I recently had the chance to photograph a young coyote at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. This particular coyote has been popular with wildlife photographers this summer, but I had yet to get the shots I was hoping for. That changed last Tuesday morning.
I arrived at the refuge before sunrise on August 29th. The day before, fellow photographer Louis E Curtis Jr. had tipped me off to where he had spotted the coyote, so I headed straight for that area. After a short drive down the auto tour road, I caught sight of the coyote walking along the road. I stopped to watch where it was headed, waiting for enough light to photograph.
The coyote ventured off the road into a recently plowed field. I watched it dig up what looked like a large bone and carry it into the brush, disappearing from view. I drove on ahead and then turned around to park, hoping to photograph the coyote from inside my truck when it emerged.
Within minutes, the young coyote came back out into the plowed field. It sniffed around, sometimes coming close to my truck. I was able to get some great shots of it exploring the field. I witnessed the coyote using the bathroom, chasing and eating a grasshopper, and digging up something tasty in the dirt. After a while, it disappeared into a nearby cornfield and I lost sight of it.
Although coyotes are common in this area, it was special to have this close encounter with a young one. The morning light and open setting allowed me to get some great coyote photos. I’m thrilled to have had the chance to observe and photograph this beautiful wild animal going about its morning activities.
I photograph our living planet so we remember what we must fight to preserve.
Steve Creek, Wildlife Photographer
Equipment Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Technical Details: First Photo
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: August 29, 2023 (07:09 A. M.)
- Program Mode: Manual
- Aperture: f8
- Shutter speed: 1/1250
- ISO: 6400 (Auto)
- Exp. Comp.: +0.7
- Focal Length: 500 mm