How to Get Rid of Coyotes

We are experts in coyote control methods, having performed thousands of coyote trapping and control jobs nationwide.

Sometimes it's necessary to remove coyotes from an urban or rural area because the animal is causing real problems. But sometimes people just have a fear of coyotes, as if they're dangerous predators, like wolves can be. The truth is that coyotes will rarely attack pets, and never people. Still, they can cause some problems. They do prey on people's chicken coops, or even other small livestock, like sheep. Some people do fear for their pets. Coyotes have become common urban or suburb animals in many areas, and can dig through garbage, eat pet food, dig in the yard, and potentially live under a house or shed or porch, and spread fleas.

Read below for much more detail. You may be able to solve your coyote problem yourself. If you need to hire professional help, you may want to find out what we typically charge for coyote removal. Pro help is most relevant if you are unable to effectively or legally trap and relocate animals, or if you have a difficult case. If you need coyote removal in your hometown, we service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check our prices - updated for year 2020.

Coyotes are animals that can survive under most any circumstances and they will eat just about anything that is available on the menu. Even though there have been lethal measures taken to somewhat control the population of these animals, they seem to respond by immigrating, reproducing and growing thicker in numbers. While it's not at all possible to rid them from the human space completely, there are measures you can take to keep them from returning on your property.

Eliminate Food Sources
Because coyotes will eat anything available to them, it's best to start eliminating possible food sources from around your property so that they'll look somewhere else for their 5 star meals. If you have indoor/outdoor cats and you have food bowls outside for them as well, it's best that you start bringing them in. On top of that, when it starts to get dark, bring your pets in too. Reduce the population of rodents outside your home. There are many different types of treatment that you can use on your yard to actively reduce rodents.

Secure a Place for Garbage Cans
Many residents have garbage cans outside where they take their trash for the trash truck to pick up. Instead of taking your trash out that night, consider waking up the morning the garbage truck runs to dump your trash. This way there's no food left outside to attract them. You could put your trash out earlier, but if you don't have a garbage can with a secure lid that the coyote can't get into, you might find a nice little present of mess left for you the next morning. Then you'll have to clean up that mess to keep the coyote from coming back. Once garbage cans are dumped, consider rinsing them with bleach which will kill any pleasant food smell the coyote may be attracted to.

Eliminate Possible Hiding Places around the Home
Keeping your yard maintained is also very important in keeping coyotes off your property. When the grass is cut low and your yard is landscaped nicely, the coyote has no place to hide while waiting for food to arrive. In fact, they are very wary of coming out into open areas. Eliminate woodpiles in the yard and any bushes or branches that you might have just thrown to the side. If you have a lot of trees in your yard, keep them well-maintained and trimmed. The more visible the area is to others, the more you can count on your coyote not showing its face.

Make Your Yard Noisy
Motion activated sprinklers in the yard that cut on and off every so often along with motion activated lights can certainly scare a coyote off quickly. Coyotes are extra cautious so the slightest noise or an unexpected spray of water can send them running away for cover. Coyotes are also not too fond of bright lights. If you keep the place well lit, they probably won't show up and if they do, they'll be much easier to see coming onto your property.

Learn more about sets, baits, and more on my coyote trapping tips page. In addition, you can read the Are Coyotes Dangerous page.

Live Odor Traps
A live odor trap could work for a person if they know what they're doing. Because coyotes are always so suspicious, if they smell even a little bit of a human odor on a trap, they avoid it immediately. They may even run a way. However, if you dig a nice size hole, place some raw meat in it and place the trap in the hole, you have a much better chance of catching the coyote. Be sure to check the traps daily so that you can have the coyote removed to a safer location once it has been caught. You do not want to leave a coyote suffering for days inside a trap. Using traps to catch coyotes may not be legal in your area; be sure to check with your local and state's rules and regulations. Contacting a wildlife expert is probably the best way to actually get rid of the coyotes.

Fence In Your property
Because it's very easy for a coyote to walk into a yard where there is no fence, that's the first place they head to. If they see a fence around the area, 9 times out of 10 their not even going to try and enter. However, be sure that the fence is high enough and secure enough for the coyote not to get in.

Clear Out the Bird Seeds
Bird seeds may not seem like much food to a coyote, but when there's nothing else to eat and they're there, the coyote will eat them. It's about survival and they do it at all costs. Birdfeeders can also attract birds, squirrels, and other animals that coyotes want to prey on, so a birdfeeder encourages them to hang around.

Read more coyote removal information here:
About Coyote: Appearance, biology, etc
Coyote repellents
Coyote prevention tips
How to get coyotes out from under a shed or porch
How to keep coyotes away from your property
Is a coyote that is active during the daytime sick or rabid?
What diseases do coyotes carry and what are some symptoms of a sick coyote?
Do coyotes make good pets?
How to trap a coyote
Are coyotes dangerous to humans?
What are some ways to kill a coyote in the yard?
Is a coyote a danger to pets or farm animals?
Should I ever poison a coyote?
Where do coyotes live? Do more coyotes live in urban areas, or wild areas?