Some mornings at the refuge give you a whole family. While heading back from the Moody boat ramp, I noticed movement beside the road. A mother raccoon was walking the roadside, and four tiny kits trailed behind her.
A Raccoon Family of Five Beside the Road
I had just left the boat ramp and was nearing the 4-corner intersection. As soon as I saw what the movement was, I pulled over. The mother walked in front, with her kits ambling after her in a loose line.
At this age, kits still depend on their mother for everything. Raccoons usually have litters of three to five kits in early summer, so this family fit the pattern exactly. The kits stumbled along on small legs and worked hard to keep up. Then the whole group slipped into the roadside brush and was gone.
Photographing the Raccoon Family of Five From the Roadside
There was no time to plan this shot. Instead, I grabbed my camera and worked fast. Before the brush swallowed them, I still got several frames. The morning light was soft and even. My long lens also let me stay back and leave the family undisturbed.
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon EF 800mm f/11, at 800mm
- Settings: f/11 (fixed), 1/1600 second, ISO 6400 (Auto), Manual program
- Exposure compensation: 0
- Taken: July 22, 2021, 7:46 A.M.
A Raccoon Family on the Move, Gone in Minutes
Watching a wild family go about its morning is a special thing. This mother was already teaching her kits the skills they will need. One day, those lessons will help them survive on their own. In fact, moments like this are why I keep driving those refuge roads.
I have also photographed one other raccoon family for the blog. See Raccoon Family Near Miner’s Cove for that encounter.