Coyotes

Wildlife warnings
Coyotes can be found in rural and urban area across Canada. They often shy away from humans, but if one does approach, here's what to do:

• Be aggressive yourself: Wave your arms, stomp and yell loudly in a deep voice to deter it from coming closer.
  
  
• Stand your ground: Stay where you are and look it in the eye. Never run away; it is more likely to consider you prey, give chase and seriously harm you.
  
  
• Be prepared: The best defence is a good offence; carry a whistle, flashlight and/or personal alarm. This is especially important for small children who play outside or walk to school in areas where coyotes have been spotted.
  
  
• Stay together: If you are walking in an area that has high coyote activity, never do so without a companion.
  
  
• Don't lure them with food: Coyotes are scavengers. If you have pets, feed them inside the house rather than leaving food outside, don't leave meat scraps or products in compost buckets outside your house, keep regular compost in an enclosed area and ensure garbage bins have tight resealable lids to keep out animals.

One is more likely to observe coyote scat than coyotes. It is 12-33 cm (5-13 inches) long and 1-13.5 cm diameter;typically tapered at one end; contains fur, bone, plant and insect materials, possibly feathers; grey to black or bleached if older. "A good indication that you have found a coyote scat is its location. Coyotes often deposit their scat right in the middle of a trail or path as they use their scat as a territory boundary marker (along with urine). Scent from the anal musk glands is released with the scat, leaving a personal identification, similar to a fingerprint, for other coyotes to detect."¹