The Right Equipment 

More for wildlife action photography than any other, the right equipment is crucial to your success. Obviously, you'll need a really long lens, preferably a zoom or telephoto lens to increase your chance of success.

For those of you who are really serious about wildlife photography, a visit to professional wildlife equipment store is a must. One of the most important equipment you must have is the camouflaged lens sleeve, which slips over your telephoto lens, helping you camouflage into the background. Pay attention to what you are wearing too. Your outfit, your smell (no perfumes,scented soap etc!) and wear clothes that don't rustle or have shiny bits on the. Unless of course you want that hungry wolf to notice you.

When using long lenses, there's always a really good chance of camera shake. Therefore a solid tripod matched with a good tripod head is a wildlife essential. However, even the sturdiest tripod can fall victim to a gentle breeze, especially when a slight movement is hugely magnified by the telephoto lens. It is important that you prevent this by hanging a heavy weight from the tripod's center section to increase stability. Expect some string wind at an open field. You don't need to carry your dumbbell to the location though. Just fill a light bag with rocks and pebbles on the location will do the job.

Since your camera is very sensitive you'll also need a remote cable release. Preferably wireless but if not, a wired one is better than none. This enable you to release the shutter from a hiding place away from your equipment.

Freezing action requires no motion blur at all, so go for the fastest shutter speed and watch for the depth of field. It is worth noting that the quality of telephoto lenses increases dramatically if you stop down from the widest aperture by a couple of stops.

Patience Is A Virtue You'll Need 

The right equipment doesn't mean you'll get stunning shots. Be patient. Set up your camp and wait. Do your research of where your subject would likely to be at certain given time and plan how you are going to capture the moment.

Give your subject time to get used to your presence and your gear. The easiest way to do this is set up your camouflaged hide and allow your subject to become familiar with your daily routine. Once the animals don't perceive you as a threat, you success chances of success improve greatly.

Tips And Tricks To Jaw-dropping Wildlife Images 

1. Always shoot in RAW whenever possible. You want to capture every single data that you can get your hands on. The natural color, submerged lowlights demands the most accuracy from your camera. Shoot RAW for maximum flexibility later in your digital darkroom.
2. Although not wildlife, the zoo can be a great place to take "wildlife" pictures too. Just make sure you don't take any machines and try to blur the man made settings.
3. When panning with a bird moving parallel to the camera, always pre-focus to its head. Your camera might try to focus on its wing tip instead.
4. Charge your batteries full and bring tons of spare ones. Too much batteries don't hurt, but you don't want to run flat and waste your whole trip. This is especially true in cold weather where batteries deplete faster than normal. Keep your batteries close to your body and keep them warm in these case.
5. It's always a good idea to practice in your local park before traveling half the world away to the amazon jungle for your wildlife shot. Practice with your dog. Try capturing it in action. The secret to wildlife photography is in portraying the subject in its natural environment and creating an image which show something of the animal's character and behavior. Practice makes perfect. Practice and practice more before heading out.
6. Your subject never stay still for long, so practice panning before heading out. Keep shutter speed fast, about 1/500th for a 200mm and 1/750th for a 300mm. Try and pan as smoothly as possible. Your horizontal movement should be from your hips, not your arms. Lock in your auto focus on your subject BEFORE panning.

More Awesome References 

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Soulshine_Expressions I found this lens very interesting and helpful, thank you. Well done! Peace! Posted June 04, 2008

Debt_Man great info here love this lens, come check out my wildlife scene eteched glass lens Posted January 02, 2008

flowski Photographing wildlife takes a combination of perseverance and patience! Great tips. Posted September 02, 2007