I live in Arkansas and am surrounded by nature. I really love nature and wildlife photography, but the best lens I got is a Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6. It's helped me out on a lot of shots and it's a good beginner lens, but I really need to get some better lenses and a teleconverter. However, I don't have a lot of money right now. I would like to get a Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens, but it ain't cheap. I've also thought about the Canon 400mm f/5.6L USM. It's a prime lens and it's slightly cheaper, but it doesn't have the IS, which I really like to have if I'm hand holding, especially on a 400mm lens.

Are there other lenses you might recommend? Do you try to cut corners and buy used, or refurbished for lenses that expensive?

What's some of the best wildlife photography tips you know? What's the best way to stay focused on a moving subject and keeping the eye sharp? I've tried using AI Servo and I just can't seem to get the hang of it, so I switched back to One Shot mode. Any useful gear that might be helpful? How do you go about getting the shots? Do you use a blind? What tripod do you like?

What's the best way(s) to make money from wildlife photography? I'm not looking for a full time job at it and I'm not doing it just for the money, but it would be nice if I could use that money for more gear if I could.