Coyotes

Report coyote sightings and activity through our coyote reporting form. The form is now compatible with mobile devices and allows users to upload pictures and video of sightings and post to social media. 

If there is an immediate risk to safety call 911 as the reporting system is not designed to respond to these types of calls.

Mange is circulating in some coyote populations in Oakville which has led to these animals frequenting residential neighbourhoods to seek warmth and find easy food such as birdseed and garbage. Mange is not a threat to humans or pets and does not directly lead to increased aggression. 

Through the coyote reporting form, the town is working with the Oakville Humane Society to assist them in locating and treating infected coyotes.

Track reported coyote sightings

Visit the coyote sightings map to learn where coyotes have been observed. This mapping reflects reported sightings and is not meant to indicate the number of coyotes present or a complete profile of where coyotes are present in Oakville. It provides the town and residents with useful information on understanding where the possibility of encountering a coyote may be more prevalent.

• Never feed or leave food out for a coyote.
• Remove all water and food sources from your yard, including birdseed and ripe/rotted fruit that has fallen to the ground. 
• Store garbage, compost and pet food in a place coyotes cannot access.
• Supervise animals when they are in the yard. Cats should not be permitted to roam freely.
• Clean up after your dog. Coyotes are attracted to dog feces.
• Remove long grass, dead brush and wood piles. These conditions provide potential den sites for coyotes or other wild animals that attract coyotes.
• Ensure gaps around and under decks and sheds are closed off with wire screening.
• Use motion sensor lights

Learn more about wildlife-proofing your property.

• Avoid feeding pets outdoors as the smell of food may attract coyotes or other animals that they eat.
• Always keep your pets on a leash when out for a walk unless you are in a leash-free park. This will allow for better care and control of your animal if you see a coyote.
• If you live near green spaces, ravines, and other areas where coyotes live, keep a close eye on your pets.
• Keep cats indoors.

The town’s coyote hazing video explains what to do if you encounter a coyote on your property, and shows you how to haze or scare them away.

• Practice hazing to let the coyote know they are not welcome. Appear aggressive: stand tall, wave your arms, shout, clap your hands and make lots of noise.
• Keep pets attended and on leash.
• Do not turn your back on, or run from, a coyote.
• If you see pups or suspect there are pups in the area or if the coyote is not easily frightened away, keep your dog on a short leash, pick up small pets and children, and back away from the area. Consider changing your route for a few weeks. The coyote may have been denning in the area and will likely move on after some time.
• Do not leave food waste in town garbage cans in parks as this may attract rodents which may in turn attract coyotes.

If embraced by the entire community, repeated hazing ensures coyotes maintain their fear of humans and know our homes are off limits.

Coyotes may be more visible during spring/early summer

Coyotes tend to be more visible during the spring – more sightings, more interactions with dogs, more shadowing (or following) of people.

The reason for the increased visibility is due to denning and pupping season, the time of year when coyotes are both more active around and protective of their den sites.

• Review the Coyote Spring flyer (pdf).

Coyote dens

While hazing usually works to frighten off a coyote, it doesn’t always work during the spring when there is a den and pups to defend.

The Urban Coyote Initiative states:

“If a coyote seems intent on defending a certain area, particularly around pupping season, your best bet may be to alter your route to avoid conflict with a normally calm animal.”

Coyotes may be more visible in the winter

Vocalizations in the form of yipping and howling may become more common during this time as they communicate with one another as they seek a mate.

• Review the Coyote Winter flyer (pdf) for tips on how to avoid negative experiences with coyotes.

Capture and relocation of coyotes more than one kilometre away is not permitted under Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act

Research shows wildlife relocated from urban areas usually return or become a problem elsewhere.

In addition, when coyotes are hunted or lethally destroyed, remaining ones compensate by producing larger litters and expanding their range. Only in rare cases where an individual coyote is demonstrating unusual or aggressive behaviour or severe trauma or illness do animal control agencies attempt to capture coyotes.

If a coyote poses an immediate threat to safety, call 911.

Contact the Oakville and Milton Humane Society at 905-845-1551 if you encounter a coyote you believe to be sick or injured.

• Virtual Coyote Information Night - March 31, 2022
• Virtual Coyote Information Night - March 31, 2021
• Town of Oakville implements new Coyote Education and Response Procedure - June 23, 2020

Learning more about the wildlife we share our community with can help us coexist more peacefully. 

• Learn more about Coyotes in the Urban Landscape with this self-directed online course
• Fact sheet: How to avoid negative experiences with coyotes in the winter (pdf)
• Fact sheet: How to avoid negative experiences with coyotes in the spring (pdf)
• Fact sheet: Everything you need to know to be coyote-smart (pdf)

Additional resources

• Oakville & Milton Humane Society
• Coyote Watch Canada
• Project Coyote