Photographing coyotes

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Abinoone

Abinoone

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I recently spent time in Yellowstone NP, where one of my target species was coyotes. Normally I see many of the critters there but this time I had only two sightings, and both too far away for decent shots. As I slowly crept closer to them, hoping for that elusive “pouncing coyote” opportunity, I thought of Steve’s wonderful How I Got the Shot article on coyotes (https://backcountrygallery.com/got-shot-pouncing-coyotes/), and tried to recall his pointers, but the photography gods apparently were not smiling on me that day - all I ended up with were a few uninteresting, somewhat distant shots.

Now home in upstate NY, I’m still hoping to find and photograph coyotes doing interesting things, and I’m wondering if anyone else has suggestions about how to locate and approach coyotes, especially in the eastern U.S. I know they’re here (and almost everywhere) as I see them occasionally while driving, but would like to know how I might improve my chances of success.

Incidentally, I just reread Steve’s great coyote article, and would love to see more in his terrific How I Got the Shot series. I know he’s a busy guy, but these short articles are worth their weight in gold to mere amateurs like myself. Anyone else agree?
 
One of the Sacramento county parks a.k.a. river floodplain surrounded by suburbia has been productive for me, where the coyotes are habituated to non-threatening humans.

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I think photographing coyotes is the same as photographing any other wildlife, it's a combination of luck, skill and equipment. I've been to Yellowstone eight times and I almost always see coyotes and I have many shots of them. This series is from a wolf kill where the coyotes came in, two by two literally, after the wolf left. We stayed there for a couple of hours simply observing the process of what happens with a kill. When we passed the spot later in the day there was no evidence of the kill at all, the animals had completely cleaned the site.
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In most areas outside of parks or other large areas where hunting is not permitted coyotes are shot unceasingly whether there's a closed season or not. I regularly catch them on camera traps, including within 75 feet of the house, but almost every one I've seen in daylight has been in full flight. Your best bet is to find a park where they're habituated to humans, perhaps where they're being fed by visitors. Otherwise your best chance is to find an active den in the spring and set up a blind -- but the female will almost certainly move the pups as soon as the blind is in place. Good luck.
 
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I will share my Bald Eagle story. I have lived in this small community for my entire life and travel the rural areas often. However, a few years ago I noticed for the first time, a number of Bald Eagles feeding at a small local irrigation lake. I was amazed and figured this was a rare occurrence and I was lucky to see it. My part time retirement job, earning some disposable cash for photography equipment, is at the local Ace Hardware Store. I know many of the customers and shared my my eagle experience with them. I was surprised to find that this is not an unusual occurrence, it happens often and there is a series of lakes that they will frequent. I was informed when and where to watch for them, what weather dictates when and if they visit, and who owns the lake properties and how to gain access. They also shared what farming activities attract them as well. This information came from people I know well, some who I grew up with, but I never thought to ask them about specific wildlife on their farms or ranches. This was a huge “duh” moment for me.

I don’t know what your community is like, but if you live in a rural community or close to a rural community, find out where the farmers, ranchers, or property owners like to have coffee. It is a great source for information on local animal activity.
 
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BarkingBeansCoffee said:
Here in AZ they own the golf courses. They usually let you play through. I like the ask around the community idea. I am told they prefer flats to hills for hunting.
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Funny you should mention this, as just a couple hours ago I photographed coyotes on my neighboring golf course in the Tucson Mountains!

@Abinoone You can often hear them yipping/howling and follow the sound. (At least here in the west; maybe back east too?). After I saw three on the golf course (edge of an arroyo) this morning they split up and I walked down the arroyo but then heard one behind me and went back. I am pretty sure he was vocalizing to find the others. I could tell from the sound he was slowly walking away from me but I walked fast and eventually got by a low hill where I could hear he was right on the other side. I peaked around and got this shot.

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As many may already know, I am a cotton farmer by trade and a photographer by passion. I carry the camera with me most of the time in my truck but also in my tractor and sprayers. In my truck you cannot get within a quarter mile of a coyote and if you do get closer it is closer it is always a picture of their butt running away from you. However when on a tractor or sprayer things change drastically as they are not fearful of the tractors and sprayers. I guess these are too slow for them to fear. This leads me to a couple of stories.

