Yellowstone National Park February 12, 2017
The fox wasn’t close, but we watched carefully. As he sniffed the snow, we knew he was searching for a mouse hidden deep under the snow and would pounce when he found it. Other photographers had captured the upward leap, face first plunge into the snow, and the return with the mouse in his mouth.
His sensitive nose could locate anything under the snow. So we waited for the jump, the face first plunge into the snow, and the return to the surface with a mouse in his jaws.
But a bit away, two coyotes slowly moved toward the fox.
The fox sensed their presence and studied his surroundings. No more searching for a mouse. The coyotes were a real threat.
The fox began to move away. I was disappointed. The fox wasn’t interested in hunting and there was no chance I’d photograph a leap and catch now. The fox was nervous …
The coyotes slowly continued to move through the brush past the bison – who simply ignored the drama.
The fox moved through the bison herd, then paused and continued his search for the coyotes.
The coyotes kept moving quietly, still maintaining their cover amid the bison, snow, and brush.
The fox continued to move through the bison herd then broke into a run.
as the coyotes reached the spot where the fox first sensed their approach.
The fox now running at top speed …
heading for the woods.
The coyotes simply sauntered along, realizing they couldn’t catch the fox now.
The photographers packed their gear and moved on.