic opportunities, expert guidance and a drive to get the very best for his clients, as well as being a lot of fun - you are on holiday after all!
Andy shoots with the Sony A1 Mark II, and away from work he is a proud husband, Dad and West Ham fan!
Suzie Rouse
Suzie Rouse is an experienced wildlife photographer and birdwatcher, having travelled all over the world adding to her birding life list and capturing images of some iconic species. Away from the travel Suzie is a University lecturer; specialising in teaching students all about forensic imaging and photography, so she is all to familiar with teaching people how to get the best from their cameras. Suzie processes all her images using Adobe Lightroom, so she is able to complement Andy’s Photoshop tutorials during safaris.
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This is a very easy trip. The wildlife that we will be photographing is only really active in the afternoon which means that our mornings will be very relaxed. In the afternoons after an early lunch we will head out to the hides and leave again when the light is gone - which is around 7 o’clock. The walking is a maximum of 300mm.
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Comprehensive pre departure information will be provided 3 months before departure. This will cover photo kit, clothing, and anything else you need to know.
Lens wise flexibility will be the key here so a couple of zoom lenses will be ideal upto a reach of 500mm. You will need a good, reliable tripod head for this trip which you can screw directly into mounts within the hide.
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Absolutely not. This wildlife is very timid and one sight of a human will make anything disappear into the forest. So once you are inside the hides you must stay there until we come to get you at the end.
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We appreciate that for a lot of you, you have your own frequent flyer memberships and preferences. So, as we do for all our safaris, once you book we will tell you when and where you need to be and give you some flight recommendations.
We will then arrange pickup's etc to the team hotel if necessary, or transfers at the airport if you are coming direct. This is now standard policy for all of our expeditions.
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We are always very honest with all our clients and when you come on a tour with us you will always know everything, warts and all!
It’s important that you understand that whilst we guarantee that everyone will do their very best to get you the very best in photographic opportunities we cannot guarantee photographable sightings. As stated this tour has a very high success rate, but nature and wildlife can be unpredictable.
All his clients know that Andy and his guide team try their absolute best to get everyone the best photographic opportunities possible, but of course this can be out of our control as the wildlife has other ideas!!! So whilst we look for everything we can, we absolutely cannot guarantee in anyway shape or form that you will see any of these. It can rain. It can be cloudy. The wildlife can be elusive. You must come with this realistic expectations, we do not make false promises. What we can promise is that the team will work 150% to give you the best chances and best experiences possible. That is GUARANTEED!
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Rest assured that this safari is backed by the Travel Trust Association (TTA). The TTA is an independent trade organisation of tour operators that we are proud members of. The TTA provides guarantees for your booking with us in two forms.
The first is that all monies are deposited to a trustee managed trust bank account and any payments to / from them have to be authorised at several levels.
Secondly your booking is protected by the TTA Safe Seat Plan and Supplier Failure Cover, both of which are insurance policies to protect your money from fraud and supplier failure.
We include the costs of these policies automatically in your booking fee, so that you can have total financial confidence in us, and your booking with us, as a trusted and reputable tour operator.
Further details of our TTA membership can be found by clicking here
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The tour is open to both photographers and non photographers. This is a very laid back and relaxed trip, but it is hide focussed - this means that it can be a long time spent waiting and watching with not a lot going on. This generally suits photographers more than non-photographers but it also depends on the individual too.
Our tours are inclusive, anyone is welcome irrespective of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. We just ask that you come with a smile and a love of wildlife.
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Of course we cannot predict this as the world is changing. But Finland in Autumn should be fairly mild in terms of temperature and dry. We of course hope for sunny days with good light at the end but we cannot guarantee this
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Vegetarian and vegan are simple and the food at the hotel is very good.
We can usually cater for most dietary requirements so please get in touch with any questions and we will be happy to help.
Travel Trust Association
Now we know that there are a lot of people out there offering photographic tours, however rest assured that this safari is backed by the Travel Trust Association (TTA). The TTA is an independent trade organisation of tour operators that we are proud members of. The TTA provides guarantees for your booking with us in two forms.
The first is that all monies are deposited to a trustee managed trust bank account and any payments to / from them have to be authorised at several levels.
Secondly your booking is protected by the TTA Safe Seat Plan and Supplier Failure
Cover, both of which are insurance policies to protect your money from fraud and
supplier failure.
We include the costs of these policies automatically in your booking fee,
so that you can have total financial confidence in us, and your booking with
us, as a trusted and reputable tour operator.
Further details of our TTA membership can be found by clicking here.
