Coyotes

Coyote

Coexisting with Coyotes

Coyotes are native to North America and can be found living in urban and rural areas.

While coyotes are very wary of humans and avoid people whenever possible, coyote sightings in Burlington are common. Burlington's green spaces and forested areas provide an excellent habitat for coyotes, they can travel great distances along ravines, hydro corridors, and highways.

As much as possible, the City of Burlington's approach to coyotes in the community is to leave them alone. Coyotes naturally fear humans and should remain wild animals. Coyotes play an important role in balancing the ecosystem in southern Ontario, helping to control the populations of rabbits, rats and mice.

There are things we can all do to ensure coyotes remain wild animals and avoid interaction with people. Often, conflicts can be prevented if we are willing to make small changes to how we think and act. Please read on to learn about what the community can do to help deter coyotes for our neighbourhoods and minimize human/coyote conflicts.

Preventing human/coyote conflicts
Protecting pets from coyotes
How to deter coyotes from your property
What about relocating or eliminating coyotes?
Techniques for hazing coyotes
What to do if a coyote approaches
Report a coyote sighting
Past meetings
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
News releases

Preventing Human/Coyote Conflicts

Do not feed coyotes
Research and past experiences have shown the most significant thing we can do to reduce direct interaction with coyotes is to remove coyote attractants such as food.

Feeding coyotes teaches them to depend on human handouts and can cause them to become too familiar with humans. This habituation can lead to aggressive behaviour near people and dogs.

Solutions:

Never feed coyotes. This includes direct feeding (e.g. leaving food outdoors for coyotes) and indirect feeding (e.g. leaving food waste and litter on your property or in public spaces like parks). Feeding coyotes does not help them.
Hand feeding and ground feeding wildlife on private or public property is prohibited by the city’s Lot Maintenance Bylaw (59-2018) and is subject to a $300 fine.
Ensure garbage, compost and pet food are stored in a place coyotes cannot access.
On garbage collection day, place your garbage at the curb by 7 a.m. instead of the night before.
Never approach a coyote, its den or pups.
Teach children how to respect and safely admire wildlife from afar.

Protecting pets from coyotes

Never leave pets unattended
Coyotes can view pets as a threat to their territory, and may attack. Like many species, coyotes are protective of their family members and may perceive domestic dogs as a threat or danger, especially when there is a den site nearby.

Solutions:

Always keep your pets on a short leash when walking outdoors or visit one of Burlington's leash-free parks.
Avoid known/potential den sites and thick vegetation where coyotes may seek cover. This is especially important in denning season (April-June) and the dispersal period (September-October) when coyote pups are leaving the den.
Do not leave pets unattended in your backyard, especially in areas that back on to ravines or woodlots. If you must leave your dog outside, secure it in a fully enclosed kennel.
Keep cats indoors.
Neuter pets. Coyotes are attracted to, and can mate with, domestic dogs that have not been spayed or neutered.

92% of conflict situations between wildlife and domestic dogs occur when dogs are off-leash.

How to deter coyotes from your property

Residential neighbourhoods are an ideal coyote habitat.
An availability of water, shelter and food sources like garbage, pet food, and birdfeeders make residential areas attractive to coyotes.

Solution:
Make your property uninviting to a coyote:

Remove all water and food sources from your yard, including birdseed and ripe/rotted fruit that has fallen to the ground. These foods can also attract smaller animals that in turn attract coyotes.
Store garbage, compost and pet food in a place coyotes cannot access.
Clean up after your dog. Coyotes are attracted to dog feces.
Remove long grass, dead brush and wood piles. These conditions provide potential den sites for coyotes or other wild animals that attract coyotes.
Use flashing lights and motion sensors.
Put up a two-metre high fence that extends at least 20 centimetres underground.
Ensure spaces around/under decks and sheds are closed off with wire screening that extends at least 20 centimetres underground.

Watch a video about how to wildlife proof your property

What about relocating or eliminating coyotes?

Relocating or killing coyotes is not the answer to reducing coyote/human conflicts.
Research shows that killing or moving coyotes only creates room for a new coyote to move in.

In the province of Ontario, property owners have the right to hire a trapper licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to remove and euthanize wildlife that is causing damage to their property although research shows that removal of a coyote is a short-term solution.

Once a coyote is removed from an area, another coyote will move in to the same territory.

Traps also pose a danger to other wildlife, family pets and small children.

The City of Burlington's Animal Services is not permitted to trap wildlife on private property or relocate coyotes. Any future decision about trapping wildlife on city property would be made by Burlington City Council.

For information on the laws regarding your rights as a property owner, visit www.ontario.ca/wildlife.

Techniques for hazing coyotes

Consistent hazing will deter coyotes.
Move a coyote out of a residential area using hazing techniques every time you see one.

Deterring coyotes takes vigilance. Consistent efforts by the entire community to haze coyotes can help to re-instill their fear of humans and discourage undesirable behaviour.

Solutions:

Move a coyote out of a residential area using hazing techniques every time you see one, whether it is on your neighbour’s property or your own.
Hazing techniques can include:
- Yell loudly
- Wave your arms and make yourself look as big as possible
- Use air horns, whistles, bang pots
- Throw small rocks, large sticks, cans and or rubber balls near the coyote
- Spray the coyote with water from a garden hose or a water gun filled with vinegar.

