Spotting a coyote in your yard can be surprising, and a little unsettling. These clever animals are becoming increasingly common in suburban and even urban areas as they adapt to living closer to humans.
While coyotes are usually shy and avoid direct confrontation, it’s important to know how to respond calmly and safely if one wanders onto your property.
Taking the time to understand their behaviour helps you protect your pets, discourage future visits, and coexist responsibly with local wildlife. Here’s what you should do if a curious coyote decides to pay your yard an unexpected visit.
This article is for general knowledge only and is based on information from online sources. Always contact local wildlife authorities if you feel unsafe or if a coyote appears aggressive or injured.
1. Educate Your Neighbours
Coyotes often roam across multiple properties, so one household’s habits can affect the entire area. Talk to your neighbours about keeping pet food indoors, securing bins, and avoiding feeding wildlife. A consistent community effort helps prevent coyotes from associating people with easy meals.
Neighbourhood awareness also reduces unnecessary fear and ensures everyone responds safely and responsibly to sightings. When a community works together, coyotes learn to keep their distance from residential areas.
2. Avoid Feeding Any Wildlife
Even if your intention is to help, feeding birds, squirrels, or feral cats can unintentionally attract coyotes searching for an easy meal. Once they find a reliable food source, they’re far more likely to return, and lose their natural wariness of humans.
Keep outdoor feeding stations clean or relocate them to enclosed areas. By removing these indirect food sources, you help maintain a healthy boundary between wildlife and your living space.
3. Stay Calm And Give Space
Your first instinct might be to panic, but remaining calm is crucial. Coyotes are naturally wary of humans and typically prefer to avoid confrontation.
Stand tall, maintain your distance, and assess the situation. Remember that the coyote is likely more frightened of you than you are of it.
4. Make Yourself Look Bigger
Coyotes respond to perceived threats, so increasing your apparent size can encourage them to retreat. Raise your arms above your head, open your jacket wide, or hold up an object like an umbrella.
This display of confidence signals to the coyote that you’re not easy prey and should be avoided.
5. Make Loud Noises
Noise is an effective deterrent against curious or lingering coyotes. Shout, clap your hands, bang pots together, or use a whistle to create startling sounds.
Air horns and specially designed wildlife deterrent devices work particularly well. The unfamiliar racket triggers the coyote’s natural instinct to flee from potential danger.
6. Never Run Away
Running triggers a coyote’s chase instinct, potentially turning a simple observation into pursuit. Stand your ground firmly instead of fleeing.
Back away slowly if you need to create distance, always facing the animal. Maintaining eye contact while gradually retreating shows confidence rather than vulnerability.
7. Protect Children And Pets
Small children and pets may appear as potential prey to coyotes. Immediately bring kids indoors if you spot a coyote nearby.
Pick up small pets if possible, or place yourself between them and the coyote. Never leave pets unattended outdoors, especially during dawn and dusk when coyotes are most active.
8. Throw Objects Near (Not At) The Coyote
Tossing small objects near, but not directly at the coyote can help drive it away. Sticks, small rocks, or tennis balls landing close by create startling distractions.
The goal isn’t to harm the animal but to make your space uncomfortable. This technique, called hazing, teaches coyotes to avoid human areas.
9. Remove Attractants From Your Yard
Coyotes visit yards searching for food, water, and shelter. Secure garbage bins with wildlife-proof lids and bring pet food indoors overnight.
Harvest ripe fruit from trees promptly and clean up fallen bird seed. Eliminating these temptations makes your property less appealing and reduces future visits.
10. Install Motion-Activated Deterrents
Technology offers effective ways to discourage unwanted wildlife visitors. Motion-activated sprinklers deliver sudden bursts of water that startle coyotes without causing harm.
Solar-powered flashing lights and sound devices trigger when detecting movement, creating an unpredictable environment coyotes prefer to avoid. These humane solutions work even when you’re not home.
11. Report Repeated Sightings
Regular coyote appearances may indicate the animal has become too comfortable around humans. Contact your local wildlife agency or animal control if you notice frequent visits.
Document the time, date, and behavior of the coyote during each sighting. This information helps authorities determine appropriate management strategies for your neighborhood.
12. Consider Yard Modifications
Physical barriers provide long-term protection against coyote intrusions. Install fencing that’s at least six feet tall with an additional buried portion extending outward to prevent digging.
Trim dense vegetation where coyotes might hide or den. Motion-sensor lighting illuminates dark corners of your property, removing the cover of darkness coyotes prefer.
