How to Keep Coyotes Away: The Expert's Definitive Guide (2026)

To keep coyotes away, eliminate food, water, and shelter from your property; install a 6-8 foot predator-proof fence; and actively haze any coyotes you see to reinforce their natural fear of humans. These intelligent animals are drawn to easy resources, so a combination of habitat modification, physical barriers, and consistent negative reinforcement forms the most effective, long-term defense.

1 Understanding the Coyote: Your First Step to Coexistence

Before you can effectively keep coyotes away, you need to understand what drives them. The modern coyote is a highly adaptable and intelligent predator. They are not inherently aggressive toward humans but are supreme opportunists. Your home, farm, or suburban yard becomes attractive to them for three primary reasons: food, water, and shelter.

Coyotes are primarily nocturnal but can be active during the day, especially when raising pups. They have an exceptional sense of smell and are curious by nature. A key concept in managing them is habituation—when they lose their natural fear of humans due to consistent, non-threatening contact, often because they find reliable food sources in our spaces. The goal of all strategies in this guide is to reverse habituation and make your property an unwelcome, resource-scarce zone.

2 Clean Up Your Property: Eliminate the Basics
The most critical and often overlooked step is making your property unattractive. This isn't just about tidiness; it's about removing the fundamental incentives for a coyote to visit.

Remove Brush and Debris: Clear away piles of wood, thick brush, and tall weeds. These areas provide perfect hiding spots for coyotes to rest undetected and also harbor rodents, which are a primary food source. Maintain a tidy landscape to reduce cover.

Secure Crawl Spaces: Check the areas under decks, porches, sheds, and outbuildings. These dark, quiet spaces are ideal den sites for a mother coyote raising pups. Seal these areas off with sturdy wire mesh (¼-inch hardware cloth) that is buried at least 6-8 inches into the ground and angled outward to prevent digging.

Manage Wooded Areas: If your property borders woods, keep the edge trimmed and clear. Creating a maintained buffer zone removes the "edge habitat" where coyotes like to stalk prey.