I spent a cold winter morning photographing Sequoyah NWR wildlife on December 30, 2025, along the auto tour road. I arrived a little after 7:00 a.m., and the temperature was 21 degrees when I pulled in. Skies were clear, and the wind was light.
Sunrise was at 7:28 a.m., which gave me a short window to get set up before the light began to change. I planned to drive the auto tour road, which is my usual routine when I visit this refuge.
Before starting, I rolled the window down and set my bean bag on the door. I photographed everything from inside the truck. That morning I used my Canon R5 Mark II with the Canon RF 200–800mm lens. I set my shutter speed around 1/250 as I eased onto the road.
Sequoyah NWR Wildlife Notes
I started the auto tour road around 7:20 a.m. Another photographer was already ahead of me and chose to go clockwise. I went counterclockwise instead.
There were many duck hunters in the refuge that morning, and most pull-offs were already occupied. I checked Reeves Slough briefly. I hoped to see beavers, otters, or deer near the fishing pier, but hunters were set up there as well, so I kept moving.
Around 7:50 a.m., I reached the Scarborough Slough area and spotted a young buck chasing a doe near the road. The activity stayed close and steady, which gave me time to work the scene and adjust compositions as they moved through the grass and brush.
I stayed in that area until a little after 8:00 a.m. and photographed both deer several times as they crossed in and out of cover.
I left Scarborough around 8:18 a.m. and drove toward the Baker Place parking area near Sally Jones Lake. A couple of gulls flew over the lake, but I did not take any photos.
From there I continued counterclockwise toward the Sally Jones Causeway. Waterfowl activity was high, but the light had already become harsh, so I passed through without photographing anything.
At the Sandtown parking area along the Arkansas River, I found a pair of American White Pelicans resting on a small sandbar. I photographed the pair before moving on.
Later on the auto tour road, I watched a bald eagle drop down and grab a squirrel directly from the road in front of me. It happened fast, and I did not get a photo, but it was still a memorable moment.
Before leaving the refuge, I stopped near the beginning of the auto tour road where snow geese were gathered in the east field. The light was bright and harsh on that side of the road, so I did very little photography. I sat and listened for a while and recorded a short video of the snow geese to share on social media later.
I left the refuge around 10:00 a.m. Traffic on the auto tour road was increasing as some of the duck hunters began leaving the refuge. It has been dry with no rain for a while, and every passing vehicle kicked up dust. Once the dust hung in the air, it became difficult to see clearly and even harder to photograph wildlife from the truck.
After that, I left the refuge.
Photography Notes
All of the deer photos were taken from inside the truck using a bean bag for support. The deer stayed calm and moved naturally, which made it easier to work through different compositions.
The light was soft early but became harsh quickly once the sun cleared the horizon. That limited opportunities with white birds later in the morning.
The pelicans remained still and well spaced on the sandbar. Their position allowed for a clean and simple composition despite the stronger light.
Great pics.
Happy New Year 🎉🎉