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Coyotes aren't the most challenging pests to get rid of. Many simple tips will help you get rid of them
December 28, 2021
17 min read time
This information is reviewed by an independent pest control expert.
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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Coyotes are one of many pest animals mainly because of their intrusion habits.
They can also eat up your livestock and even make a mess of your garbage cans.
If you’re having problems with coyotes and have no idea how to get rid of them, there are many coyote removal methods you can try.
In this article, we’ll be giving you useful tips on how to get rid of coyotes, including trapping, scaring, repelling, and fencing.
Table of Contents
Going by history, coyotes initially existed in the deserts of Mexico and the United States. Over the years, they migrated to other parts of the country.
And as of today, they can be found in almost every region in America. Even in the cities.
Coyotes can adapt to a wide range of environments. They are also excellent scavengers who have a sharp sense of smell.
Their diet includes the following:
They are very good at storing information. Their ability to pick up scents and remember food and water sources makes them a real problem for homeowners.
The good news is, coyotes are timid animals that don’t like making contact with people. However, they can be dangerous for young children.
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To properly understand how to get rid of coyotes, you need first to understand what attracts them.
There are a good number of things that can attract coyotes to your property.
If you have one or more of these around your home, then there’s a chance they will come visiting.
Coyotes are scavengers who need to go out in search of food. There are several ways by which your environment can provide what they need in terms of nutrition.
If you have a high rodent population in your environment, then it could attract them. Rodents will be easy pickings for coyotes as they are fast and agile hunters.
Piles of junk can serve as hiding areas for rodents, and coyotes can easily dig in and pick them out.
Another food source would be leftover pet food. If you feed your dog outside, they can sniff out the leftover food and come for it. You would need to start feeding your dog indoors if you live in an area with a high coyote population.
With this information, make sure you clean up right after they have had their meal. That is if you must feed your dogs outside.
Overflowing garbage cans will also have some food in stock for them.
To eliminate this as a food source, make sure you seal your bin tightly at all times. Also, make sure there are no spill-overs on the floor.
An extra tip would be to pour leftovers into a plastic bag first before placing them in the bin. This can help conceal the odor of the food, and they wouldn’t perceive it.
For those who live in rural areas, it is common to have livestock on your property. If you do, coyotes may come for them.
To ensure your flock is safe from these scavengers, you need to install a wired fence around. Intruding animals wouldn’t be able to get through the fence, and they will be discouraged from paying further visits.
If your yard has nothing to offer in terms of food, coyotes will show little interest in visiting.
Remember, understanding their attractions is the first step in knowing how to get rid of coyotes.
Coyotes & foxes are very similar, so you may want to check this article out
Deep dive this topic with hand-picked articles all about foxes
As invasive as coyotes are, there are many coyote removal methods you can try that work.
Coyotes prefer to scavenge in peace.
Therefore, loud noises can deter them. If you find a coyote snooping around your place, try clapping and screaming to drive them out.
Some may be stubborn and stand still to see what you’d do next. If this is the case, take a few steps closer and increase your intensity. This will send a clearer signal that they aren’t wanted, and they will leave.
There’s no point running from a coyote. They aren’t comfortable around people and larger animals in general.
This means they are more scared of you than you think. Make yourself as threatening as possible. Wave your hands viscously as you approach them. Backed up with the screams, they will get scared and eventually run away.
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Just like dogs, coyotes also have a sensitive hearing ability.
Coyotes can easily pick up sounds that may be unheard by people. There are devices which emit high pitched sounds that drive coyotes crazy. Get one of these devices and install it at your place. This is the right way of getting rid of them.
Some of these devices are motion-activated, and others can be kept on permanently. You can also set the range to cover the whole perimeter of your yard.
If coyotes come within range, the device will be triggered, and the sound will be emitted. This is one of the best coyote removal methods you can try, but only if you have no dogs of your own. If you do, the sound will bother them too.
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The best way to put coyotes at bay is a perimeter fence.
You can set a fence all around your property to deny coyotes access. Coyotes aren’t the best climbers, so getting over the fence will be impossible.
There are several fence styles you can explore. A wooden fence wouldn’t be a bad idea. You would need a high fence, one that coyotes can’t leap over. About 6 feet tall.
If you’re looking to secure only your poultry, then set a wired fence around your livestock.
The good thing about using a fence is that it also stops your pets from going outside.
Be sure you check on the fence regularly. If there are any breaches, you will find it during your routine checks.
A water pistol may be a play toy, but it is an effective coyote removal tactic.
