Encountering Coyotes: Coyote Interactions
Hazing Coyotes
Hazing is another word for scaring away an animal to maintain or re-instill it's natural wariness of people. Habituated coyotes—those that have become comfortable around people—are especially critical to haze. No matter how you feel about coyotes, hazing bold coyotes is important—it's something that everyone in the community can and should do to keep coyotes, pets, and people safe.
To haze coyotes:
- Act unapproachable: Open your jacket and wave your arms to appear large and scary.
- Make loud noises: Clap, shout, blow a whistle, or use an air horn.
- If needed, use deterrents: Throw sticks, pebbles, or carry pepper spray.
Check out this three-minute video from the Presidio in San Francisco to see how a demonstration of hazing.
Keep these tips from the Humane Society of the United States in mind when hazing coyotes:
- Hazing is most effective when an individual coyote is hazed by a variety of people using a variety of tools and techniques
- The coyote being hazed must be able to recognize that the potential threat is coming from a person. Therefore, hiding behind a bush and throwing rocks or hazing from inside a car or house (for example) isn’t effective.
- When hazed for the first time, a coyote may not respond at first or may run a short distance away. If this happens, it is important to continue hazing (and intensify the hazing if possible) until the coyote leaves the area. Otherwise, the coyote will learn to wait until the person gives up. Inconsistent hazing will create an animal more resistant to hazing instead of reinforcing the notion that “people are scary.”
- Make sure to provide an escape route for the coyote. Do not corner the coyote or chase the animal in the direction of traffic or other people.
- A group of coyotes should be hazed in the same manner as a single coyote. In a group, there will always be a dominant coyote who will respond first, and once he runs away, the others will follow.
- Hazing efforts should be exaggerated at the beginning of a hazing program, but less effort will be needed as coyotes learn to avoid people and neighborhoods. Coyotes learn quickly, and their family members and pups will emulate their behavior, leading to a ripple effect throughout the local coyote population.
- Certain levels of hazing must always be maintained so that coyotes do not learn or return to unacceptable habits.
- Obviously sick or injured coyotes should not be hazed by the general public. In these cases, ODFW should be contacted.
- People should never run from or ignore a coyote. Running from a coyote can initiate a chasing instinct, while ignoring a coyote creates habituation and negates the positive effects of hazing.
- It is important to identify and remove possible coyote attractants in conjunction with hazing. Hazing will be less effective if food attractants are plentiful in a neighborhood.
Learn more about hazing from the Urban Coyote Research Project and the Humane Society of the United States
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