What to Do If You Find a Coyote Den on Your Property

What would you do if you found a coyote den on your property? Learn humane, effective ways to encourage coyotes to move on, what not to do during denning season, who to call, and how to keep your family and pets safe without harming wildlife.

Finding a coyote den close to your home can be surprising, especially if it’s tucked into brush, woods, or rocky ground just a short distance from your house. It’s normal to wonder what to do next and whether your pets or family are at risk.

When I discovered a coyote den about 65 feet from our home, I wasn’t afraid. I choose to live near natural areas because I enjoy observing wildlife, not pushing it away. For me, the decision was simple: I respected the den, stayed away from it, and allowed the coyotes to raise their young in peace.

But not everyone feels comfortable having a coyote den so close to their home. If you’d prefer the animals move farther away, there are humane, effective ways to encourage them to relocate without trapping, harming, or killing wildlife.

The methods below are widely recommended by humane wildlife experts and have worked on our own property.

Why Coyotes Choose Dens Near Homes

Coyotes select den sites based on safety, cover, and quiet. They prefer:

• Thick woods or brush
• Rocky or sheltered terrain
• Areas with minimal disturbance
• Hidden spaces where pups can be safely raised

Many neighborhoods whether suburban, rural, or even urban border natural corridors such as wooded lots, creek systems, parks, or undeveloped land. These areas naturally attract wildlife, including coyotes.

Finding a den near your home is especially common in spring, when coyotes are raising pups and need a protected, quiet place to shelter them.

Your Choice: Leave the Den Alone or Encourage Relocation

Some people enjoy sharing space with wildlife and feel comfortable leaving the den undisturbed. Others prefer more distance between their home and coyotes.

Both feelings are valid.

If you want the coyotes to move on, the goal is simple: Make the den site less appealing without harming the adults or their pups.

Humane Ways to Encourage Coyotes to Move On

1. Shine a Bright Floodlight at the Den Entrance

Coyotes prefer dark, hidden spaces. A bright light makes the den feel exposed and unsafe.

• Aim a floodlight at the den from a safe distance.
• Turn it on at night when coyotes are active.
• Keep it on for several nights in a row.

The constant brightness usually convinces them to choose a quieter, darker location.

2. Play Loud, Bass-Heavy Music Near the Den

It may sound unusual, but loud music is a proven deterrent. Coyotes dislike unpredictable noise and vibration.

• Place a speaker in a weather-safe container.
• Use an outdoor-rated extension cord.
• Play loud, bass-heavy music during active hours.

The disruption makes the area feel stressful and unsuitable for raising pups.

3. Use a Motion-Activated Sprinkler

This is one of the most effective humane deterrents available.

• The sudden burst of water startles the coyote.
• The noise and movement add to the deterrent.
• It activates only when something moves.

After a few surprises, most coyotes decide the area is too unpredictable.

4. Remove Brush and Reduce Attractants

I have a stand of privacy bamboo about sixty‑five feet from our house, surrounded by thick vines of honeysuckle and sweet autumn clematis. Over the years it’s grown dense enough to create a quiet, hidden pocket of cover the kind of place where a coyote and her pups can safely rest day or night. It’s peaceful, shaded, and protected.

When a property is cleared and manicured, that sense of safety disappears. Coyotes prefer secluded, natural areas, so once the brush is gone and the space feels exposed, they’ll move on to find shelter elsewhere.

Coyotes rely on cover and easy food sources. Removing these makes your property less appealing.

• Clear thick brush or overgrown vegetation.
• Secure trash and compost.
• Bring pet food indoors.
• Avoid feeding animals outside at night.

A bright, open, low-food environment encourages coyotes to move elsewhere.

5. Normal Property Noise Can Be Enough

Sometimes everyday activity—mowing, clearing land, construction noise—naturally encourages coyotes to move farther away. They prefer quiet, predictable areas.

Who to Call and What to Ask

If you feel you must call someone, it’s important to understand the difference between wildlife control companies and animal control departments. Policies vary widely by region.

Some agencies relocate wildlife. Some euthanize wildlife. Some do not handle predators at all.

Before agreeing to anything, ask:

• Do you relocate or do you euthanize?
• What happens to the pups?
• What are my non-lethal options?
• What is legal during denning season?

If you care about humane outcomes, you must ask these questions clearly.

What Not to Do

• Never use traps, snares, or leg-hold devices.
• Never block a den entrance while pups are inside.
• Never attempt to handle wildlife yourself.

