A Bobcat sighting is a great way to start any morning, and this one gave me a real thrill. Yesterday at sunrise, I was driving the auto tour road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma when I spotted this Bobcat walking along the edge of the road and coming toward me.
Bobcat on the Auto Tour Road
I parked my truck and got ready, hoping it would keep coming my way. The light was terrible. It was cloudy, dim, and I was already working with a lens that is not ideal for low light at 800mm. Even so, the moment was too good to pass up.
At first, I decided to shoot video. The Bobcat kept coming closer, and that let me stay with the scene as it developed. As it closed the distance, I stopped recording and started making photos.
Bobcats can move with a calm, steady confidence, and that is exactly how this one looked. It never seemed rushed. It just worked its way down the road, staying alert as it came. Seeing one out in the open like this, and walking straight toward me, does not happen every day. This was actually the second time this month that I had photographed Bobcats near the road. Earlier in the month, I photographed two Bobcats in the morning fog, which made this latest encounter even more memorable.
When it got within about 20 steps, the Bobcat turned and slipped into the trees. Just like that, it was gone. That quick exit is a good reminder of how easily these cats can disappear, even when they seem to be in plain sight.
Photographing a Bobcat at Sunrise
I photographed this Bobcat from my truck window on a cloudy morning at sunrise. The light was poor, so I had to push the ISO higher than I like to hold a workable shutter speed.
Camera Settings:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Lens: Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
- Focal Length: 800mm
- Aperture: f/10
- Shutter Speed: 1/400 second
- ISO: 12800
- Exposure Compensation: +2/3
- Support: Beanbag draped over truck window
The light was the biggest challenge. A cloudy sunrise is rough enough on its own, but at 800mm and f/10, I had to push the ISO very high to keep a usable shutter speed. I would rather deal with noise than motion blur, especially with a Bobcat walking toward me. In this kind of situation, getting the moment matters more than getting a perfectly clean file.
The video-first decision also made sense here. When an animal is actively approaching, things can change fast. Video let me cover the action until the Bobcat got close enough that I felt I had a better chance to make still images that showed more detail and presence.
A Great Start to the Morning at Sequoyah Refuge
This was one of those encounters that stays with me. Everything came together fast, and it was over just as quickly. Watching a Bobcat walk toward me on the auto tour road at sunrise was an amazing way to start my morning at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.
Great!