I was visiting Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge when a coyote crossed the road directly in front of my truck. The animal moved at a steady pace and showed no hesitation as it passed through the area.
After crossing the road, the coyote paused at the edge of a field. It stood still for a moment, facing away from the road, before continuing on. The pause was brief, but long enough to clearly see its posture and position against the open field.
I was already set up and ready when it stopped. I tracked the coyote as it stood at the field edge and made a few frames before it moved on and disappeared from view.
Encounters like this are easy to miss if you are moving too fast. This one happened quickly and ended just as fast, but the photograph preserves the moment exactly as it unfolded.
Image Information
- Camera: Canon EOS R7
- Lens: Canon RF100–500mm F4.5–7.1 L IS USM
- Aperture: f/7.1
- Shutter Speed: 1/800 second
- ISO: 6400
- Exposure Compensation: 0
- Focal Length: 500 mm
Observing Coyotes Along Refuge Roads
Roadside encounters like this are common at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, especially during quieter hours when vehicle traffic is light. Coyotes often use road edges and open fields as travel corridors, moving between cover while scanning their surroundings. In this case, the coyote had already crossed the road before stopping briefly at the edge of the field. The pause was short and appeared to be part of its normal movement through the area rather than a reaction to my presence.
Being parked and still made it possible to observe the moment without influencing its behavior. Situations like this reinforce the value of slowing down and watching carefully, even when activity seems minimal. Many encounters unfold quickly and are easy to miss if you are focused on driving rather than observing.
I documented a similar roadside moment in another post, where a coyote moved quietly along the edge of the refuge road, which you can see here: Coyote Slinking By