Chasing Shadows: Photographing Polecats in Southern Britain (Part 1)
A little over 2 years ago, I set myself a challenge: to photograph every major British land mammal. Not just a quick grab shot either, but three distinct images of each species. One clean portrait. One behaviour that tells a story. And one field sign that shows the animal’s presence even when it isn’t there.
Some species fell into place quite naturally. Red foxes are obliging portrait subjects. Roe deer offer endless behaviour opportunities through the seasons. Badgers left me spoilt for choice when it came to field signs. But others required patience, detective work, and a fair bit of luck.
Now I’ve reached a sticking point. Among the mammals I most want to add to my project is the Polecat (Mustela putorius): an animal with a bandit’s mask, a musk that lingers long after it passes, and a history that mirrors our changing attitudes to predators. Despite countless hours in the field, I’m still missing my three shots.
This article is both a guide and a diary note for anyone wanting to photograph polecats albeit they are one of our more elusive mammals in the UK.
Polecats: Survivors of Persecution
Polecats once ranged across Britain, but centuries of persecution reduced them to a Welsh stronghold by the early 20th century. From those few survivors, the species has clawed its way back. Wales remains the heartland, but today polecats also thrive across the Welsh Marches, much of southern England, and are continuing to expand north and east.
Yet their elusiveness means most people’s first encounter is with a road casualty. Alive, they are sleek, nocturnal, and wary. For the photographer, that means the odds are stacked against casual sightings, but it also makes every encounter precious.
Choosing the Right Landscapes
In southern Britain, polecats are not tied to a single habitat. Instead, they use a patchwork of farmland, rivers, woodlands, and even villages, moving wherever prey is abundant. If you want to see and photograph them, think about where food is most available and where cover provides safe movement.
1. Rivers and Wetlands
Polecats are opportunists, taking rats, amphibians, waterfowl, and fish along riverbanks and ditches. Bridges, culverts, and weirs are reliable crossing points. These places are excellent for trail cameras.
2. Hedgerows and Farmland
Rabbits remain a favourite prey. Hedgerows that connect burrows to woodland or scrub act as polecat “motorways.” Look for evidence of hunting; rabbit remains or polecat scat, along these margins.
3. Woodland Edges and Farmyards
Old barns, pheasant pens, hay stores, and even compost heaps attract rodents. Polecats readily exploit these food sources and may den under stone walls or within abandoned burrows.
4. Roadkill Records
It may sound grim, but noting road casualties is one of the most effective ways to identify local activity. Where there is one casualty, live animals are nearby.
Reading the Signs
Field signs are often easier to photograph than the animal itself, and for my project, one good scat image counts as much as a portrait.
Scat: Slim, twisted, with a pointed tip and an unmistakably musky smell. Polecats often deposit scat in prominent places, much like otters and stoats.
Tracks: Five-toed paw prints, typically around 2.5–4 cm, similar to mink but slightly broader.
Prey Remains: Rabbit carcasses with the head and neck targeted are a polecat trademark.
For a field sign photograph, look for scat on bridges, stones, or field paths, these are natural “signposts” where polecats leave their calling card.
Approaches to Photography
A wireless PIR triggered DSLR system like the Camtraptions one shown above gives you the best chance of photographing Polecats with minimum disturbance.
Photographing polecats requires a blend of patience, technology, and adaptability. These are the strategies I’ve found most promising:
1. Trail Cameras
Trail cams are your best chance of getting a first image. Place them low (15–20 cm off the ground) at likely crossing points: hedgerow gaps, culverts, and rabbit warrens. DONT USE a rabbit carcass or egg as bait, often the landscape itself is enough. Your ai is to keep all behviour natural.
For my project, trail cameras are invaluable: they establish presence, provide behaviour clips, and guide me to places worth investigating further. This either involves me using my Camtraptions wireless DSLR system (which allows you to take DSLR quality images triggered entirely by the animal passive through an infrared beam) or staking out likely places in person.
2. Stakeouts
If you find a rabbit warren or a bridge with fresh signs, try a dusk or night stakeout. Sit downwind, tucked into cover or in a low hide. Be prepared for long quiet evenings however when a polecat glides into view, the moment is unforgettable.
3. Night Photography with Remote Flash
For the more technically minded, remote flash systems triggered by motion sensors can produce stunning portraits. Position flashes low and carefully to create natural-looking light. These setups take time and planning but can transform a fleeting encounter into a publishable image. Again I intend to use the Camtraptions system for these shots.
4. Handheld Night Work
If you have fast primes (e.g. 85mm f/1.8, 135mm f/2) and a camera with strong high-ISO performance, you can attempt handheld night shots under red-filter lamps. Results are unpredictable, but even record images matter for a long-term project.
Timing Your Efforts
Polecats can be active year-round, but some seasons favour photography more than others:
Winter/Early Spring: Less vegetation, easier to spot tracks, and hungry animals moving further afield. My best hopes lie here.
Summer: Food is abundant, making them harder to predict, but kits begin to disperse, and young animals can be less cautious.
Autumn: Rabbits feed in predictable patches, which polecats regularly patrol.
For behaviour shots, winter predation at rabbit warrens or springtime activity around bridges offers some of the best chances.
Fieldcraft and Ethics
Polecats are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which means no trapping, handling, or interference with dens. As photographers, our role is to observe without intruding.
That means avoiding repeated baiting that changes natural behaviour, keeping flash intensity low, and limiting disturbance when watching in person. A single respectful encounter is far better than pushing too hard for an image.
I remind myself constantly: my goal is to tell the story of the polecat, not to stress the animal in pursuit of a photograph.
Building a Polecat Portfolio
As I plan the next phase of my mammal project, I see three potential strands to build a meaningful polecat portfolio:
Portrait
A clean, well-lit image of a wild polecat (ideally using a remote camera setup to avoid disturbance).Behaviour
Hunting at a rabbit warren, crossing a river bridge, or scent-marking. Even a trailcam clip can tell this story powerfully.Field Sign
A scat on a mossy stone bridge, paw prints in snow, or a rabbit skull at a warren entrance. These images anchor the narrative, showing how the species interacts with its landscape.
Together, these three images will give me (and anyone viewing them) a more complete picture of the species than a portrait alone.
Why Polecats Matter
In many ways, the polecat is a symbol of recovery. From near extinction in Britain, it has bounced back to reclaim its place in the food web. It still faces threats (from roads, rodenticides, and old prejudices) but its persistence shows how nature can heal if persecution eases.
For photographers, polecats challenge us to go beyond easy images. They force us to learn tracks and signs, to use new technology, to sit quietly for long hours. And when at last a bandit-masked hunter appears on the edge of your frame, you know you’ve earned it.
Staking out Rabbit warrens at dawn and dusk remains one of the best ways of observing Polecats in the UK.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve still not completed my polecat trio — but the journey itself is valuable. Each empty stakeout, each scat on a stone, each blurry trailcam clip is part of the story. Southern England, Wales, and the Marches offer some of the best opportunities to try. If you set yourself the same challenge, be prepared for long odds, but also for the thrill of photographing one of Britain’s rarest and most secretive mammals.
One day soon, I hope to share my three images of the Polecat: a portrait, a behaviour, and a field sign (in part 2 of this blog). Until then, I’ll keep following the signs, setting the cameras, and chasing shadows.
📸 Over to You: Have you photographed a Polecat, or recorded one on a trail camera in your area? I’d love to hear your stories as every sighting adds to the bigger picture of how this remarkable predator lives among us.