I live in a small, rural community in Northern Nevada. Just like everywhere else in the U.S., coyotes are a significant player in our environment. Coyotes have learned to not fear us which gives them easier access to our ranches and backyards and ultimately our livestock and pets. After losing our grandson’s cat to a coyote, I took up “coyote abatement” as a hobby. I’ve learned that we can’t eliminate the coyotes, but because they are fairly smart, we can teach them to stay away. The trick is to make your property much harder to acquire a meal than other properties.

I regularly get calls from people in the community who just had their chickens destroyed or their dog carried off by coyotes. I even get calls regarding Mountain Lions, which became a big problem in our area after they lost too much habitat due to California fires along with a drought which pushed more of them into Northern Nevada and into our neighborhoods. I would prefer to let these beautiful creatures roam in the wild where they belong and I do what I can to deter them from accessing properties, but sometimes extreme measures are required to protect our livestock and pets.

I’ve created this website to share some ideas on how you can make your property less desirable to the coyotes. They will always choose the least path of resistance to their next meal. With a few simple steps, you can make your property less desirable. I make no guaranties that any of my suggestions will stop predators from getting near your property. These animals are smart and they will learn and adapt, so you will need to do the same. If you’re going to have livestock, then dealing with coyotes will be part of the equation. And if you’re going to have pets that go outdoors, then it will be your responsibility to protect them.

-John