Young Coyote at Sunrise at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

I started the morning driving the auto tour road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma just after sunrise. Before long, I found myself watching a scene I did not expect, a Raccoon moving through a plowed field with a young coyote nearby.

The light was still rough, and the animals were too far away for a photo. I waited, watched, and hoped I might get another chance.

Wildlife Notes

At first, I spotted the Raccoon in the distance walking south in one of the plowed fields. I stopped and used my camera to confirm what I was seeing. I did not take any photos because the light was still low and the Raccoon was too far away.

While I watched, I noticed a coyote following behind it. I had missed it at first. Both animals were near the refuge utility road used by staff. That area had just reopened to the public on April 1. Vehicles are not allowed on it, but walking is allowed.

I knew coyotes had been using that area, so I drove around to the other side and decided to try my luck on foot. The main drawback was obvious. I would be walking straight into the morning sun. Even so, it seemed worth the effort.

Young coyote standing on a grassy road at sunrise in Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge — A young coyote pauses on the refuge road and looks straight at me in the early morning light.

When I reached the area and slowed to a stop at the edge of the road, I saw one coyote facing away from me. It stood still for a few seconds, focused on something in the distance, then walked off the road. I never got a frame of that one.

A moment later, another young coyote stepped up onto the road behind it. This one stood in the open and watched the first coyote. Then it turned and started walking toward me.

Young coyote behavior on the road

I already had my camera raised, which helped a lot. I did not need to make a sudden move, and the wind was in my favor. The coyote could see that something was there, but it did not seem able to sort out exactly what I was.

That pause gave me a brief window to work. I took several photos as it studied me. Once it realized something was off, it turned and headed back in the direction of the first coyote.

Young coyote turning on a dew-covered road in soft sunrise light — This young coyote had started walking toward me before it stopped and tried to figure out what I was.

While I watched it leave, I caught movement off to my right. Two more coyotes were walking along the edge of a field. I could not turn far enough to photograph them without being seen, so I stayed put. After a few minutes, I saw them in the distance moving into the woods. I could not tell whether those last two were adults or younger animals.

One thing is worth saying here. I am calling this a young coyote instead of saying for certain that it was a spring pup. In early April, very young coyote pups are usually still tiny and close to den sites. This animal looks more like an older juvenile or a young coyote from a previous litter. I cannot be fully certain from these photos alone, so I would rather stay careful than overstate it.

Young coyote walking away along a grassy refuge road at sunrise — After a short stare, the young coyote turned and headed back toward the other coyotes.

Photographing a young coyote at sunrise

I was happy to get these photos. The sun was behind the coyote the whole time, which is not the easiest setup, but the soft sunrise light still gave the scene a nice look. The backlight also helped the grass and road glow around the animal.

Walking into the sun is usually not my first choice, but in this case it was the only real option. I kept my movement slow, stopped at the edge of the road, and let the coyote decide what it wanted to do. Since it never caught my scent, I had a few extra seconds before it moved off.

The Canon RF 100-500mm gave me the reach I needed without locking me into one framing. Hand-holding also helped because the moment developed fast and I needed to react without a tripod.

Camera Settings:

Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Focal length: 500mm
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/800 second
ISO: 5000 and 6400
Exposure compensation: +1/3
Support: Hand-held
Date and time: April 9, 2026, at 7:12 A.M.

Closing

This was one of those short wildlife encounters that changed fast and could have ended with nothing. I missed the first coyote, could not turn on the last two, and never got a usable frame of the Raccoon. Still, the one young coyote that stopped in the road made the morning worth it.

Even with the backlight, I am glad I took the chance and made the walk.

This was not the first time I had a coyote walk in my direction. On another outing, I had a similar encounter at Sally Jones Lake in Oklahoma, which you can read about here: Coyote Walking Toward Me at Sally Jones Lake.