{"id":525961,"date":"2026-03-10T03:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T03:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/525961\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T03:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T03:45:11","slug":"what-to-do-and-not-do-if-a-coyote-shows-up-in-your-yard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/525961\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do (And Not Do) If A Coyote Shows Up In Your Yard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coyotes are fascinating creatures that once weren\u2019t found east of the Mississippi River. However, during the last century or so, they\u2019ve expanded their range across North America. \u201cIt\u2019s likely due to habitat changes, as well as the fact that competitors, such as eastern red wolves, have been removed from the landscape,\u201d says Michel Kohl, PhD, Certified Wildlife Biologist, wildlife extension specialist and associate professor of wildlife management at the University of Georgia<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re one of the few large carnivores in North America, and they do well in close proximity to people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

While you may think spotting a coyote (Canis latrans) in your neighborhood is rare, it\u2019s actually not uncommon. \u201cCoyotes are adaptable to whatever environment they come across,\u201d says Sheldon Owen, PhD, wildlife extension specialist at West Virginia University<\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cThey carve out a niche for themselves, even in an urban setting.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The greatest risk with coyotes is that they can carry diseases<\/a> that are transmissible to people and pets, says Kohl. That includes canine distemper, parvo, and fleas, ticks and the mites that cause mange. Like all mammals, coyotes also can carry rabies, but it\u2019s a small number: Less than 1.5 percent of all wildlife rabies cases are associated with coyotes.\n<\/p>\n

Generally, coyotes are not an issue for homeowners and prefer to steer clear of us<\/a>. \u201cThe most common call we get about coyotes is people saying, \u2018I saw a coyote in my back yard,\u2019\u201d says Owen. \u201cThat could be an issue, especially if you have small pets. But most potential negative interactions are entirely preventable.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Credit: <\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Identifying Coyotes <\/p>\n

As part of the same genus as domestic dogs, coyotes may resemble a dog from a distance. In fact, they\u2019re roughly the size of a medium dog, weighing about 30 to 35 pounds and about 36-inches tall at the shoulders. They\u2019re very lean-looking and have a bushy tail that\u2019s held out at downward sloping angle, says Owen.\n<\/p>\n

Coyote coloring can range from a mottled grey to reddish or all black. In the South, there\u2019s a higher percentage of all black coats, says Kohl. Coyotes tend to be most active at dusk and dawn, but it\u2019s also normal to see them occasionally during the day and doesn\u2019t mean they are rabid, says Kohl.\n<\/p>\n

Packs may consist of a mated pair and sometimes few young pups. You\u2019re most likely to see coyotes in the spring when the pups are learning to hunt, and in the fall, when the teenagers are out searching for their own territories, says Owen.\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also possible you may hear them at night, rather than see them. Coyotes vocalize to defend their territories and for inter-pack communication. In fact, they have some of the most complex and varied vocalization abilities in the animal kingdom. \u201cIt can sound like a pack of coyotes but actually may only be two or three,\u201d says Kohl.\n<\/p>\n

Understanding Coyotes <\/p>\n

With a keen ability to adapt to their environment, coyotes have a generalist diet. While they do hunt small mammals, including rabbits, mice, voles, small dogs and cats, they\u2019ll also eat dead animals, pet food, and trash, as well as berries, grass, and vegetation, says Kohl. They are often solitary when hunting or foraging but can hunt as a pack, too.\n<\/p>\n

Coyotes breed in late winter to early spring with pups born in late spring in an average of five per litter. They den in places such as under fallen logs and in thick brush or rock piles. They\u00a0 typically don\u2019t like to den close to our homes, however, like other animals such as a groundhog<\/a> or raccoon<\/a> might do under a shed or crawlspace. Depending on competition for food, these animals maintain a territory of several square miles in an urban setting and a larger area in a more rural setting.\n<\/p>\n

