How much does it cost to remove coyote?

Reviewed by Irene Pomares remodeling expert. Written by Fixr.com.

Coyotes can be found throughout the United States and Canada and are the most prevalent on the Great Plains. They also appear to be making their way to Central and South America. The coyote is most known for its chorus of yips and howls, primarily heard at night. These creatures are nocturnal and have slowly been making their way into urban areas searching for food. Coyotes do not normally harm humans, but they can if provoked. They can also damage property and kill small animals and pets.

If a coyote moves onto your property, it is important to have them removed by a professional. Clean-up efforts may also be needed if a coyote took up residence under a porch or in a shed. The national average cost ranges from $400 to $600, with most homeowners paying $500 for a service including consultation, setting two foothold traps, making three trips to trap, and relocating two coyotes. Costs can be as low as $300 for consultations, setting a live trap, trapping and relocating one coyote. But prices can go as high as $1,000 if you need consultation, trapping and relocating a mother and four pups from a crawl space, soil testing and clean-up of crawlspace.

Coyote Removal Costs

Cost to Remove a Coyote

For coyote removal, most companies charge a fee to come out, inspect the property, and make a plan. This fee is usually around $200. From here, a company charges around $100 per trip or animal. Coyote removal prices vary depending on the size of the property. Charges will be figured on a case-by-case basis. These costs will rise to around $200 per trip if a property is remote and hard to get to or very large. Removal is generally included in the cost and will be done at least 10 miles from your property in a location that has shelter and food for the coyote. Dead coyotes and baby coyotes can also be removed for $100 to $200 per animal.

For those who own larger properties and hunt deer, coyote control may also come into play. If coyotes are throwing your deer herds out of balance, coyote control may be needed. Begin by working with an experienced wildlife biologist to understand the situation. A wildlife biologist looks at deer population numbers, assesses the quality of habitat and predators, and develops a plan for the property. A wildlife biologist generally charges between $30 to $45 per hour or may also offer a general consulting rate. The rate could range from $200 to $500 or more, depending on the scope of the project.

Coyote Trapping

Professionals use two types of traps to get rid of coyotes. The first is a foothold trap. This is the most effective trap. It is usually set in a small hole with food stashed in it. The hole imitates one made by a different animal. When a coyote steps into the trap to investigate the food, a mechanism is triggered that clasps around the foot with a set of steel jaws.

The other trap is a live trap. It is more challenging to get results with a live trap because coyotes are less likely to enter a cage-style trap willingly. The best way to get a coyote to enter is to camouflage the trap with mud, sticks, and grass and use a scent that is sure to lure the coyote in, such as coyote urine and a gland lure. Once the coyote is inside the trap, a door closes behind it. These traps are nice because they will not grip the animal, and the animal is already in an enclosed cage for transport. This makes release much easier.

Most states have requirements for the frequency of checking live traps. A general rule of thumb is that traps need to be checked every 24 hours. Frequent checking keeps the animal from suffering and starving to death.

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Coyote Relocation vs Lethal Removal

In some instances, lethal removal is warranted if a coyote has become a threat to people. Sometimes ranch owners will hire hunters to kill coyotes. A typical rate is $50 to $75 per coyote. A wildlife control company can euthanize a coyote after trapping. However, euthanizing coyotes is often controversial, and relocation is usually preferred. Unfortunately, relocation is often difficult for a coyote. They end up wandering back in the general direction of their initial habitat, or another coyote simply moves in to take over the territory. Most states also regulate animal relocation, which is another reason coyote removal is best left to a professional. Coyote relocation usually takes place outside of the city in a suitable habitat for a coyote. If your home is located in an area with coyotes, it is important to use negative stimuli to discourage coyotes from coming on to your property.

Signs of Coyotes in Your Yard

If a coyote has moved onto your property to give birth and raise pups, you will hear and smell them. There will be yips, the smell of excrement, and the smell of an odor secreted by coyotes. If a coyote has died on your property, this also causes a bad smell.