A few years ago, I found a Coyote Den in the middle of a cotton field. The pups were coming out of the hole but if i got too close they would run back in the hole. For two weeks, i would go to that field on the tractor with the sprayer on it and i would move 27 feet closer each morning just after sunrise. I got to know those coyotes pretty well. Two of the pups would go into the den as soon as they saw me. Then two of the pups were the bravest and they seemed more curious and they were always the last ones to go into the den. Every day i went and would stop when I got where the sun was directly behind me and would open the cab door so they could see me. On the final day i went there i stopped and started shooting and ended up getting off the tractor and started moving towards them and got about 20 feet closer before they ran into the den. The den went into and old 16 inch concrete line that had been used to transport water but was abandoned. Below are three photos of the encounter. It was a lot of fun.

In the final picture, I was planting the outside of a center pivot irrigation system. I got to one of the corners and saw three coyotes hunting a small area for insects, mice and such. I stopped the tractor and turned the tractor off as not to scare them off. I opene the cab door and just sat in the tractor very still. I saw one jumping from pile to pile trying to scare something up. A pregnant female starting moving straight towards the tractor. As she was moving within about 50 feet of the tractor I raised the camera up and start shooting. She seemed more curious than cautious.

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Chappy said:
As many may already know, I am a cotton farmer by trade and a photographer by passion. I carry the camera with me most of the time in my truck but also in my tractor and sprayers. In my truck you cannot get within a quarter mile of a coyote and if you do get closer it is closer it is always a picture of their butt running away from you. However when on a tractor or sprayer things change drastically as they are not fearful of the tractors and sprayers. I guess these are too slow for them to fear. This leads me to a couple of stories.

A few years ago, I found a Coyote Den in the middle of a cotton field. The pups were coming out of the hole but if i got too close they would run back in the hole. For two weeks, i would go to that field on the tractor with the sprayer on it and i would move 27 feet closer each morning just after sunrise. I got to know those coyotes pretty well. Two of the pups would go into the den as soon as they saw me. Then two of the pups were the bravest and they seemed more curious and they were always the last ones to go into the den. Every day i went and would stop when I got where the sun was directly behind me and would open the cab door so they could see me. On the final day i went there i stopped and started shooting and ended up getting off the tractor and started moving towards them and got about 20 feet closer before they ran into the den. The den went into and old 16 inch concrete line that had been used to transport water but was abandoned. Below are three photos of the encounter. It was a lot of fun.

In the final picture, I was planting the outside of a center pivot irrigation system. I got to one of the corners and saw three coyotes hunting a small area for insects, mice and such. I stopped the tractor and turned the tractor off as not to scare them off. I opene the cab door and just sat in the tractor very still. I saw one jumping from pile to pile trying to scare something up. A pregnant female starting moving straight towards the tractor. As she was moving within about 50 feet of the tractor I raised the camera up and start shooting. She seemed more curious than cautious.

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The first image is my favorite. Just something about it. They're all good though
 
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MartyD said:
I will share my Bald Eagle story. I have lived in this small community for my entire life and travel the rural areas often. However, a few years ago I noticed for the first time, a number of Bald Eagles feeding at a small local irrigation lake. I was amazed and figured this was a rare occurrence and I was lucky to see it. My part time retirement job, earning some disposable cash for photography equipment, is at the local Ace Hardware Store. I know many of the customers and shared my my eagle experience with them. I was surprised to find that this is not an unusual occurrence, it happens often and there is a series of lakes that they will frequent. I was informed when and where to watch for them, what weather dictates when and if they visit, and who owns the lake properties and how to gain access. They also shared what farming activities attract them as well. This information came from people I know well, some who I grew up with, but I never thought to ask them about specific wildlife on their farms or ranches. This was a huge “duh” moment for me.

I don’t know what your community is like, but if you live in a rural community or close to a rural community, find out where the farmers, ranchers, or property owners like to have coffee. It is a great source for information on local animal activity.
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In my experience, Coyote's roam the country and won't stay in one place very long unless they have a den. They are constantly moving and looking for food and will probably stay in places that have better chance of keeping them fed. Golf courses in a lot of place would be great places for them to hunt and find water. If you can take a look around the water hazards, I bet you can find tracks around them.

