IDNR offers tips for keeping pets safe from coyotes

[July 29, 2021]  By Zeta Cross

(The Center Square) – Coyotes normally feed on small prey like mice and rabbits but will attack pets if they find them alone, said Mike Wefer, chief of the Division of Wildlife Resources at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“Particularly if you have smaller pets or elder pets that are left unsupervised, folks should be concerned if coyotes are in the neighborhood,” Wefer said.

Coyotes like to roam across a wide territory, wandering for miles. They are always on the move, mainly eating small mammals, such as mice and rabbits.

“They provide a pretty important ecological benefit to us, by keeping rabbit and mouse populations under control,” Wefer said.

Coyotes don’t usually hang around a neighborhood – unless someone is feeding them.

“It is not a good idea to be feeding coyotes. It will not end well,” Wefer warned.

Feeding coyotes brings them into the neighborhood. It gets them to the point where coyotes start associating people with food, he says.

Like possums and raccoons, coyotes are drawn to garbage cans and bowls of pet food that are left outside.

“Coyotes are intelligent and wiley animals. They are adapting more to urban environments,” Wefer said.

People who don’t want coyotes in their neighborhood should lock their garbage cans and feed their pets indoors, he stated.

A coyote will not approach people unless something is “horribly wrong.” Unless a coyote is injured, rabid or protecting its young, coyotes are not a threat to humans, Wefer said.

Because more people have been at home during the pandemic, more people have reported seeing coyotes. The good news is that coyote populations in Illinois are stable, he said.

"All in all, if you see a coyote, if you get a glimpse, enjoy it," Wefer said.

The average coyote is smaller than most children – weighing about 40 pounds. Even a small child can scare a coyote away by waving their arms and shouting ... or shaking a soda can with some pennies in it to make noise to frighten the animal.
 

If a coyote does approach you, particularly during daylight hours, something is wrong, Wefer warned. Don’t run away. The coyote will chase you. Stand your ground. Make a lot of noise. Throw rocks.

“If the animal still acts aggressively, that is an animal that needs to come out,” Wefer said. “You can hire a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator to remove a problem coyote from a neighborhood."

Hunters will need a license to shoot a coyote and need to be properly distanced from home. Coyote hunting is open year-round, except during the first and second firearm deer seasons. Shooting hours are half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. There are no time restrictions from Nov. 10, 2021 to Mar. 15, 2022.