Coyotes are highly adaptable wild canids that have become increasingly common residents in suburban and urban environments across North America. Their presence often raises questions and concerns among human populations, especially regarding interactions with pets and property. Understanding what draws these animals into populated areas is important for coexistence.
Coyote Sensory World
Coyotes possess a keen sense of smell, their primary tool for navigating and interacting with other animals. Their elongated snouts contain a high density of scent receptors, allowing them to detect odors over significant distances, up to a mile away. This acute ability aids them in locating food, identifying other coyotes or threats, and communicating through scent marking.
Their refined sense of smell helps them detect rodents moving underground, allowing them to precisely pounce. Coyotes process scents for social, territorial, reproductive, and nutritional purposes. This enables them to interpret complex information about their surroundings, including who has been in an area, how long ago, and the reproductive status of other canids.
Dog Waste and Coyote Interest
While dog poop is not a primary food source, its scent can draw coyote attention. Coyotes are curious about other canids, including domestic dogs, and investigate scent marks. This investigation often includes feces, as coyotes use scat for territorial marking and communication.
The scent of dog waste signals another canine’s presence, which a coyote may investigate out of territoriality or curiosity. If the dog’s diet includes human food scraps, residual odors in the feces can also attract opportunistic coyotes. Thus, while not consumed for nutritional value, its scent can indirectly lead coyotes to properties.
Primary Coyote Attractants
Coyotes are drawn to residential areas by food, water, and shelter. Unsecured garbage, outdoor pet food, and compost piles are common food attractants for these opportunistic foragers. Fallen fruit and spilled birdseed also provide accessible meals, and bird feeders can attract rodents, a natural prey for coyotes.
Accessible water sources, like birdbaths or pet water bowls, can lure coyotes, particularly in dry conditions. Properties with dense vegetation, overgrown bushes, woodpiles, or abandoned structures provide ideal cover and shelter. These elements create an inviting environment for coyotes seeking refuge or denning sites.
Reducing Coyote Presence
Managing attractants reduces coyote presence around homes. Secure all garbage in sturdy, lidded containers, and bring pet food indoors, especially overnight. Promptly clean up fallen fruit, secure compost piles, and remove spilled birdseed to eliminate food sources.
To deter coyotes, maintain yards by clearing dense vegetation and brush that offers shelter or conceals prey. Securing areas under decks and sheds can prevent denning. Supervise pets outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk, and keep small pets indoors for safety. If a coyote is encountered, hazing techniques like loud noises, waving arms, or spraying water reinforce their natural wariness of humans.