Coyote Marking Territory

Image Critiques Wildlife Critiques
1

LamarValleyCoyoteMarkingTerritory.jpg
LamarValleyCoyoteMarkingTerritory.jpg2000×1445 1.17 MB

LamarTerritoryMarked.jpg
LamarTerritoryMarked.jpg2000×1378 1.16 MB

Relieved

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Description

Coyotes are uncouth. This one was in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone last month. It rained the night before and it was still pretty wet in the area. I watched as it wandered through the sage looking for a quick bite to eat or any leftovers. Then it decided to mark it’s territory, and mark it’s territory, and mark it’s territory . . . you get the picture(s).
I think one of the funniest things my wife and I ever saw was in Death Valley driving up from Stovepipe Wells out toward Devil’s Gate. The scruffiest, mangiest looking coyote we’d ever seen came trotting up to the road just in front of our car. So we stopped to let it cross. Another car was coming from the opposite direction and also stopped. The coyote trotted out to the center stripe, paused to take a quick glance at both of our cars, and then squatted down and took a dump on the center stripe and trotted off. We were a bit stunned, but then just started cracking up. We noticed the other car had the same reaction.

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Technical Details

  1. Canon R5, f8, 1/125 sec, iso 125, 100-500/1.4TC at 420 mm.
  2. R5, f8, 1/125 sec, iso 125, 420 mm.

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2

Territory marking is fairly consistent in the dog family. I guess it comes down to the pup with the last drop wins in getting their name at the top of the list. Good behavior shots and from the facial expression in the last shot, he was relived to say the least…Jim

1 Like
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I heard coyotes last night - always love to hear them, they always sound like they’re having a good time. Such successful creatures that do so well in or near human activity/environments. Even with them so close, I’ve never photographed one well so this is nice to see, especially that second one.

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4

Cool subject & behaviour, I really like the wet fur !
Busy background is reducing the impact of image, but there’s nothing you could do at f 8.

5

Thank you @Jim_Zablotny, I like your last drop commentary. @Kris_Smith I love to hear coyotes sing. We used to get hunting family packs in the middle of Orange and Los Angeles Counties that would raise a real caucaphony at night sometimes. Thank you Jagdeep, I think f8 was the fastest aperture I had available with that setup. I might see if I can add some gaussian blue to reduce the impact of the BG foliage some. Thanks for the insight.