Coyote Prevention - How to Keep Coyotes Away
It's hard to keep coyotes away from your yard or pets. There is no magic repellent or sound machine or anything that will prevent coyotes from using a particular area. Anything outside of a sturdy fence around the perimeter of the property will simply be ineffective. However, if a fence is not an option, you can keep away coyotes by removing whatever is attracting them to an area.
- 1) Eliminate whatever is attracting them to your property, such as garbage, and easily accessible chicken coop, etc.
- 2) Use a very large live cage trap. This is not easy. Experienced trappers only.
- 3) Use a paw-hold trap to catch the coyote, then shoot it. This is what the experienced fur trappers do. It is not easy, not humane, etc.
Coyotes are reclusive animals in the wild, but when offered the opportunity to find food near humans they become emboldened and sometimes dangerous. A coyote will intrude into a yard for food. This had become particularly problematic in urban areas where coyotes attack house pets and raid garbage cans. There's no easy way to keep a coyote away from your dog or cat. A coyote frequenting your yard, killing your cats, rabbits or birds needs to be trapped and removed. Certain laws govern the trapping and killing of coyotes, so if you are going to use lethal methods, make sure you know what is allowed and what is prohibited. For people in urban settings, the best method of coyote control is exclusion. Have a tall, sturdy fence erected around your yard. Do not leave garbage out. Keep pets inside after dark. If you live in a rural area, select a cage trap or a humane, leg hold trap to set for the coyote. Place the trap on a path or trail, or where the coyote has been entering the yard. Once the animal is caught, it must be relocated. If you are not comfortable handling a stressed coyote, leave this job to a professional.
How to Keep Coyotes Away from Sheep or Goats in Pasture
Rural coyotes are driven to farms when food in the wild is scarce, and once they have learned food is readily available, they may never want to leave. Sheep and goats are easy targets for coyotes. Electric, livestock fences will not keep coyotes at bay unless the gaps are small enough to make entry difficult. Chicken wire is also ineffective unless it is tall enough to prevent a coyote from climbing over. These determined canines will scale a variety of obstacles to get at food. One effective means of coyote control is the addition of a llama to the herd. Llamas are protective and will run down a coyote if one enters the pasture. Even a llama can become prey though if a pack of coyotes is the issue. The best method for coyote control in this situation is trapping and removal. Most states require a permit to trap a coyote, so make sure you are in compliance with local laws. If you have never dealt with a coyote, cage traps are the recommended route. A cage trap can be covered and lifted without risk to the animal or the trapper.
How to keep coyotes away from a park or other urban setting
Urban coyotes pose a very different threat than rural coyotes. Canines that have established packs in close proximity to humans are often bold and aggressive, stealing pets from yards and toppling garbage cans. These animals can attack people and are not something a homeowner should take on by themselves. I wish there were better coyote prevention techniques than removal of the animals. Urban coyotes often live in parks, another reason why they should be removed. Joggers with dogs are often targets of urban coyotes. If you live near a park with this problem, contact the local authorities. This is not a situation you can remedy on your own. Trapping or hunting a coyote on city land must be done by a professional with special permits and allowances. The only thing the average homeowner can do is try to seal up his or her yard against coyote intrusion. A fence is not always reliable. Any perimeter barrier must be tall enough to discourage jumping and climbing and should eliminate the visual temptation of pets or children inside the yard. Keep garbage cleaned up around your home and keep pets inside when not supervised.
Go back to the main Coyote Removal page for more information about coyote prevention, and more information about how to keep coyotes away.