If a coyote has not moved onto your property but visits regularly, you will likely hear howling or yipping at night. You may also see coyote droppings. Do not touch coyote droppings, as coyotes can carry diseases. Leave this to a professional. Coyotes rummage through trash and kill livestock, especially chickens or sheep.

All About Coyotes

Coyotes are a member of the dog family and are smaller than a wolf. They grow to about 58 to 66 cm at the shoulder, 76 to 86 cm long, and weigh 6.8 to 21 kg. Coyotes have long, coarse fur and a fluffy tail with a black tip. There are wide variations in coloration, with shades of white, brown, and black present in the fur.

Coyotes are nocturnal and swift runners. They can reach speeds of 40 mph, which makes them efficient hunters. A coyote can kill a deer on its own, but hunting in pairs or as a pack is much more successful. In addition to animals, coyotes also eat berries and fruits and carrion when food is scarce.

Mating season is between January and March for coyotes, with gestation ranging from 58 to 65 days. Four to seven pups are usually born in a burrow, den, or sheltered area on someone’s property. Babies are born blind and helpless for the first few weeks of life. Pups start coming out to play at two to three weeks and wean at five to seven weeks. Pups stay with their parents until they are between six and nine months of age and can take care of themselves. The young usually go off to find their own territory, but sometimes families stick together to form packs.

A territory usually ranges from four to 15 square miles. A breeding pair generally defends the territory against other coyotes and marks the boundaries with urine and feces. In the wild, coyotes live about six to eight years. Most coyote deaths are caused by humans or disease. Collisions with vehicles, killing for fur, or livestock management are the most common causes of death at the hands of humans.

Coyotes are intelligent animals. Their attacks on humans are rare. They have proven to be very good at adapting as humans have encroached upon their habitats. For now, coyote population numbers appear to be safe.

For most homeowners, coyotes only become a problem if they take up residence on your property or start picking off your livestock. It is common for coyotes to search for a safe and secure location when it is time to have pups. In the wild, this often occurs in an underground burrow or den built on a hillside with sticks and leaves. With coyotes making their way to more residential areas, coyotes can be found in crawl spaces, basements, sheds, and outbuildings and under porches and decks. Keep in mind that a coyote will only stay in this location when pups are born and very young. A coyote will move along when the pups no longer need the safety of a den. When there are no pups to take care of, coyotes sleep in the woods or wherever they end up at the time. Those who raise animals may also have problems with nearby coyotes coming in the night to grab chickens or other animals.

Coyote Diseases

Coyotes carry rabies, distemper, heartworms, and mange. Humans and pets can pick up these diseases, so it is imperative to be careful and stay current on vaccinations. Symptoms of rabies include foaming at the mouth, lethargy, aggressiveness, and fearlessness. If you observe a coyote with these symptoms, it is likely sick. Symptoms of canine distemper include a high fever, discharge from the nose and eyes, a severe cough, and an animal being very thin due to a lack of appetite. Coyotes suffering from mange have hair loss, itching, and infections. A coyote with heartworms experiences a soft, dry cough, lethargy, weight loss, rapid or difficult breathing, a bulging chest, and eventually collapse.

Keep your distance from coyotes to prevent coming into contact with any of these diseases. Also, be careful when finding coyote feces on your property. Do not allow pets or livestock to contact the feces and use precautions when burying it or disposing of it.

Coyote Damage to the House

If coyotes have raised pups in a space on your property, extra cleanup will be required for all urine and feces. Sometimes insulation must be replaced, and the soil may need to be tested for contamination. Replacing insulation costs about $2 to $3 per foot, and a soil test costs around $400. If the soil has become contaminated, it will need to be removed, and new, clean soil brought in. It costs about $100 per cubic yard to remove dirt and about $8 to $15 per cubic yard for new dirt, plus $200 to $400 for installation and spreading.

Additional costs will be incurred for destroying or filling in a den or cleaning up an area on your property that has coyote excrement. Coyotes secrete a strong odor. Many companies offer odor removal or deodorization services. These extra services add on between $100 and $500 depending on the severity.

