Coyotes are members of the canine family like dogs, wolves, foxes and jackals. They are smaller than wolves but about the same size as an average dog. They resemble dogs in every way except for their bushy tails.

The body color ranges from grey to light brown. Coyotes are highly adaptable creatures and their habitats range from deserts to grasslands to the urban areas of the US, Canada and Mexico.

Coyotes are omnivores, which means they eat fruits, plants and vegetables in addition to meat. They normally prey on rodents, rabbits, snakes, lizards and other small animals.

They are scavengers as well as predators. Coyotes are social animals and usually hunt or travel in packs. They are mostly active at night but can often be seen during the daytime.

Coyotes are labeled as pests in many parts of the US for their tendency to invade houses and kill livestock and pets. This makes coyote infestation a big problem and we have listed several methods to control it.

11 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Coyotes Naturally

1.  Intimidate them

Coyotes can be frightened away by simply approaching them aggressively. If you spot a coyote near your house the best way to humanely get rid of them is by approaching them with a big stick and gesticulating wildly and shouting.

The key is to make yourself appear bigger than the coyote.

Step by Step Process:

• Spot the coyote.
• Grab a big stick.
• Walk towards it slowly.
• Make wild movements like waving your hands and stick.
• Keep shouting at it.
• The coyote will run off startled. If it stops at a distance repeat the process until the coyote is out of sight.

Precautions:

Coyotes have been known to bite humans before, so never turn your back towards them. Keep children and pets indoors when coyotes are in the neighborhood.

2. Noise Scare

Another humane way of getting rid of coyotes is by creating loud sounds. This will scare them away and prevent them from approaching your area any time soon.

You can use firecrackers, musical instruments or simply kitchen utensils to create loud noises. You can purchase firecrackers online.

Required Material:

• Firecrackers
• Drums
• Kitchen utensils like pots and pans

Step by Step Process:

• Spot the coyote.
• Set off the firecrackers if you have them. That should really scare them off.
• If you have drums keep beating them until the coyote runs away.
• If you are using kitchen utensils keep beating them loudly against one another till the coyote runs away.

Precautions:

Be careful while using firecrackers to avoid burns. Don’t turn your back to the coyote until you’re sure it’s gone. Keep kids and pets inside the house when coyotes are nearby. 

3. Throwing objects

If you spot a coyote on or near your property you can scare it away by throwing objects towards it. You can throw sticks, stones, rocks or any object you can lay your hands on.

The coyote is not likely to stay where there is a risk of getting hurt. This is a humane way of dealing with coyotes.

Required Material:

• Sticks, stones, small rocks, household objects

Step by Step Process:

• See where the coyote is standing.
• Start throwing those objects towards it till the coyote runs away.

Precautions:

Don’t use sharp objects as they can seriously hurt the coyote. Don’t turn your back to the coyote till it’s gone. Keep children and pets indoors when coyotes are prowling outside.

4. Spraying water

Instead of throwing objects at the coyote you can also spray water on them. A powerful jet stream of water can be a deterrent to wild animals and the coyote is no different. You can purchase a good garden hose for the purpose if you don’t have one.

Required Material:

• Garden hose 

Step by Step Process:

• Find out where the coyote is standing.
• Attach the garden hose to a tap and turn it on.
• Aim it towards the coyote and keep on spraying water at it till it runs away.

Precautions:

Don’t go too near the coyote. Just spray the water from a distance. Never turn your back to towards the coyote. Keep children and pets indoors when coyotes are nearby.

5. Coyote Chasing Dogs

If you own large dogs like Dobermann Pinscher or Rottweiler you can have them chase the coyotes off your property. When you spot coyotes just let the dogs loose. Being aggressive dogs, they will chase down the coyotes.

The coyotes are not likely to come back after that experience. Instead of letting the dogs kill the coyotes train them to just chase them away.

Required Material:

• Large trained dogs 

Step by Step Process:

• Find out where the coyote is.
• Unleash the dogs or let them out of their kennels.
• Order them to chase the coyote.
• Once they catch the coyote, let it go for it is unlikely to return.

Precautions:

Don’t let the dogs get out of control and kill the coyotes. Have them trained to obey orders. Keep children and smaller pets indoors when coyotes are nearby. 

6. Predator Urine

This method consists of scattering predator urine granules near the coyote-infested areas. Coyotes are predators, preying on smaller animals, livestock and even your pets, but they shy away from confrontation with bigger predators like bears and wolves.