These methods are dangerous, often illegal, and can cause severe suffering.

Think About the Pups

Spring dens almost always contain pups. If adults are removed or killed, the pups are left to starve.

This is why humane wildlife experts strongly recommend avoiding removal during denning season unless absolutely necessary. By midsummer, pups are old enough to travel, and families naturally move to brushy cover.

Living Near Wildlife Is Normal

Whether you live near woods, fields, parks, or natural corridors, wildlife will use these areas as safe travel routes. Coyotes are not “invading” they are simply living the way wildlife always has.

If the presence of wildlife is deeply unsettling, it may be worth choosing a neighborhood with fewer natural borders rather than trying to eliminate every wild animal that appears.

For many people, the goal is simple: Keep your family and pets safe while allowing wildlife to live their lives with as little harm as possible.

Bright lights, loud music, motion-activated sprinklers, brush clearing, and normal property noise can all encourage coyotes to move on humanely and effectively.

Maintaining Backyard Wildlife Habitat

In 2004 my husband and I decided to grow a wildlife habitat that would naturally provide the songbirds, squirrel, deer and other wildlife with forage. We knew that initially the garden would not do as intended but within a few growing season we would no longer have to worry; the plants would adapt to the garden and the wildlife would have plenty of food.

Here are photographs of wildlife in the backyard habitat 

Raccoon by serviceberry trees 

Black butterfly and mimosa flower

Butterfly garden

Cat relaxing after visiting the catnip garden

Raccoon hiding in the grass garden

Well that was the plan and it worked well the first few years then came the droughts and the extreme heat during the summer months and we lost many fruit shrubs due to not enough water and or pests. We simply could not hydrate the plants with the water restrictions in our area.

So the following year we collected water from the spring rains in the barrels that I bought at Lowes.com. This was a good idea, however come end of July we had exhausted all of the water intended to sustain the habitat plants during the drought season.

Know that when we noticed the rain barrel water levels were getting low we then started collecting household water from bath, shower and water used to rinse the vegetables.  Yes taking buckets of water from house to outdoor rain barrel wasn't fun, the buckets were heavy and sometimes the water spilled out of the bucket when lifting to pour into the barrel. But by recycling the water we were able to have more water for the forage plants,  but it was not enough water to maintain the wildlife habitat throughout the summer.

Since we had lost many plants due to our extremely hot summers we decided to grow only native plants and other fruit bearing plants. Also instead of growing the forage plants away from the house we grew them closer. By doing this we were able to hydrate them with soaking hoses in the early morning on our assigned  watering days. We also invested in water retention mulch by Scotts. The cost of this mulch is higher than others but it is well worth it because it does help you to save water.

Initially our plan was to grow forage for the wildlife in our area, but with the changes to climates that idea became costly and one we could not afford to maintain.  Know that the wildlife habitat has changed to native plants that are maintained with the special water retaining mulch, soaker hose system that provide the plants at the soil level a slow and steady drip of water. We set these soaker hoses on a timer and water every other day for two hours in the early morning.

We continue to save the spring rain water but instead of waiting for the water level in these barrels to empty out before recycling, we started a water recycling system that we do constantly throughout the growing season.

By implementing the ongoing water recycling we found that the water barrel watering system does not deplete and has allowed us to continue to water our wildlife habitat during the hottest month of the summer.

Do you recycle water for your outdoor gardens?

Backyard Bird Habitat - Plants That Attract Birds

This morning I observed birds flying in an aggressive manner; feathers plumped, squawking excessively, swooping and circling.  The reason for the alarm was brought on by the roar of the chainsaw.  

50 feet from my home I viewed men cutting down mature oak trees.  These Bluejay birds  were angry because the trees had been a nesting area for decades and was part of the bird’s habitat.  

There is no way that I can stop the change of the bird habitat however; I can offer the birds a safe haven that will provide shelter, food and water. I will continue to grow my backyard bird habitat by planting trees for nesting, wind break, flowers for birdseed, fruit bearing trees and shrubs. 

Photograph of my yard and plants:

My bird habitat consists of:

Ornamental Grasses

Coneflowers

Black-eyed Susan

Sugar Maple Tree

Black Walnut, Pecan and Oak 

Elderberry and Nanking Cherry 
Crabapple Tree

Presently the forest birds are under stress but hopefully in a few days they will find refuge at my backyard bird habitat.