How to Deal With Coyotes and Keep Them Out of Yards

Despite living in the city, we still get visits from the wildlife in surrounding areas. Coyotes seem to be making more appearances these days and entering our neighborhoods. These animals can be dangerous, and it’s always best to keep a safe distance. To help keep your dog safe this summer, we thought we’d write about how to deal with coyotes and keep them out of yards. These animals are predators in the wild and must be handled carefully if encountered. Check out these tips on how to keep coyotes out of your yards and away from your pets. 

Build Physical Barriers

The obvious way to keep coyotes out of your yard is to build physical barriers preventing their entry. Fences and enclosures work as great barriers in protecting your home and pets from unwanted visitors. Fences or walls must be about 7ft tall to prevent a coyote from jumping over. Other physical barriers like sheds can be used to deter coyotes from coming into your yard. Certain smells guide a coyote. If your yard smells like food from your garbage, a coyote is more likely to come and visit.  So always make sure you put your garbage in the bin, and keep your yard free of any al fresco dining particles.  This also encourages them to return to check-in afterwards. You must never feed a coyote in your yard or around your house if you do not wish for it to return for a visit. Investing in some structured barriers can make protection a lot easier.

Technology, Chemicals and Smells

If physical barriers are out of budget, or if your yard is too big for borders, then setting up areas with certain chemicals and scents can help keep coyotes away. Naturally deterring scents that coyotes don’t like are wolf urine, human scents like cologne or perfume, cayenne pepper, and vinegar. These scents do repel coyotes but must be reapplied regularly, especially in the case of rain or after a storm. 

Technology can help automatically deter coyotes. Specific devices like radios, strobe lights, or sirens can also help repel the presence of coyotes. The lights and sounds will activate through motion sensors which can help you keep coyotes away without physically getting the job done yourself. Even homemade scarecrows can be used around the yard to trick coyotes that humans are nearby. 

Keep Pets in While it’s Dark Out

Coyotes usually come out around dawn or dusk. During these hours or the late evenings or early mornings, it’s best to keep your pet inside or supervised while outdoors. If you have cats or small dogs, it would be best to keep them indoors until the day.  Always keep your dogs on leash in areas where you’ve seen coyotes before.

If You Encounter A Coyote

Coyotes are generally reclusive animals who avoid humans and will not go near them unless they become accustomed to their presence. It’s essential to prevent coyotes from ever being comfortable around humans. If you see any activity encouraging the presence of coyotes, please report this immediately to your local authorities. 

If you do encounter a coyote on a walk with your dog, there are some crucial things you need to keep in mind. The biggest thing to remember is never to run! It may be a quick reaction, but this would lead to a chase with an animal you cannot outrun. Instead of running, act big and loud, waving your arms/jacket, stomping your feet and yelling to scare the coyote, as shown here.   Noise makers, like whistles are also great, as they are small enough to be kept in a pocket when you’re out walking.  And mostly importantly, keep your dog on a leash at all times, especially if you think it will lunge toward the coyote or start running. 

Once the coyote is out of sight, you can begin walking away. Don’t let your eyes off the coyote during your encounter. 

Coyotes are beautiful animals, and they are an important part of the urban ecosystem, but we have to make sure are pets are safe, too! We hope this blog on how to deal with coyotes and keep them out of yards was helpful and will better prepare you for any encounters in the future. Please stay safe and keep your eyes peeled! If you’re on a busy schedule, please check out our dog walking services and contact us for more details.