Some wildlife encounters leave you with more questions than answers. This baby Coyote encounter at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge is one I’ll probably never figure out.
Baby Coyote Encounter on the Auto Tour Road
I rounded a curve on the auto tour road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma and spotted a White-tailed Doe standing in the road. A moment later, I noticed movement along the shoulder. At first, I assumed it was her tiny fawn.
I eased my truck to the side of the road as slowly as I could so I wouldn’t alarm the doe. Sunrise had been only a few minutes earlier, around 6:04 a.m., so the light was still very dim.
Once I got my camera on the small animal, I realized it wasn’t a fawn at all. It was a baby Coyote.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
The little coyote walked toward me for a short distance, then stopped, turned around, and headed back toward the doe. Throughout this time, the doe appeared much more interested in watching me than paying attention to the young coyote.
Almost immediately after I made this photo, the coyote turned left and disappeared into the tall weeds. A few seconds later, the doe also left the road and entered the same area.
Trying to Photograph an Unexpected Wildlife Encounter
I was so excited by what I was seeing that I completely forgot to check my camera settings. Unfortunately, I had left my shutter speed much too low for an 800 mm focal length.
Many of my photos were blurred because I was photographing at only 1/125 second. Normally I would have increased the shutter speed immediately, but I was focused entirely on the unusual scene unfolding in front of me.
I stayed where I was because I knew the cover opened into a nearby crop field, and I hoped they would reappear.
A short time later, the doe stepped out of the weeds and walked away toward a line of trees. After she disappeared into the woods, the baby coyote emerged and followed along the same direction, several yards behind her.
Before it entered the trees, it stopped just long enough for one final photograph.
While I was watching, I heard a deer blowing inside the woods and saw another deer run through the trees. It was too far away for me to tell whether it was the same doe.
Questions I’ll Probably Never Answer
This encounter left me with far more questions than answers.
Was the doe simply tolerating the young coyote? Was the coyote traveling through the area on its own? Did they just happen to be moving in the same direction?
I honestly have no idea.
Rather than invent an explanation, I’ll stick with what I observed. A White-tailed Doe and a baby Coyote stayed surprisingly close to each other for several minutes before disappearing into the same patch of cover.
I’ve spent many years photographing wildlife, and moments like this remind me that nature doesn’t always fit our expectations. This wasn’t my first Baby Coyote encounter, but it was certainly the most puzzling. Sometimes the mystery is the most memorable part of the experience.
Camera Settings
- Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Lens: Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
- Focal Length: 800 mm
- Aperture: f/9
- Shutter Speed: 1/125 second
- ISO: 2500
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Support: Beanbag
- Date: June 28, 2026
- Time: 6:09 A.M.