What to Do If a Coyote Approaches

Coyote sightings are commonplace. If you see a coyote, keep your distance and the animal will most likely avoid you.

If you encounter an aggressive coyote:

Stop. Pick up small children and pets.
Shout loudly and wave your arms high in the air.
Use hazing techniques:
- Air horns, whistles, bang pots
- Throw small rocks, large sticks, cans and or rubber balls near the coyote
- Spray the coyote with water from a garden hose or a water gun filled with vinegar.
Back away slowly while remaining calm. Never run or turn your back on a coyote.

If you see an aggressive, sick or injured coyote, call 905-335-3030.

If a coyote poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety, call 9-1-1 and alert Halton Regional Police.

Report a Coyote Sighting

Your feedback helps us to monitor the location of coyotes in the community. If you see a coyote, or observe a potential problem related to garbage or someone intentionally or accidentally feeding a coyote, you can assist the city by submitting an online report.

Report a Coyote Sighting

Alternatively, please call 905-335-3030 to report a coyote sighting or feeding issue. Please be prepared to provide location details.

Past Meetings

The city continues to place a focus on education to help build the community's understanding about coyotes, their behaviour and preventing situations that may cause conflict.

Past Community Meetings

March 10, 2021

In March 2021, a coyote information meeting was held to answer Burlington and Oakville residents' questions about how to live with coyotes safely. Here is the video from that meeting.

June 13, 2017

On Tuesday, June 13, 2017 a public information meeting about living with coyotes in the community was held at Mainway Arena.

Mayor Rick Goldring and Councillor Jack Dennison were joined by MPP Eleanor McMahon and representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to share information and discuss what can be done to minimize human-coyote conflicts.

Following the meeting, the city undertook several actions, including:

Site visits by city building inspectors to active construction sites in neighbourhoods where coyote conflicts have been reported to remind contractors about maintaining a clean and orderly construction site that does not attract coyotes looking for food or shelter.
Visits by city bylaw staff to plazas and restaurants in neighbourhoods where coyote conflicts were reported to share information about eliminating potential food sources for coyotes.
The city's Roads, Parks and Forestry Department implemented solutions for minimizing garbage and food in parks.
Additional signage placed near areas where coyote conflicts have been reported.

Resources

Coyote Watch Canada
Ministry of Natural Resources - Living with Wildlife
VIDEO: Walrus TV - The Urban Coyote
CBC Radio - Ontario Today, Who to Call About a Bear (June 2015)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there coyotes in urban areas?

The Eastern Coyote is an extremely intelligent, family oriented and highly adaptive species. Since the 17th century, the landscape of Ontario has vastly changed, pushing out the natural species - such as bears, wolves and cougars - creating a vacuum in the ecosystem. Coyotes are easily able to navigate urban landscapes and have filled the hole created in the ecosystem. There are plenty of natural food sources, such as rodents and rabbits, in urban settings.

Can the coyotes be relocated or killed?

Relocating or killing coyotes is not recommended, difficult to accomplish and only a Band-Aid solution. Removing a coyote opens up the landscape for another coyote or two to move in, filling nature's vacancy. Much like birds, squirrels, raccoons and other animals, coyotes have found a permanent home in urban areas.

Why can't the City of Burlington's Animal Services come and take the coyote away?

The City of Burlington's approach to coyotes in the community is to leave them alone so that they remain wild animals.

The role of the City of Burlington's Animal Services is to assist and care for lost, sick and injured animals in the community. If you see a sick or injured coyote call Animal Services at 905-335-3030.

Do coyotes eat dogs and cats as a food source?

Coyotes are omnivores; they eat small rodents as well as local vegetation, such as berries and fruits. While coyotes may not distinguish between a cat and one of their preferred prey species, such as rabbits or rats, they do not hunt dogs. Most often, dogs are seen as potential competition for food or as a threat to coyotes, as they are from the dog family as well.

If I feed a coyote, will it leave my pet alone?

Feeding coyotes, even indirectly through bird feeders (which attract rodents) will encourage them to come back to a specific area to look for more food. Multiple studies from across North America show that feeding animals (intentionally or accidentally) creates a greater chance of conflict.

Is my bird feeder really going to attract coyotes?

Bird seed left on the ground can attract rodents, which in turn can attract coyotes. Rodents make up at least 75 per cent of a coyote diet.

Do coyotes attack people?

Coyotes are very wary of humans and avoid people whenever possible. Coyotes that do not show a natural fear for people may have become habituated through someone intentionally or inadvertently feeding them.

Halton Public Health reports that, with one exception in 2012, there has never been a reported incident of a coyote biting or scratching a person. The one reported incident resulted in a minor injury. However, every year there are over 900 incidents involving cats and dogs, many with serious consequences.

Is there such a thing as a coy wolf?

Eastern Coyotes share remnants of DNA with wolves. Scientists estimate that the initial cross-breeding of the species occurred approximately 100 years ago in north western Ontario. While today's Eastern Coyote often looks wolf-like, it remains significantly smaller (a large Eastern Coyote is approximately 40 pounds). The small amount of DNA they share with wolves does not affect their behaviour in terms of how humans can safely coexist with this highly adaptable, family oriented and intelligent native North American canid.