Photographer Captures Coyote Leaping for Vole in Sax-Zim Bog

Photographer Will Stenberg witnesses wildlife action as winter melts away in northern Minnesota

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:00am

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Photographer Will Stenberg was out at the Sax-Zim bog earlier this month and captured a coyote leaping in an attempt to grab a vole. Stenberg also spotted river otters on the Kettle River and trumpeter swans in a cornfield, as winter gives way to spring in northern Minnesota.

Why it matters

The Sax-Zim bog is a popular wildlife viewing area, and Stenberg's photographs provide a glimpse into the natural behaviors of animals like coyotes and voles as the seasons change. Spotting river otters and trumpeter swans also indicates the return of migratory species and the renewal of ecosystems as winter ends.

The details

Stenberg captured a coyote leaping in the air, likely trying to catch a vole, in the Sax-Zim bog. He also spotted river otters on the Kettle River where it intersects with Carlton County Road 21, as well as trumpeter swans in a cornfield along Swede Lake Road near Cromwell, just a couple days earlier.

  • Stenberg photographed the coyote and vole earlier this month in the Sax-Zim bog.
  • He spotted the river otters on the Kettle River on Monday.
  • Stenberg saw the trumpeter swans in the cornfield two days before spotting the river otters.

The players

Will Stenberg

A photographer who captured images of wildlife in northern Minnesota as winter transitions to spring.

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What they’re saying

“This coyote is likely leaping in an attempt to grab a relative of this little vole.”

— Will Stenberg, Photographer

The takeaway

Stenberg's photographs provide a glimpse into the natural world as winter gives way to spring in northern Minnesota, with coyotes, voles, river otters, and trumpeter swans all emerging and interacting with their environment.