Coyotes are part of a healthy ecosystem in Ontario. Learn how you can avoid attracting coyotes to your property and protect pets and livestock.
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Throughout Ontario, people and wild animals live side by side.
In most of Ontario, people share their neighbourhoods with raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, birds, coyotes, white-tailed deer, and even moose and black bear. In some areas of central and northern Ontario, people also encounter wolves.
There are benefits to living near wild animals. Many people enjoy birds that visit their gardens. Bats consume millions of mosquitoes, and coyotes eat mice and rats. However, conflicts can arise when humans encroach on wildlife habitat and wild animals behave in ways that damage our property, cost us money, or endanger our health or safety.
Preventing Problems with Wildlife
Often the best way to prevent problems with wildlife is to make small changes on your property and in your actions. For example, removing sources of food, water and shelter will encourage animals to go elsewhere.
To help you live with wildlife, see the links below on:
• how to prevent conflicts in situations where you may encounter wildlife
• how to deal with common Ontario species of wildlife
The Role of the Ministry of Natural Resources in Managing Human/Wildlife Conflict
The Ministry of Natural Resources helps landowners and municipalities deal with human/wildlife conflict by making referrals to appropriate agencies and providing information on how to manage problem animals and how to hire a wildlife control agent.
The ministry provides the information that landowners need in order to lawfully kill coyotes that cause conflict. Municipalities may hire or employ licensed hunters or trappers to harvest furbearing mammals to help resolve human-wildlife conflicts within their municipal boundaries without obtaining approval from MNR. These hunters and trappers will be able to accept financial compensation from municipalities for their activities.
Ministry authorization must be obtained in specific circumstances for other species, including white-tailed deer or elk that are causing damage.
The ministry also works with community leaders to reduce preventable causes of human-bear conflict in Ontario through the Bear Wise Program.
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Where are you encountering wildlife?
 | in your house | |
 | with family and pets | |
 | in yard or garden | |
 | at camp or cottage | |
 | in your garbage | |
 | in your crops | |
 | with your farm animals | |
 | on the road | |
 | when enjoying the outdoors |
What animals are you encountering?
 | bats | PDF (68 kb) | |
 | black bears | PDF (75 kb) | |
 | beavers | PDF (74 kb) | |
 | Canada geese | PDF (70 kb) | |
 | cormorants | PDF (67 kb) | |
 | coyotes | PDF (658 kb) | |
 | crow and ravens | PDF (66 kb) | |
 | deer | PDF (65 kb) | |
 | elk | PDF (69 kb) | |
 | foxes | PDF (58 kb) | |
 | lynx, cougars | PDF (70 kb) | |
 | mice and rats | PDF (62 kb) | |
 | moose | PDF (65 kb) | |
 | opossums | PDF (70 kb) | |
 | pigeons | PDF (66 kb) | |
 | rabbits | PDF (70 kb) | |
 | raccoons | PDF (57 kb) | |
 | skunks | PDF (69 kb) | |
 | snakes | PDF (71 kb) | |
 | squirrels | PDF (65 kb) | |
 | starlings | PDF (61 kb) | |
 | wild turkeys | PDF (77 kb) | |
 | wolves | PDF (63 kb) | |
 | woodchucks | PDF (72 kb) |