How to Prevent Coyotes

Several measures may be taken to prevent coyotes from coming onto your property. If you live in an area with coyotes, it is essential to take these steps. Preventing coyotes is much easier than getting rid of them. Start by eliminating food sources. Do not leave bird seed or pet food out, especially overnight. Bring your pets inside at night. Reduce the rodent population around your home. Also, secure your garbage cans. Make sure coyotes cannot get into your garbage and find a meal.

Coyotes do not like coming out into open areas, so keep your yard nicely manicured. Get rid of places that coyotes might hide and seal off entrances to crawlspaces and outbuildings, so coyotes won’t be tempted to use these places to have and raise pups. Motion-activated lights or sprinklers can also deter coyotes. Fencing in your property is another way to keep coyotes out. Unfenced yards are much more attractive to coyotes because they can enter the yard easily. Just make sure your fence is high, sturdy, and flush with the ground to discourage digging.

If a coyote has made a den on a hillside near your property, dismantle or fill in the den so that another coyote or animal does not make it their home. Expect this to add $100 to $200 to the removal bill.

Jackal vs Coyote

Jackals and coyotes are both omnivores and scavengers. They are both a species of wild canines. Jackals are slightly smaller than coyotes and look like a mix between a German shepherd and fox. Jackals are primarily found in Africa and also live in southeastern Europe and South Asia. Coyotes are found only in North America. A jackal weighs between 8 and 11 kg, measures 35 and 45 cm tall at the shoulder, and is 70 to 85 cm long. A jackal lives between 10 and 12 years, on average. Jackals have larger ears than coyotes.

Coyote vs Wolf

Wolves are larger than coyotes and are less apt to adapt to humans. Wolves hunt in packs, taking down larger prey. Coyotes generally hunt alone or in pairs. Coyotes have bushier tails than wolves, and their calls are a combination of yips, yelps, and howls. Wolves only howl. Coyotes are found all over North America, while wolves mostly live in the Northern United States, Canada, and Eurasia. Wolves grow to weigh near 50 kg, measure about 110 cm long, and stand 80 to 85 cm tall at the shoulder. Wolves generally live 11 to 17 years and have smaller ears than coyotes.

Coyote vs Dog

Both of these animals belong to the dog family, but dogs are domesticated while coyotes live in the wild. Many dog breeds have different appearances. However, coyotes look sleeker than dogs, have a flatter forehead, and a more pointed muzzle. Both animals are generally not aggressive to humans. Dogs are more versatile creatures, as they can be utilized for hunting, companionship, and herding. Most dogs have eyes that are large and yellow or brown. Coyotes also have brown or yellow eyes, but the shade varies depending on the climate, and they are smaller than most dogs’ eyes.

Additional Considerations and Costs

• If you have a general knowledge of trapping animals or have a friend who does, it may be possible to trap a coyote yourself. However, this is not recommended as it takes special knowledge to set traps and transport coyotes if relocating.

References

• Bob Vila. “How To: Get Rid of Coyotes.”
  https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-coyotes/
• Difference Between.net. “Difference Between Dog and Coyote."
  http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-dog-and-coyote/
• FIXR Cost Guides and Cost Database.
• Livescience. “Coyotes: Facts about the wily members of the Canidae family."
  https://www.livescience.com/27976-coyotes.html
• Los Angeles Times. “​​Editorial: Trapping and relocating coyotes? That’s a really bad idea."
  https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-coyote-trap-city-council-20181022-story.html
• Mayo Clinic. “Rabies."
  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rabies/symptoms-causes/syc-20351821
• National Deer Association. “Coyote Control: When Is It The Right Option?"
  https://www.deerassociation.com/coyote-control-right-option/
• The Humane Society of the United States. “Why killing coyotes doesn't work."
  https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/why-killing-coyotes-doesnt-work
• Urban Coyote Research Project. “Coyote Management Strategies."
  https://urbancoyoteresearch.com/coyote-info/coyote-management-strategies