Coyotes are often hunted for various reasons as people are scared of them getting too close or they are afraid losing livestock or pets. Coyotes are known to kill chickens, small pets and other animals around homes in rural areas. In my area there are a lot of cattle. Coyotes love to eat the afterbirth after a new calf has been born and they will also eat the poop of calves that has a lot of colostrum. Since coyotes after new calf births ranchers often think theat the coyotes got their calf when it was born when they find a dead calf of some remains. I have asked a number of ranchers if they have ever seen a calf actually be killed by a coyote and most say no. This past spring it was very dry and the coyotes were very hungry and did get some spring calves. In my experience, mother cows are very good at protecting their babies and can hide them very well even from coyotes. Many cattle ranchers now have donkey's and donkey's will go after and kill coyotes.

As far as going to coffee shops in rural towns, in places it will work but not so much in my area. These farmers and ranchers are proud of their land ownership and don't like folks going on their land. Farmers and ranchers can be a prideful bunch and they take great pride in the property they own.
 
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Chappy said:
As many may already know, I am a cotton farmer by trade and a photographer by passion. I carry the camera with me most of the time in my truck but also in my tractor and sprayers. In my truck you cannot get within a quarter mile of a coyote and if you do get closer it is closer it is always a picture of their butt running away from you. However when on a tractor or sprayer things change drastically as they are not fearful of the tractors and sprayers. I guess these are too slow for them to fear. This leads me to a couple of stories.

A few years ago, I found a Coyote Den in the middle of a cotton field. The pups were coming out of the hole but if i got too close they would run back in the hole. For two weeks, i would go to that field on the tractor with the sprayer on it and i would move 27 feet closer each morning just after sunrise. I got to know those coyotes pretty well. Two of the pups would go into the den as soon as they saw me. Then two of the pups were the bravest and they seemed more curious and they were always the last ones to go into the den. Every day i went and would stop when I got where the sun was directly behind me and would open the cab door so they could see me. On the final day i went there i stopped and started shooting and ended up getting off the tractor and started moving towards them and got about 20 feet closer before they ran into the den. The den went into and old 16 inch concrete line that had been used to transport water but was abandoned. Below are three photos of the encounter. It was a lot of fun.

In the final picture, I was planting the outside of a center pivot irrigation system. I got to one of the corners and saw three coyotes hunting a small area for insects, mice and such. I stopped the tractor and turned the tractor off as not to scare them off. I opene the cab door and just sat in the tractor very still. I saw one jumping from pile to pile trying to scare something up. A pregnant female starting moving straight towards the tractor. As she was moving within about 50 feet of the tractor I raised the camera up and start shooting. She seemed more curious than cautious.
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Great story and adorable pups! Thank you very much for sharing. I guess I need to go out and find a good cotton farmer! 🥴
 
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Forgive me for not putting an explanation above the image. I haven't figured that out yet. This Coyote was pouncing through the grasses trying to scare a mouse or vole into fleeing and making a noise. You can see its ears pointed forward to catch any movement! Boulder, Colorado
 
Frontranger said:
Forgive me for not putting an explanation above the image. I haven't figured that out yet. This Coyote was pouncing through the grasses trying to scare a mouse or vole into fleeing and making a noise. You can see its ears pointed forward to catch any movement! Boulder, Colorado
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I don't see the image :(
 
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As others have mentioned, you want to focus on urban/suburban areas or big parks where hunting is prohibited. Yellowstone and Point Reyes are good options in the west. I don't know about the east, but in or close to town is probably a good bet.

I usually look for coyotes by car. In cities, on foot might work better. If the coyote gets alarmed and runs just at the sight of you in your car, you don't have any hope. If you're able to get within a reasonable distance in your car, start by photographing from in your car. Watch their direction of movement, try to predict where they're going, and move your car closer to their direction of travel but not right on their path. Photograph more from the car. If they aren't moving too fast, take your time with this. After some time, ease out of your car and move low and slow to get yourself into a better position. If you aren't feeling like it hurts to wait to get into position for a relaxed slow-moving coyote, you're moving too fast.

