Must be a Coyote Kind of Day

Pronghorn alerted

We headed out early into the Park...skipped breakfast so we could get to Lamar Valley super early to maybe catch a glimpse of a bear or maybe wolves back at the carcasses.   Didn't manage to see those, but we did see something unusual.   We had pulled off to watch a lone pronghorn with our new spotting scope when suddenly a pack of coyotes (8 total) tore down the hillside.  The pronghorn took off away from the pack, but he wasn't the target.  They were on the track of something else.

Leader of the pack

Running

The lead coyote kept his nose on the ground and kept running towards us and the road.  When he got closer he became somewhat concerned about our presence and broke away from his chase.  He changed direction and went along the ridge and eventually crossed the road with his nose still on the ground.  The rest of the pack followed his lead by staying just below the ridge line.  All of them crossed the road and caught up to their leader.  Disappearing up the hillside across from where we had parked.

Tracking

Waiting for the others

We had no idea that coyotes hunted in packs...had only seen them alone.  As the day went on it must have been our day to see coyotes.  Two more were seen by the end of the day.  One was hunting along the roadside until a group of people decided to walk towards him.  The activity changed his behavior and he wandered away.

Mice?

Wide yawn

Hunting

Our last encounter was also off the roadway among a herd of bison.  He was also hunting and actually crossed the road in front of cars and people.  He wandered through the herd searching for mice.  

Still hunting