When the coyotes smell the urine, they leave the area fearing the presence of other predators. You can purchase granules of bear, wolf and mountain lion urine from Amazon.

Required Material:

• Bear/Wolf urine 

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the area where the coyotes are regular visitors.
• Scatter the urine granules all over the area.
• The strong scent of the predator urine will deter coyotes from coming near the area.

Precautions:

Use gloves while handling the urine granules. No other precautions are needed.

7. White Vinegar

White vinegar has a strong smell to it that coyotes do not like. If you have frequent coyote visitors this is a good method to try. All you have to do is to spray the area with white vinegar.

The acid in white vinegar which is responsible for the strong scent will deter coyotes from visiting your property. This is a simple and humane way of dealing with coyotes.

Required Material:

• White vinegar
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the areas where the coyotes are regular visitors.
• Fill the spray bottle with white vinegar.
• Spray all over the areas.
• The scent goes away over time, so repeated spraying is necessary.

Precautions:

White vinegar is not harmful, so precautions are not necessary.

8. Pepper powder

Coyotes like other predators hate the smell of pepper. This method involves scattering pepper powder over coyote-infested areas. The strong smell will deter the coyotes from coming again.

Pepper also has the advantage of masking out other food smells to which coyotes are attracted. Pepper does not harm the coyotes, so this is a humane way of dealing with them.

Cayenne pepper has a pungent scent and is recommended for this method as it is easily available.

Required Material:

• Cayenne Pepper powder

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the areas where coyotes are regularly seen.
• Sprinkle the pepper powder all along the area.
• The strong smell will repel the coyotes and you will see the last of them.

Precautions:

Take care not to inhale the pepper powder as it can cause irritation in the nose, trachea, bronchi and lungs. Wear a mask while handling large quantities of pepper powder.

9. Perfumes

Perfumes work the same way as pepper powder in repelling coyotes or other small predators. Coyotes hate the strong scent and will avoid coming near it.

If coyotes are regular visitors to your property this is a good method to try. Strong perfume also masks out food smells.

The only drawback is that the scent dissipates over time and regular application of perfumes becomes necessary. Perfumes do not come cheap and over time this method might burn a hole in your pocket.

Required Material:

• Strong perfume

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the areas where you frequently spot coyotes.
• Spray the perfume all over the area.
• Repeat the process when the scent fades away.

Precautions:

No precautions are necessary.

10. Ultra-Bright Lighting

Coyotes keep to dark or semi-dark places where they can avoid being spotted by predators. Having bright lights on your property is one good way of deterring them. Strobe lights are excellent for this purpose as they can flash at regular intervals.

A few such lights placed at strategic areas on your property can ensure that coyotes do not come near the area. You can also use ordinary bright lights if are not comfortable with strobe lights.

Required Material:

• Strobe lights/ ordinary lights

Step by Step Process:

• Fix strobe lights at strategic areas on your property.
• When you spot coyotes switch on the lights.
• Keep them flashing till the coyotes leave the area.
• You can keep the flashing lights on throughout the night just to prevent the coyotes from coming near the area.

Precautions:

Do not use strobe lights if you have photosensitive epilepsy because they can trigger seizures. Use ordinary lights instead. 

11.  Coyote Traps

There are coyote traps that are designed in such a way as to avoid hurting the animal caught in them. These traps need to be placed along with bait food.

The coyote will smell the bait and try to dig it out. The trap closes over the paw and the animal will be unable to flee. Normally such traps are placed in dirt holes. Coyotes are known to stash away leftover food in holes.

On smelling the bait food, the coyote will imagine it to be some other animal’s stash. The coyote will get its paw trapped trying to dig out the food.

You can check this youtube video if you need more help to make this homemade coyote trap.

Required Material:

• Humane Coyote trap
• Bait food. Pieces of uncooked meat or carcasses of small animals are good bait.
• Hole digger drill

Step by Step Process:

• Identify the areas in your property where coyotes are frequent visitors.
• Use the drill to dig holes in the dirt. Scrape away the soil to make the holes wider.
• Place the bait food in the hole and the trap over it.
• Secure the trap tightly to the ground so it doesn’t move.
• Cover the hole with dirt so as to hide the trap from view.
• Wait till a coyote gets trapped.
• Notify the authorities. They will come to remove the coyote.

Precautions:

Don’t try to remove the trap yourself. It can be dangerous as the panicked coyote can attack you. Notify the authorities instead. Keep in mind that traps are illegal in some states in the US. Keep children and pets away from the traps you set.

