Stinkin' Coyote

January 05, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and nature photographers go awry.

This is one of those times.

My new challenge is a pair of coyotes at my local park. It's where I usually walk my dog (or where _he_ walks me, depending upon your perspective). I figured these coyotes would provide enough challenge to occupy me for a bit, and maybe force me to improve my game a little in the process.

I underestimated them.

I've managed to sight them regularly now. I know their morning and evening routes & routines. i can find them most of the time with a little effort. I've managed to gradually get closer to them, and to hide well enough for them to unwittingly get closer to me. I count each minor improvement I make as a major victory, since I am dealing with an alpha predator who is smart and wary. I figured it wouldn't be long before I had some nice pics (close range, good light, low ISO) at this rate.

What I didn't figure on was the coyotes stepping up their game in response to me.

Since I had a little time off for the holidays, I decided to spend my morning pursuing the coyotes.I could always manage to spot at least one of the coyotes out in the middle of the frozen pond before sunrise - just too far away and behind too much brush for a decent shot. I think that's part of her plan. No matter which way I approach a hiding place for the pond, the coyote is now on the lookout for me, and on the frozen pond has a 360-degree escape route. When I arrive, she now watches me and exits the opposite side of the pond. They've adapted too well in a short period of time.

This shot is after packing up from the wildlife area. She was in the open field chasing voles. She spotted me very quickly, and after looking away from the viewfinder for a split second, she managed to just disappear. This was the best shot of the day.

The Coyote Chronicles

December 31, 2008 • Leave a Comment

A brief review: I decided I needed a new wildlife project, some sort of challenge, so decided the coyotes at my local park fit the bill perfectly. Turns out, they fit the bill a little too perfectly. They turned out to be quite the challenge - they're smart, sneaky, well-camouflaged, and extremely camera shy.

One of the big problems is that the coyotes are so smart and wary, it's hard enough to get a decent shot. I could use a TC to lengthen my reach optically, but the best time to catch them is right before sunrise, requiring me to shoot at high ISO with the aperture wide open, because of the low light - not the best for image quality, particularly with a moving subject.

This has forced me to raise my game a notch or two. I started to use the wooden blinds in the wilderness refuge. It quickly became obvious the blinds are designed for use with waterfowl, not coyotes. When I'm securely set up with the tripod facing the pond, the coyote would appear behind me on the trail; and of course when I was set up facing the trail, the coyote would be behind me on the pond.

Despite these frustrations, the coyotes would pass very close to me at times (10-15 meters) without spotting me. Not at an angle where I could get a shot, but still, a limited success. I needed to get closer to the coyotes normal path and still stay hidden, but with enough viewing angle to get a good shot.

Today I brought a camping chair and parked in the brush with the tripod. Not completely hidden, but not easy to spot either. This is the shot I could get today. I caught her (I think it's a her) by surprise - the only thing that gave me away was the sound of the shutter firing. It took her a bit to locate me - she kept moving positions while looking my way. She finally spotted me and moved off the ice to a higher ridge, where she sat watching me for 10 or so minutes. I never saw her again today after that.

Coyote (Canis latrans)
Crown Hill Park
Lakewood, CO
Sony Alpha700
Sigma 300/2.8
Giottos tripod, Acratech ballhead, Wimberley Sidekick

ISO800, f/2.8, 1/50sec

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Stinkin' Coyote

The Coyote Chronicles