Beware coyotes! Not just kids dressed up like the wild animal for Halloween, but real coyotes that have taken up residence in Seattle and throughout King County.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) sent out that warning to the public this week after a woman in the Queen Anne neighbiorhood was injured by the wild canine on October 18. According to the department, the bite victim looked out into her backyard and saw her pet dangling from a coyote’s mouth. She was bitten on her arm and head as she tried to free her dog.
Fish and Wildlife officers patrolled the area in a search for the coyote but did not find it.
Coyotes in the fall
Coyotes are most active March through August as they raise pups, but activity can pick up in fall for young dogs in what is called “dispersal season” according to the Jo Yellis, project coordinator at CoyotesSmarts. That’s when young coyotes leave their packs to go it alone and find mates.
“At this time of heightened coyote activity — or anytime, for that matter — the safety of pets is a major concern,” Yellis wrote in a 2022 report. “Keep your dogs on a leash, your cats indoors, and never encourage urban coyote visits by providing food attractants. As always, be sure to remove or secure all trash, compost, pet food, and other edible items.
Report sightings and attacks
Reports of coyotes in the city or suburban areas can be sent to community science programs such as Woodland Park Zoo’s Carnivore Spotter. If you or your kids witness a coyote attack on “supervised” pets (such as dogs on leashes), backyard chickens, or other animals or if you see an injured or dangerous animal, report it to WDFW by calling 360–902–2936, emailing WILDCOMM@dfw.wa.gov, or by reporting online.
If you or anyone else is at immediate risk of attack, call 911 and ask the dispatcher to connect you with Washington Fish and Wildlife Police.
How to prevent coyote attacks and what to do if approached:
In the meantime, on their website the WDFW offers the following guidelines for keeping yourself, your kids and your pets safe from coyote attack:
- Never run away from a coyote. Make loud noises, wave sticks, squirt it with a hose, or otherwise “haze” the coyote if it approaches. Stand tall, stare into the eyes of the coyote and shout at it. You also can throw something at it.
- Don’t leave small children unattended where coyotes are frequently seen or heard. If there are coyote sightings in your area, prepare your children for a possible encounter. Explain the reasons why coyotes live there (habitat/food source/ species adaptability) and what they should do if one approaches them (don’t run, be as big, mean, and loud as possible). By shouting a set phrase such as “go away coyote” when they encounter one, children will inform nearby adults of the coyote’s presence as opposed to a general scream. Demonstrate and rehearse encounter behavior with the children.
- Never feed coyotes. Coyotes that are fed by people often lose their fear of humans and develop a territorial attitude that may lead to aggressive behavior.
- Don’t give coyotes access to garbage. Keep garbage can lids on tight by securing them with rope, chain, bungee cords, or weights. Better yet, buy quality garbage cans with clamps or other mechanisms that hold lids on. To prevent tipping, secure the side handles to metal or wooden stakes driven into the ground. Or keep your cans in tight-fitting bins, a shed, or a garage.
- Prevent access to fruit and compost. Keep fruit trees fenced, or pick up fruit that falls to the ground. Keep compost piles within a fenced area or securely covered. Cover new compost material with soil or lime to prevent it from smelling. Never include animal matter in your compost; it attracts coyotes. If burying food scraps, cover them with at least 12 inches of soil, and don’t leave any garbage above ground in the area—including the stinky shovel.
- Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed your pets outside, do so in the morning or at midday, and pick up food, water bowls, leftovers, and spilled food well before dark every day.
- Don’t feed feral cats (domestic cats gone wild). Coyotes prey on these cats as well as any feed you leave out for the feral cats.
- Prevent the buildup of feeder foods under bird feeders. Coyotes will eat bird food and are attracted to the many birds and rodents that come to feeders.
- Keep dogs and cats indoors, especially from dusk to dawn. If left outside at night in an unprotected area, cats and small to mid-size dogs may be killed by coyotes. Pets can be easy prey for coyotes. If you suspect losing a dog or cat to a coyote, notify your neighbors. Once a coyote finds easy prey it will continually hunt in the area.
- Modify the landscape around children’s play areas. Shrubs and trees should be pruned several feet above ground level so coyotes can’t hide in them. Keep deterrents nearby in times of increased sightings. An old hockey stick, broom, or a pile of stones near the play area can help prepare children for an encounter and will remind them of effective encounter behavior.
- Build a coyote-proof fence. A 5-foot woven-wire fence with extenders facing outward at the top of each post should prevent coyotes from climbing over. Remember too that coyotes are excellent diggers, and an effective fence needs to extend at least 8 inches below the surface, or have a galvanized-wire apron that extends out from the fence at least 15 inches.Electric fences can also keep coyotes out of an enclosed area. Alternatively, install a commercial device to prevent coyotes from being able to get the foothold necessary to hoist them over a fence.
- Enclose poultry (chickens, ducks, and turkeys) in a secure outdoor pen and house. Coyotes will eat poultry and their eggs if they can get to them. To prevent coyotes from accessing birds in their night roosts, equip poultry houses with well-fitted doors and secure locking mechanisms. To prevent them from trying to go under the fence, stake the bottom of the fence flush to the ground, or line the bottom of the fence with bricks, fence posts, or similar items. To prevent coyotes and other animals from accessing poultry during the day, completely enclose outdoor pens with 1-inch chicken wire placed over a sturdy wooden framework.
In case of bite
If you or a pet are bitten or scratched, immediately scrub the wound with soap and water. Flush the wound liberally with tap water. In other parts of North America coyotes can carry rabies. Contact your physician and the local health department immediately. If your pet is bitten, follow the same cleansing procedure and contact your veterinarian.
More information on coyotes in Washington, including tips for avoiding conflicts, is available on this webpage: Coyote | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
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