Urban and Suburban

Coyotes

The Urban Coyote

Historically, coyotes were most commonly found

on the Great Plains of North America. Their range

now extends from Central America to the Arctic.

Except for Hawaii, coyotes live in all of the United

States, Canada, and Mexico. In spite of being hunted

and trapped for more than 200 years, more coyotes

exist today than when the U.S. Constitution was

signed.

Hardly any animal in America is more adaptable

to changing conditions than the coyote. Coyotes can

live just about anywhere. They are found in deserts,

swamps, tundra, grasslands, brush, and dense

forests, from below sea level to high mountains. They

have also learned to live in suburbs and cities like

Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and Denver.

One of the keys to the coyote’s success is its

diet. A true scavenger, the coyote will eat just about

anything. Identified as a killer of sheep, poultry and

deer, the coyote will also eat snakes and foxes,

doughnuts and sandwiches, rodents and rabbits,

fruits and vegetables, birds, frogs, grass and

grasshoppers, pet cats and cat food, pet dogs and

dog food, carrion, and just plain garbage.

Coyotes are active mainly during the nighttime,

but they can be moving at any time during the day.

Most sightings of coyotes occur during the hours

close to sunrise and sunset.

Adult coyotes weigh between 20 and 45 pounds.

Females are generally smaller than males and 

western coyotes are generally smaller than eastern

coyotes.

Coyotes look like small collie dogs. They have

erect pointed ears, slender muzzle, and a bushy tail.

Most coyotes are brownish gray in color with a light

gray to cream–colored belly. However, a coyote’s

color varies and may be somewhat darker or lighter

depending upon the geographic region and the time

of year. Most coyotes have dark or black hairs over

their back and tail.

A high reproductive rate and rapid growth of offspring aid in the coyote’s success. Coyotes breed in

February and March and pups are born about 60

days later. An average coyote litter contains four or

five pups. Pups are born in dens. In urban environments, dens can be in storm drains, under storage

sheds, in holes dug in vacant lots, parks, or golf

courses, or any other dark, dry place.

Pups are cared for by both parents and can eat

meat and move about well by the time they are a

month old. Because food requirements increase 

dramatically during pup rearing, this is a period when

conflicts between humans and urban coyotes are

common. By 6 months of age, pups have permanent

teeth and are nearly fully grown. About this time,

mother coyotes train their offspring to search for food

so it is not unusual to observe a family group 

traveling through parks and golf courses. If food is

deliberately or inadvertently provided by people, the 

youngsters quickly learn not to fear humans and will

develop a dependency on easy food sources.

After this training period, usually in October and

November, most young disperse and find their own

breeding territory, but one or two pups may stay with

the parents and become part of the family group.

Although coyotes tend to travel and hunt singly or in

pairs, they may form groups as population densities

increase or where food is abundant such as in 

urbanized areas.

In areas where they are hunted or trapped, 

coyotes are extremely wary of human beings.

However, in urban areas where they are less likely to

be harmed and more likely to associate people with

an easy and dependable source for food, they can

become very bold. They will come up to the door of

a house if food is regularly present. Coyotes have

learned that small dogs and cats are easy prey.

Newspapers across the country have carried stories

of coyotes harassing leashed dogs on walks with

their owners in and near parks and golf courses 

within city limits.

Calls to Wildlife Services (WS), a part of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, for help or information involving

urban coyotes often pertain to the animals attacking

pets, eating garbage, or simply coming uncomfortably

close to houses or people on foot.

Factsheet

Wildlife Services April 2002

APHIS
If you enjoy seeing coyotes and want a closer

look at them, use binoculars. Don’t ever put food out

to lure them closer. Nearly all wild animal bites occur

when people attempt to feed them or to treat them like

domestic animals. Enjoy watching wild animals, but

don’t lead them into temptation. Animals that lose

their natural fear of humans are more likely to pose a

danger to humans and the lifespan of such an animal

is shortened. Remember, all wild animals are unpredictable and caution is the watchword when they are

around.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce the

chance of human-coyote conflicts:

• Do not feed coyotes!

• Eliminate sources of water, particularly in dry

climates.

• Bird feeders should be positioned so that coyotes

can’t get the feed. Coyotes are attracted by bread,

table scraps, and even seed. They may also be

attracted by birds and rodents that come to the 

feeders.

• Do not discard edible garbage where coyotes can

get to it.

• Secure garbage containers and eliminate garbage

odors.

• Feed pets indoors whenever possible. Pick up

any leftovers if feeding outdoors. Store pet and livestock feed where it is inaccessible to wildlife.

• Trim and clean, near ground level, any shrubbery

that provides hiding cover for coyotes or prey.

• Fencing your yard could deter coyotes. The fence

should be at least 6 feet high with the bottom 

extending at least 6 inches below ground level for best

results.

• Don’t leave small children unattended outside if 

coyotes have been frequenting the area.

• Don’t allow pets to run free. Keep them safely 

confined and provide secure nighttime housing for

them. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your

pet outside, especially at night. Provide secure 

shelters for poultry, rabbits, and other vulnerable 

animals.

• Discourage coyotes from frequenting your area. If

you start seeing coyotes around your home or 

property, chase them away by shouting, making loud

noises or throwing rocks.

These steps may decrease the frequency of 

coyote sightings in your area if practiced continuously.

However, coyotes are adaptable to change and are

quick to learn new ways of survival. Occasional

sightings most likely will continue. By making life for

coyotes in your neighborhood more difficult, you will

increase the likelihood that they will go somewhere

else.

Suburban/Semi-rural

“Hobby farms” and “ranchettes” are more common

today than ever before. Many Americans are enjoying

a return to the rural lifestyle, living on a few acres and

keeping poultry, horses, and other livestock. Many of

these new “farmers” and “ranchers” are shocked to

discover that coyotes kill and eat pets, poultry, and

stock.

WS suggests (and offers technical assistance for)

the following nonlethal methods to reduce damage

done by coyotes:

• Use net-wire or electric fencing to keep coyotes

away from livestock.

• Shorten the length of calving or lambing 

seasons.

• Confine livestock in a coyote-proof corral at night

when coyotes are most likely to attack livestock.

• Use lights above corrals.

• Remove dead livestock so coyotes won’t be

attracted to scavenge.

• Remove habitats that provide homes to natural

prey of coyotes, like rabbits, from lambing and calving

areas.

• Use strobe lights and sirens to scare coyotes

away.

• Use guard animals, such as dogs, donkeys, and

llamas, to protect livestock.

Additional Information

For more information about this and other WS

programs or to find out how to request assistance

from your WS State office, contact the WS

Operational Support Staff at (301)734-7921, or visit

our Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/ws.

Also, information on coyote research is available

from the National Wildlife Research Center’s Web site

at www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/nwrc.

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United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture