I arrived at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma at sunrise on November 4th. The morning was thick with fog, and I could barely see across the fields as I started down the auto tour road. I was watching a White-tailed Buck following several does when I caught movement near my truck.
Coyote With Prey: Wildlife Notes
A young coyote was walking in the road, carrying something dead in its jaws. It walked right past my parked truck, close enough that I could see the details of its coat through the fog. After passing me, it turned into the tall weeds and placed its catch on the ground. I’m guessing it was resting before continuing its journey.
Coyotes typically hunt in the early morning and evening hours, making this dawn encounter typical behavior. Young coyotes like this one are often practicing their hunting skills, learning which prey to target and how to carry it efficiently. The animal appeared calm and focused, showing no signs of stress despite my presence.
After a short pause, the coyote picked up its prey and walked back onto the road. It continued about 100 yards before turning into another field and disappearing into the thick fog. The prey appeared to be a small mammal, possibly an opossum based on the size and dark coloring, though the foggy conditions and the condition of the prey made positive identification difficult.
I’ve photographed coyotes with various prey at Sequoyah over the years. See my Coyote Chewing on a Snow Goose Wing post for another example of their opportunistic feeding behavior.
Photography Notes
I photographed this scene from inside my truck using my Canon EOS R5 with the RF 200-800mm lens at 800mm. The foggy conditions and low light at sunrise created significant challenges. I was shooting at f/9 and 1/200 second, which required pushing the ISO to 12800 to get a usable exposure. I also added +1/3 stop of exposure compensation to help with the dim conditions.
The fog acted as a natural diffuser, softening the light but also reducing contrast and sharpness. The high ISO introduced some noise, but the R5 handles it well enough at that sensitivity. I focused on the coyote’s face and kept my shutter speed as fast as possible to freeze the motion as it walked.
I used my truck as a blind, which allowed me to stay close without alarming the animal. The coyote showed little concern about the vehicle, walking past within reasonable range. Settings were available for this exposure, and the challenging conditions required compromises between shutter speed, ISO, and depth of field.
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 200–800mm F6.3–9 IS USM
- Focal Length: 800 mm
- Aperture: ƒ/9
- Shutter Speed: 1/200 second
- ISO: 12800
- Exposure Compensation: +1/3
A Successful Morning Hunt
This encounter reminded me why I spend so many mornings at Sequoyah. Wildlife behavior is unpredictable, and some of the best moments happen when conditions seem less than ideal. The fog might have limited visibility, but it also created a moody backdrop that adds atmosphere to the image.
excellent photo!