Living in New Mexico means sharing our beautiful landscape with wildlife, including coyotes. These adaptable predators are increasingly venturing into suburban and urban areas as their natural habitats shrink.
Knowing how to respond when a coyote visits your yard can keep both your family and these wild canines safe.
1. Stay Calm And Keep Your Distance
Spotting a coyote can be startling, but panicking won’t help. These animals typically fear humans and prefer to avoid close contact.
Stand tall, maintain eye contact, and slowly back away while giving the animal plenty of space. Remember that coyotes are usually just passing through and aren’t looking for trouble.
2. Make Yourself Look Bigger
Wild animals assess threats based on size. Raising your arms above your head, opening your jacket wide, or holding up an object makes you appear more intimidating to a curious coyote. In New Mexico, where coyote encounters are fairly common, this technique is especially useful.
This simple technique sends a clear message that you’re not easy prey. Many wildlife experts recommend this as a first line of defense when encountering predators.
3. Make Loud Noises
Coyotes startle easily when confronted with unexpected sounds. Clap your hands forcefully, shout in a deep voice, bang pots together, or blow a whistle to frighten them away. The sudden noise triggers their flight response.
Creating a hostile sound environment teaches coyotes that your property isn’t a comfortable place to visit, reducing the likelihood of return visits.
4. Secure Your Trash Cans
Food attracts coyotes like magnets. Use wildlife-proof containers with tight-fitting lids or bungee cords to secure garbage bins. Taking trash out on collection day rather than the night before reduces tempting odors.
Eliminating easy meals is perhaps the most effective way to discourage coyotes from establishing a routine visit to your property.
5. Remove Outdoor Pet Food
Leaving Fido’s dinner outside is practically inviting wildlife to dinner. Pet food has strong aromas that carry far and signal an easy meal to hungry coyotes. Feed pets indoors whenever possible. If outdoor feeding is necessary, supervise your pets while they eat and promptly remove any leftovers.
This simple habit dramatically reduces the chances of unwanted wildlife visitors.
6. Keep Small Pets Supervised
Small dogs and cats can look like prey to coyotes. Never leave small pets unattended outdoors, especially during dawn and dusk when coyotes are most active.
Consider building a coyote-proof enclosure with a roof and buried fence extending at least six inches underground. When walking dogs in coyote territory, keep them on short leashes and stay alert to your surroundings.
7. Install Motion-Activated Lights
Sudden brightness startles coyotes and makes them feel exposed. Motion-activated lighting systems create an unwelcoming environment for nocturnal visitors like coyotes. Position lights to cover entry points to your yard.
Solar-powered options work well in sunny New Mexico and don’t require complicated wiring. This technology serves double duty by deterring both wildlife and potential human intruders.
8. Maintain Your Fencing
Coyotes can jump fences up to six feet high and squeeze through small gaps. Inspect your fencing regularly for holes, loose boards, or dig marks underneath.
Consider installing coyote rollers (rolling cylinders) on fence tops or extending the fence height with an outward-facing overhang. Burying fence material 12-18 inches underground prevents determined diggers from creating entry points.
9. Clear Brush And Overgrowth
Dense vegetation provides perfect hiding spots for coyotes. Regularly trim bushes, clear brush piles, and maintain open sightlines around your property. Pay special attention to areas under decks or porches where animals might den.
Removing these shelter opportunities makes your yard less attractive to wildlife looking for safe havens. The bonus? Reducing fire hazards during New Mexico’s dry seasons.
10. Report Aggressive Coyotes
Most coyotes avoid humans, but occasionally they lose their natural wariness. Contact New Mexico Department of Game and Fish if you observe unusually bold behavior like approaching people or pets without fear.
Document the encounter with photos if possible and note the location and time. Wildlife officials can assess whether intervention is necessary. Reporting helps protect both community members and maintains healthy wildlife populations.
11. DON’T Run Away
Running triggers a coyote’s chase instinct—they’re naturally wired to pursue fleeing animals. Even though humans can outrun coyotes in a sprint, running makes you appear as prey. Instead, maintain eye contact and back away slowly.
Teaching children this important safety rule can prevent dangerous chase scenarios. Standing your ground while appearing large and confident typically causes coyotes to retreat.
12. DON’T Feed Coyotes
Offering food to wild coyotes creates dangerous dependencies and eliminates their natural fear of humans. Once coyotes associate people with food, they become bolder and more likely to approach homes and yards.
Even indirect feeding—like leaving out birdseed that attracts rodents—can draw coyotes to your property. Breaking the feeding cycle is crucial for maintaining the natural wariness that keeps both species safely separated.
13. DON’T Try To Trap Or Kill Coyotes Yourself
Amateur attempts to remove coyotes often backfire dramatically. Improper trapping causes unnecessary suffering and may be illegal without proper permits in New Mexico. Removing individual coyotes typically doesn’t solve the problem long-term.
When coyotes are eliminated from an area, others quickly move in to fill the vacancy. Focus instead on making your property unattractive to wildlife through the preventative measures mentioned above.