As we have pointed out before, coyotes love to scavenge in peace, and they will back out once they feel threatened.
If you find one scavenging your area, grab a loaded water pistol and spray directly at them.
They are decent swimmers but aren’t fond of being blasted by water.
A couple of squirts will do the trick. You can back this tactic up with screams while you spray.
Another easy coyote removal tactic would be to throw objects at them when you see them on your property.
Literally anything will do here, as long as you don’t care about them, they are not expensive, or possibly a member of your family – even if they have been really naughty!
Some perfect examples of suitable objects to throw at them include:
When they perceive danger, they will play safe and leave your premises alone.
Remember, they are good at retaining information, so they’d remember places that were hostile and stay clear in future.
Dogs are very territorial animals, and they would bark at or chase other intruding mammals.
A large-sized dog is your best bet in getting rid of coyotes.
A Shepherd, Rottweiler, or Boerboel are recommended dog breeds that can keep a coyote away.
They are of suitable sizes, and they are known to guard their homes against invaders.
Since coyotes belong to the dog family, they already understand the relevance of territory and wouldn’t want to invade an already claimed area.
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Coyotes are quite intelligent, and they will remember where their last meal came from.
If your property was the source, then expect them to visit back. Keep your property free of all food sources.
Little do you know, but feeding your pets outside provides food for these hunters.
Keep your pets fed indoors to eliminate at least one food source.
It would help if you also kept your environment free of hiding spaces for rodents, as they are also a delicacy for coyotes.
If there is no food in your compound, visiting in search of a meal would be a total waste of their time.
Use this tactic to keep coyotes uninterested in your home.
You must understand coyotes because they are afraid of larger animals, and they wouldn’t want to be exposed.
One on one, they don’t stand a chance against a larger mammal, so they’d prefer to creep undetected.
If your yard is filled with overgrown grass or bushes, then you’ve provided the ideal crawl path for them.
With this information, you should practice regular trimming of your grass and clear out all shrubs.
They may be discouraged from strolling through your compound if they do not have adequate cover.
While this is not the most effective coyote removal tactic, it’s a step in the right direction.
Remember, rabbits and a vibrant rodent population that serves as coyote food also creep through the bushes.
All pests have odors that repel them, and these are no different.
There are certain smells that either offend or scare coyotes away.
One of such deterrents is wolf urine.
Of course, it would be a daunting task going into the woods and getting a wolf to pee in a bottle. But who says you have to do that?
Luckily there are deterrents made with wolf or fox urine extracts that are sold commercially.
You can go to a pest control store to get one and sprinkle it across your yard to deter coyotes.
The trick here is simple; coyotes are more like dogs when picking up urine scents from other canines.
When they perceive wolf urine in an environment, they would naturally assume a wolf is lurking around.
Out of fear of being eaten, they will stay clear. As for fox urine, they would assume the territory is already claimed, and they will leave.
Another deterrent is strong smelling cologne.
Humans can easily perceive cologne scent, but the nose of a coyote far more amplifies the smell.
This will be too much for them to bear, and they will back off.
Spray some cologne along your perimeter to deter them. While this helps keep them off, it will also give your yard a sweet-smelling scent.
You can also use mothballs as a deterrent.
They are small white-colored balls that have a strong odor, which the pests would hate.
Not because the smell is offensive, but because it would be too strong for their sensitive noses to bear.
You can place them all across your premises, especially in the areas where the coyotes are most likely to invade.
If you have poultry, spreading some mothballs there would serve as a deterrent.
Be warned, though, don’t keep mothballs in areas where your domestic pets can reach. They may accidentally ingest it and be poisoned.
A cayenne pepper spray will also help get rid of coyotes. Vinegar is also effective.
Spray or sprinkle across the areas where you want them to steer clear of.
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Live trapping is another good idea regarding how to get rid of coyotes.
For best results, you must have adequate experience using a live trap. This is because you wouldn’t want to kill the animal in the trapping process.
Coyotes will have no reason to walk into a trap unless it has something tangible to offer, such as food.
This means you will have to lure it in by placing food in the trap to attract them.
Get some meatballs, pieces of cooked chicken, or some steak. Foods like these will make the trap more irresistible.
Ensure the trap is set in an area where they can easily reach and enter.
You also have to ensure the trap is spacious enough to contain the animal comfortably.
A small rabbit trap wouldn’t do.
A trap big enough for the coyote’s size is adequate.
If the trap injures or kills the coyote, then it would amount to animal cruelty.
Live traps usually have doors that snap shut once the coyote steps in.