Homemade Coyote Traps (DIY in 9 Steps)

If you are interested and got enough patience to create a Homemade Coyote Trap, follow the below-listed steps:

Step 1: Cut an aircraft wire
Buy a ⅛ inch of aircraft wire. Then, use cable cutters to cut the wire so that it is 48 inches in length.

Step 2: Plug two holes in a washer
Using a 5/32 inch drill bit, plug two holes in a flat washer. Put the washer flat and drill one hole at the top and the other hole at the bottom of the washer.

For instance, the two holes should be placed at 12 and 6 o’clock. Fix the holes between the pre-existing center hole of the washer and the outer edge.

Step 3: Sprinkle the washer using a vise
Place the washer in a bench vise and clutch the washer. It should bend just in half. This will form the lock for the snare.

Step 4: String the aircraft wire through a nut
Take one end of the cable and string it through a ¼ inch nut. Then, string it back through the nut making a loop.

Proceed to pull the wire back through the nut until you have a loop with a ¾ inch (2 cm) diameter. Leave an additional inch of cable at the end.

Step 5: Thump the nut closed
Place the nut on an anvil and thump the nut so that the wire is fastened in place and the loop is closed.

Step 6: Push the wire through the washer holes
Push the wire through the top hole of the washer, from the exterior of the bend to the inner. Pull the wire about a foot through the washer.

Then, loop the wire through the bottom hole of the washer from the inner of the bend to the exterior. This should build a loop.

Step 7: String the end of the wire through a nut
Make a cork at the end of the wire. String the end through a ¼ inch nut. There should be about ½ an inch (1 cm) of wire thrusting out through the center of the nut.

Step 8: Thump the nut closed
Put the nut on an anvil and hammer it so that the nut tightens around the wire, locking it in place. The snare is now finished and ready to be fixed.

Step 9: Fix the snare trap
In order to set a snare trap, you need to place it on a path or trail that is visited often by coyotes. Then, connect the small looped end of the snare to a solid subject, such as a fence post or small sapling.

This will fix the snare in place. Hang the larger loop from a close branch so that the bottom of the loop is nearly 12 inches off the ground.

When a coyote steps past, it will confuse the hanging wire for a branch and walk into the snare. The loop will fasten, trapping the coyote as it goes on walking and the bent washer will prevent the loop from unlocking.

4 Natural Ways to Prevent Coyotes

We have looked at some of the best natural methods of getting rid of coyotes. Now let’s talk about natural ways of preventing them from visiting your property.

1. Eliminate food source

Coyotes are predators as well as scavengers. Apart from killing and feeding on rodents and other small animals, they also feed on the carcasses of animals killed by other predators. Check your property for any such carcasses which attract coyotes.

Remove them if you find any. Make sure your property is not littered with waste food. Empty out trash cans every day and always keep them covered. Don’t keep pet food outside where it can attract coyotes.

Get rid of rodents and other pests from your property as they are a major source of food for coyotes. Keep your livestock in a safe place from where they are not accessible to coyotes.

2. Eliminate hiding places

Coyotes not only look for food but also places where they can hide. Long grass, thick vegetation and tall shrubs make good hiding places for them. Keep the shrubbery and grass trimmed at all times. Keep the area clear of big rocks.

Remove old machinery and other junk from your property. By removing all hiding places you can rest assured coyotes won’t be staying there long.

3. Building a fence

Building a fence around your property is one of the best ways of preventing coyotes from entering. The fence should be at least 6 feet high according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The fence should also be at least 1 foot below the ground. Coyotes are good diggers but having a fence embedded in this way will deter them.

Coyotes are good at jumping over fences so make sure your fence is made of smooth material that won’t allow them any grip. Having a barbed wire fence also helps deter coyotes from trying to jump over it.

4. Keep guard dogs

Keeping guard dogs is one of the best ways of keeping coyotes away from your property. There are numerous breeds of dogs that are adept at chasing coyotes away.

Dobermann Pinschers, Mastiffs and Rottweilers are some of them. These dogs guard your property and livestock at night and chase away any small predators that come visiting.

These breeds are quite expensive, but they might prove to be a good investment if your property is frequented by small predators.

Top 5 Natural Coyote Repellents Available Online

If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of coyotes, check the below-listed options:

Final Comments:

Coyotes might look cute like dogs but there are reasons why they are labeled as pests. They can create problems for people living in both urban and rural areas.

Coyotes often invade human dwellings and attack livestock and pets. Controlling them, therefore, is of great importance. We have listed several methods above on controlling coyotes and hope you find them useful.