I took a photo of a coyote on March 2, 2021, at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The coyote was in a cornfield, chewing on a Snow Goose wing. I’m not sure if it killed the goose or found it dead. Although I’ve seen coyotes stalking geese before, I’ve never seen them successfully catch one.
Coyotes are opportunistic eaters and will hunt snow geese outside of breeding periods when food is scarce. This is because they are generalist predators and eat a variety of prey, including small mammals, rodents, birds, and even carrion. Snow geese, especially young or injured ones, are vulnerable to predation even outside of breeding season when they are not in large flocks.
While coyotes may target weaker or isolated geese, it’s important to remember that snow geese are strong fliers and more alert outside of breeding grounds. Therefore, successful hunts by coyotes would likely be less frequent compared to breeding season.
I parked my pickup on the side of the road, facing the wrong direction. I decided to get out of the vehicle and use the hood for cover and stability while taking the photo. The coyote was on the south side of the road, between Tuff Pond and 4 Corners.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II (attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro)
Technical:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: March 2, 2021 (08:37 A. M.)
- Aperture Priority
- Aperture: f5.6
- Shutter speed: 1/640 (as determined by the camera)
- ISO: 2000
- Exposure Compensation: -0.33
- Focal Length: 400 mm