For a coyote, the trap should be made of durable materials so it can’t wrestle its way free.
If you can’t set the trap on your own, find someone who can.
After the coyote is caught, you can call wildlife control or animal control to come and take it away.
If you’re dealing with only one coyote, trapping would be ideal. But a pack of coyotes will require more traps.
Calling animal experts would be the only choice for those who don’t know how to get rid of coyotes.
Animal control or wildlife control would be another available option to handle the coyote problem.
If there is a problematic coyote in your neighborhood, these animal experts can come and handle it.
Wildlife control will be more effective if the coyote has an aggressive nature.
Other than that, any other animal control expert can help you get rid of it.
Coyotes may not want to come in close contact with humans, but that doesn’t necessarily mean human pee will deter them.
If coyotes perceive human urine, they can tell humans are around, but they may not flee.
This is because humans are not wildlife predators, so that they wouldn’t see them as a problem.
The urine of predators such as wolves can deter a coyote. Fox urine can prevent them too.
If repellents, which consist of wolf urine extracts, are spread across a coyote’s favorite scavenging spots, they will take caution and flee.
This is because a coyote knows a wolf will attack and eat it. Not to take any chances, they would instead leave and avoid the conflict.
There isn’t much information available regarding human urine as a coyote deterrent.
However, predator urine generally can be used to control a coyote population.
Coyotes & foxes are very similar, so you may want to check this article out
Deep dive this topic with hand-picked articles just for you
Yes, you can call animal control if you don’t know how to get rid of coyotes. This may be the best way to follow.
If the coyote has a mild, non-aggressive nature, then they can easily handle it.
However, if you find that the coyote bares its teeth and growls, then using a wildlife personnel will be a better way to handle it.
They have more than enough training and experience in dealing with wild animals, and they will put their expertise to fair use in removing the coyote from your yard or neighborhood.
You can contact animal control in your area via their email address or give them a call.
Many people who are faced with a coyote for the first time might panic.
This is understandable since they seem like animals that can harm you. The truth is they can, but they are also afraid of you and would rather avoid a conflict.
If a coyote walks up to you, follow these hazing tips to drive them off.
The very first thing you need to do when a coyote steps onto your property is to keep your cool.
If you run, the coyote will register your behavior and won’t just feel free to roam around at that time and be encouraged to come back later.
Stand your ground and prepare a good scare tactic.
Loud threatening noises can be a problem for coyotes, so put your voice to fair use.
If it approaches, look at it directly and scream aggressively towards its direction. You can use hand gestures to support the screams.
The idea here is to make the coyote feel unsafe.
If it feels threatened, then it will think twice about coming closer.
Keep in mind that not all coyotes will run immediately.
Some will persist in seeing if they stand any chance. It is up to you to kill any hopes they may have.
Keep screaming and using your hand gestures to buttress your intentions. An extra tip here is to walk towards the coyote while you’re at it.
The surest way to make the animal feel unsafe around your property is to attack it.
Screaming will give it the impression that it isn’t wanted, but hauling objects in its direction will make it feel more unsafe.
The coyote has no idea what the objects will do to it if they make contact, and they wouldn’t want to risk sticking around to find out.
Small rocks, sticks, and other plastic items will do.
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If you’re within reach of a hose, then you can use it to blast the coyote out of sight.
The water won’t harm them, but having wet fur will keep them uncomfortable. They don’t like being soaked unless they have to.
Turn up the hose to full blast and aim for its face.
Water in the eyes and on the fur isn’t what the pest bargained for when it set feet into your compound.
It will turn around and leave.
The loud, blasting sound of an air horn can deter the animal from advancing further.
The sound isn’t pleasant to their ears, and they will rather stay far from it.
You can also use a whistle to deter them from coming any further.
Pepper spray will work in keeping coyotes at a distance.
If they approach you, get a pepper spray and do not hesitate to spray in their direction.
The pepper will sting, and they will run from your property.
This may seem like a contradiction to standing your ground, but let’s face it, not everyone has the stomach for confronting wildlife creatures.
If you see a coyote around your property, and you really don’t know what to do, you can get back into your home and call the relevant authorities to come and handle it.
Before animal control arrives, be sure to keep your doors locked so the animal can’t come in.
Coyotes aren’t the most challenging pests to get rid of.
Many simple tips will help you get rid of them. These include trapping, repelling, scaring, and fencing.
The information provided here should help you with coyote removal.
We hope this article on how to get rid of coyotes has been helpful. Good luck!!!