Moving face-on towards a coyote usually spooks it, except for the most habituated of dogs. You might be able to ease in towards a coyote that's hunting, but if you disturb it it's just lost a chance at a meal. If you're going to try to photograph a hunting coyote, keep a close eye on its behavior and back away if it stops hunting to react to you.

If the coyote is walking away from or parallel to you, you may be able to follow on foot. If it's trotting or running, following it will just cause it to waste more energy getting away from you.

You can use concealment like folds in the land, trees, or bushes to get a bit closer. Use this to get too close and you'll spook the coyote, sending it running away at full speed.

None of this will guarantee you an amazing face shot every time. Except for very habituated coyotes, you'll mostly have to take what it gives you in terms of compositions. The more you get to know your local coyotes and learn to understand their behavior, the easier this will get.

Above all, photographing mammals takes patience and perseverance. I've been to Point Reyes 30 times in the past year. I see coyotes pretty much every time I'm out there, usually multiple times in an outing. Out of all those sightings, about ten have resulted in photos I consider portfolio worthy: https://jacquesfortierart.com/my-portfolio/coyotes/

I got the photo below this afternoon after I saw a coyote walking towards a thistle patch. I parked on the other side of the thistle patch. Since I was concealed from the coyote, I didn't have take too long to get out of the car. I crept up a little closer, sat down, and waited. Soon enough, it started coming through the thistles. I stayed still, and lucked into the coyote walking right towards me. With patience and perseverance, eventually you get a chance a shot like this. Then you go back to searching and hoping a coyote will allow you to share a moment with it.

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Here are some of the photos leading up to that moment.

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jacquesgt said:
As others have mentioned, you want to focus on urban/suburban areas or big parks where hunting is prohibited. Yellowstone and Point Reyes are good options in the west. I don't know about the east, but in or close to town is probably a good bet.

I usually look for coyotes by car. In cities, on foot might work better. If the coyote gets alarmed and runs just at the sight of you in your car, you don't have any hope. If you're able to get within a reasonable distance in your car, start by photographing from in your car. Watch their direction of movement, try to predict where they're going, and move your car closer to their direction of travel but not right on their path. Photograph more from the car. If they aren't moving too fast, take your time with this. After some time, ease out of your car and move low and slow to get yourself into a better position. If you aren't feeling like it hurts to wait to get into position for a relaxed slow-moving coyote, you're moving too fast.

Moving face-on towards a coyote usually spooks it, except for the most habituated of dogs. You might be able to ease in towards a coyote that's hunting, but if you disturb it it's just lost a chance at a meal. If you're going to try to photograph a hunting coyote, keep a close eye on its behavior and back away if it stops hunting to react to you.

If the coyote is walking away from or parallel to you, you may be able to follow on foot. If it's trotting or running, following it will just cause it to waste more energy getting away from you.

You can use concealment like folds in the land, trees, or bushes to get a bit closer. Use this to get too close and you'll spook the coyote, sending it running away at full speed.

None of this will guarantee you an amazing face shot every time. Except for very habituated coyotes, you'll mostly have to take what it gives you in terms of compositions. The more you get to know your local coyotes and learn to understand their behavior, the easier this will get.

Above all, photographing mammals takes patience and perseverance. I've been to Point Reyes 30 times in the past year. I see coyotes pretty much every time I'm out there, usually multiple times in an outing. Out of all those sightings, about ten have resulted in photos I consider portfolio worthy: https://jacquesfortierart.com/my-portfolio/coyotes/

I got the photo below this afternoon after I saw a coyote walking towards a thistle patch. I parked on the other side of the thistle patch. Since I was concealed from the coyote, I didn't have take too long to get out of the car. I crept up a little closer, sat down, and waited. Soon enough, it started coming through the thistles. I stayed still, and lucked into the coyote walking right towards me. With patience and perseverance, eventually you get a chance a shot like this. Then you go back to searching and hoping a coyote will allow you to share a moment with it.



Here are some of the photos leading up to that moment.
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Excellent advice! Very useful, and I love your head-on shot of the coyote. Incidentally, Point Reyes is on my bucket list of locations to visit, and I may go next Mar/April. Would this be a favorable time to visit? I was there briefly back in 1986, and was captivated by its beauty and abundance of wildlife. Ever since, I’ve been wanting to return.

Thanks again for your informative reply!
 
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