What To Do If You See a Coyote In Your Yard <\/p>\n

Most negative interactions with coyotes can be avoided, if you follow these tips from Kohl and Owen:\n<\/p>\n

Be aware that coyotes are part of our landscape, even in cities. As coyotes expand their territories, you may encounter these animals in your yard or garden. \u201cHave an awareness that they can be out there, even in a neighborhood setting,\u201d says Owen.
\nKeep your dog on leash when walking them, especially at dawn and dusk. Coyotes will attack small dogs, though attacks on medium and large dogs are uncommon, says Kohl.
\nWatch pets when outdoors, even in a fenced area. Coyotes are good climbers and can scale a 6-foot fence, says Owen.
\nDon\u2019t allow cats to roam. Research has found that both domestic and feral cats are food sources for coyotes, says Kohl.
\nDon\u2019t leave pet food outside. Like other types of wildlife, such as raccoons<\/a>, opossums,<\/a> and skunks<\/a>, coyotes love an easy meal and will quickly learn where to find one, says Owen.
\nKeep garbage cans and compost bins<\/a> covered so they don\u2019t become food sources, says Owen.
\nEnsure pets are up-to-date on medications. That includes preventive treatments for fleas<\/a> and ticks<\/a> and heartworm and vaccinations for parvo, distemper and rabies, says Kohl.
\n\u00a0Make sure chicken coops and livestock are protected. If using fencing, an electric wire<\/a> at the top and bottom of fencing can discourage coyotes but won\u2019t harm them, says Owen.
\nUse hazing techniques to chase a coyote out of your yard. If you see a coyote passing through, bang pots and pans, yell, or use an air horn to scare it off. They typically are skittish and will flee. A startling device, such as a motion-activated water sprinkler, also may work. \u201cThe goal is to keep them afraid of us,\u201d says Kohl.
\nForget about repellants or essential oils. These have questionable or no effectiveness, says Owen. In fact, the coyote may just pee on any scent repellants you use.
\nContact your state\u2019s local wildlife agency if you have concerns about a frequent visitor. If you have livestock or chickens that are disappearing, if you see a coyote frequently on your property, or if you encounter a coyote that seems to have lost its fear of humans, you may need to have it removed. \u201cIf you\u2019re yelling at it and the coyote is still standing there looking at you, that\u2019s a situation we don\u2019t want occurring,\u201d says Kohl.<\/p>\n

Will Coyotes Attack My Dog? <\/p>\n

Interactions with pets do occur, though the outcomes are varied and unpredictable. While coyotes will attack smaller dogs, attacks on medium or large dogs are uncommon. \u201cSocial hierarchy is part of the canid world, so coyotes will pick on little dogs but are unlikely to\u00a0 do so with big dogs because they know it\u2019s probably a contest they can\u2019t win,\u201d says Kohl.\n<\/p>\n

In cases where people have reported a pack of coyotes have lured a larger dog into the woods, it\u2019s more likely that the dog is being territorial and chasing the coyote. However, once the dog enters the wooded area, the coyote\u2019s pack mates naturally will defend it, says Kohl.\n<\/p>\n

Are Coyotes Dangerous? <\/p>\n

Most of the time, coyotes stay out of our way. \u201cBut it depends on how they have been interacting with people,\u201d says Kohl. \u201cAlthough coyote attacks on people are rare, most of the time they\u2019re traced back to the fact that a human has been feeding a coyote so the animal has become habituated to us.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Fortunately, if you spot a coyote, it\u2019s likely just passing through and isn\u2019t interested in you.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest risk coyotes pose to our lives is the potential disease transmission to our pets,\u201d says Kohl. To protect your animals, make sure that all of their vaccines are up-to-date and that you regularly use preventives to protect your pets against heartworm, fleas and ticks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coyotes are fascinating creatures that once weren\u2019t found east of the Mississippi River. However, during the last century…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":525962,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,66,323],"class_list":["post-525961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-science","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/525962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}