1 Think like a predator

I was strolling through a wood the other day and was struck by how bereft of wildlife it seemed. Then I realised the problem: not habitat destruction or pesticides – but me. Every mammal, bird, reptile and most insects had seen, heard or smelt me long before I caught sight of them. Wild life has a healthy fear of the top predator – us. But if we tune into our long-dormant predatory instincts, we soon find our woods are buzzing with life.

Imagine you're an owl, or a big cat: go to a wood at dawn (or dusk), and move silently, eyes darting around you. Always walk into the breeze, stop and listen for five minutes, stand in the shadow of a tree trunk or sit in a grassy glade for half an hour and look around. Keep an eye on the ground for clues – fresh dung or paw prints – and don't forget to listen and even smell: a fox or a badger gives off a very distinctive scent. You'll have to sacrifice a few things – conversation, bright clothes, lie-ins and noisy games – but you'll be rewarded with all kinds of wild encounters.

2 Fox a badger

Some of our relatively common mammals are surprisingly difficult to see. The only reason the badger endures as England's biggest carnivore is because it has been so brilliant at hiding from us over the centuries. The best time to watch badgers is in the spring, before nettles and elder that commonly surround badger setts have grown too thick.

Badgers cannot see very well but their senses of smell and hearing are far superior to ours. Locate your sett in the daytime, be careful not to trample all over it, and return an hour before sunset. You don't need to be fantastically hidden, but you must wait downwind of the sett – if they sniff you, they probably won't emerge at all. Ideally, climb a tree – even getting a metre of the ground takes your scent into the air. Don't wear any perfume or strong scents (some badger-watchers purposefully leave an old coat outdoors and rub their hands with elder leaves so they smell more earthy) and wear gloves – your hands show up bright white at dusk. Sit quietly and enjoy the dusk falling.

If you've got it right, the badgers will emerge just before or after sunset, while it is still light enough to admire them. Some watchers scatter peanuts around the sett, to ensure the badgers snuffle around the sett for longer but it is cruel to feed them too much. More information from the Forestry Commission on badgers can be found at

3 Take in an evening concert

The woods at night are a wonderful, ethereal world of hoots, screams and other strange noises. Few birds are more feted by poets and musicians than the nightingale which, as the poet John Clare so simply put it, "hides and sings". Increasingly rare, nightingales arrive in April, bury themselves in a bush – usually in woodland in Sussex, Kent and East Anglia – and sing at night (and sometimes in the day) until the end of May.

Another precious nocturnal musician is the nightjar, which has a very odd churring, whizzing song and is found in southerly woodlands on warm summer evenings.

Listening to evening birdsong is simple, tranquil and you are certain to see other things too: a curious weasel, a tawny owl, or a scooting mouse. And if you aren't a night owl, try a dawn chorus walk in May. The 5am start may be painful but you'll be rewarded with a richness of birdsong never heard from your bedroom window.

4 Slither to the New Forest

Dry, sandy, heathland habitats are favoured by reptiles, and the New Forest in Hampshire is one of the best – home to all six of Britain's native reptiles: the adder, grass snake, sand lizard, common lizard, smooth snake and slow-worm.

Being cold-blooded, reptiles take their body heat from the sun and so like to bask in warm, dry areas with bushes around them, into which they can quickly flee danger. Tread very softly and look carefully on log-piles, south-facing slopes and sunny clearings surrounded by mature heather. The only venomous reptile in Britain is the adder, which has a dark zig-zag pattern on it. Don't be scared: if undisturbed, it will quietly slither away, far more fearful of you than you are of it.

And if you have no joy spotting these wonderful creatures, you can see every indigenous reptile at the Forestry Commission's New Forest Reptile Centre

5 An audience with an Emperor

The purple emperor is Britain's most charismatic butterfly. Found in ancient oak woodlands where there is sallow (the caterpillar's foodplant) – mainly in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the home counties – the emperor emerges at the end of June and flashes its iridescent purple wings on sunny days throughout July.

Unlike ordinary butterflies, the purple emperor does not descend from its tree-top home to feed on flowers and so is notoriously difficult to see. Instead it has a penchant for muddy puddles, dog muck and horse manure, which it feeds on to obtain valuable salts.

The Forestry Commission's Fermyn Woods in Northamptonshire is an emperor hotspot. Enthusiasts lay bait – for some reason, the emperor loves shrimp paste – on a sunny woodland ride and sit back and wait. But beware: you need to sit or stand very still – the emperor is easily spooked by people moving around.

6 Deer stalking

It is easier to see deer in England now than at any time since the middle ages, because deer populations are so high. This is in no small part down to the fact that these days, most people prefer to stalk a deer with their camera.

England has six main species – native red and roe and four introduced species – fallow, muntjac, sika and Chinese water deer. While deer can be seen almost anywhere in wooded countryside, big forests like the New Forest and Thetford Forest are excellent for deer-watching.

Choose a weekday if you can, avoid dog-walkers and find an empty path. Every time you approach a new trail crossroads or a glade, pause and look: a deer will often be around the corner, paused itself, wondering what on earth is making all that noise (ie. you).

The autumn rutting season is a spectacular time to watch deer in parkland settings, such as Bushy and Richmond in south-west London. But remember, these animals have wild instincts: don't get too close and leave your dog at home.

7 Watch out for poo!

You may just miss seeing a wild animal, but the clues will be at your feet: in the faeces you find in the woods. If you poke it with a stick (or use plastic gloves), the contents may reveal the species.

Badgers place pyramids of often quite runny poo in latrines like cats; unlike cats, however, they don't cover their doings with soil. These deposits mark territory and are usually found within a few hundred yards of a sett and may smell musky, like a badger.

Fox poo can look like that of a small dog but is often twisted at the end: it may contain feathers or bones – signs of a carnivore. Otter spraints are definitely easier to spot than otters: deposited on rocks close to rivers, they usually contain fish scales and bones. Rabbit and hare droppings are familiar and always grassy. Deer pellets are cylindrical and shiny black and usually found in small piles.

Look out for owl pellets too: these aren't faeces but the fur or feather-filled undigested remains of prey that the birds regurgitate. Remember, however, that most poo found on well-walked forest tracks will probably be dog …

What to take

The beauty of wildlife watching is you only need a pair of keen eyes, or ears. No fancy camouflage – although dark clothes and trousers that don't rustle are a good idea. Many people take a pair of binoculars to watch birds and deer. You can get close-focusing binoculars which are excellent for looking at insects. A field guide or one of the growing number of wildlife identification apps is also useful.

Seeking an amazing wildlife photo is an addictive thrill, but I've found it can take away the appreciation of everything around you. Sometimes it's nicer just to look and remember. Besides, the click of a camera will often send a badger or deer running for cover.

• For a full guide to forest wildlife, go to www.forestry.gov.uk/wildwoods.
Patrick Barkham is the author of Badgerlands, published this October, and The Butterfly Isles