Avoiding Conflicts with Coytoes

Coyotes are present and pass through residential and commercial areas throughout Broomfield and the Front Range of Colorado. They can be active during the day or night.

The coyote is a highly intelligent animal that can adapt to almost any environment. Because they can often be found living among humans, it is important to follow common sense suggestions in order to safely live with coyotes.

This page covers tips and information on how to avoid conflicts with coyotes including limiting attractants like food, water and shelter.

• Do not leave pets unattended outside, even in a fenced yard as coyotes can jump even six foot fences. It is best to be within touching distance of your pets, especially when predators are known to be in the area. Coyotes are opportunistic hunters and may view pets as easy prey. Other predator species like foxes, bobcats or raptors may also prey on pets. Visit the Protect Your Pets web page for more information specific to guarding and protecting your pet when outside.
• Remove coyote attractants from your yard such as pet food and water left outside, shrubs, unsecured decks, low hanging branches, unsecured chicken pens, fallen fruit or bird seed, dirty barbeque grills or unsecured trash/compost.
• Never feed coyotes. Don’t invite wildlife into your yard. Feeding coyotes can spread disease or cause human-coyote conflicts. 
• Use hazing methods to move the animal out of an area or discourage undesirable behavior/activity. Have noisemakers on hand to scare away coyotes that may enter your yard, such as whistles, pots or pans and horns. Visit the Coyote Hazing web page for more information on how to haze a coyote and to view the S.M.A.R.T. method for hazing.
• Do not run away or turn your back on a coyote and do not allow a coyote to get in between you and your child or pet.
• You may witness “escorting” behavior, where coyotes may trot adjacent or parallel to humans, watch them or get closer than usual. This behavior is an effort to guide humans away from sensitive areas like den sites. As humans continue to move along, coyotes will typically fall back.
• If you are closely approached by a coyote, face the coyote, raise your arms, make loud noises and continue to move slowly away.
• Due to high human population densities, the discharge of any firearm within Broomfield is ILLEGAL (Broomfield Municipal Code 9-72-020-C).

For more information on living with and avoiding conflicts with coyotes, visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Living with Coyotes web page.