Your Wildlife Habitat

Coyotes, like bears, are smart, curious and opportunistic. If you have left food or garbage outdoors, you could be inviting a problem. They have adapted well to living in urban environments in close proximity to humans.

The Eastern Coyote found in Ontario is larger than those found in western Canada due to interbreeding with Eastern Wolves. It also tends to be bolder and more aggressive. It looks like a German Shepherd, but it is greyish with a whitish throat and belly. If you live in the country you will, without a doubt, have heard them barking, yipping and howling, especially at night.

Coyotes prefer to hunt in packs. Although they rarely attack humans, they will prey on sheep, young calves, chickens, deer, rabbits, rodents and even domestic pets. They also enjoy fruit such as apples and berries.

It’s always best to exercise caution around any wild animals and to take precautions. If there have been coyote sightings in your area, it’s best to keep your pets indoors at night and to make sure that no pet food, compost and garbage is accessible.

Coyotes may be killed under the authority of Section 31 of the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. If coyotes are killed, reports are required in certain areas of Ontario. If you must kill a coyote to protect your property, please check this map to determine whether you are required to make a report and, if necessary, contact your local MNRF office.

Living With Coyotesis a fact sheet published by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry that explains how to prevent conflicts with coyotes and how to deal with conflicts when they arise.

The Ontario SPCA has provided good information and some frequently asked questions about coyotes on its website.

Coyotes in the Community, a webpage published by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, explains what you can do to avoid attracting coyotes, what deterrents you can use and what to do if you encounter a coyote.

Sheep Fencing Options for Predator Control is a fact sheet published by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) that provides a wide variety of information about coyote predation and how you can manage it.

Hinterland Who’s Who provides a more in-depth and sympathetic study of coyote behaviour. This website acknowledges that humans have always persecuted coyotes and that, in spite of this, they have survived all attempts to eradicate them.

The Canadian Association for Humane Trapping has published a flyer that describes how to make your property unattractive to coyotes and how to choose a professional wildlife removal company.

Compensation for Predation and Damage by Wildlife: The province provides compensation to registered farmers whose livestock, poultry or bees were damaged by wildlife. Producers are entitled to make claims to their local municipality for livestock losses due to attacks by a number of wildlife species. A list of livestock and wildlife covered under the program is provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Rural Affairs. More information can be obtained by referring to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program Guidelines. Follow this link to find contact information for your local municipality.

How to Differentiate Between Coyote and Dog Predation on Sheep: The purpose of this factsheet is to aid producers and livestock evaluators in distinguishing between losses caused by predators and non-predator causes. If predation is the cause of death then it is particularly important to identify the species responsible so additional control measures can be implemented to minimize future losses.