As Virginia enters coyote mating season, the Department of Wildlife Resources wants to remind residents of best practices to mitigate coyote encounters.
Leah Card, furbearer project leader for the department, said January and February are considered peak months for interactions between human and coyote populations, although coyote encounters can happen year-round. Often people hear coyotes rather than see them.
“In 2024, there were a handful of calls concerning hearing coyotes howling close to their residences late at night,” said Capt. Allen Hall of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. “Most of the calls related to the howling [were] near or around livestock.” The current season hasn’t been as active, he said.
Card said that while coyotes rarely attack humans, they can pose a danger to cats and other small animals. Keeping pets indoors is among the best ways to avoid issues, she said. While coyotes tend to keep clear of humans, humans should reciprocate by not approaching or seeking out coyotes. Making sure garages, sheds and other structures are closed will also help reduce encounters.
“This is mating season right now, January and February, so coyotes are out and looking for mates and defending their territory from other coyotes,” Card said. “So a large dog can confuse a coyote. … It might misinterpret that dog as a competitor for either a mate or territory.”
There are also circumstances in which a coyote sighting can be dangerous for humans.
Like many mammals, coyotes can get rabies, Card said. Signs of rabies include animals coming close to humans or acting disoriented. “If there is an animal that is acting strangely … there is always that potential,” she said.
Card said humans are expanding into wild animals’ territory, while the coyote population is growing.
“As human populations continue to rise and move into traditional wildlife habitat, human/wildlife contact is becoming more prevalent, including those involving coyotes,” Card said. “Coyotes are highly adaptable and can live in a variety of habitats, including urban and suburban areas. This presence can lead to more interactions with people.”
In recent years, some localities, including Bedford County, have incentivized the shooting of coyotes by offering cash prizes for confirmed kills.
Not all communities are on board with including residents. At the Martinsville City Council’s Jan. 28 meeting, council member Julian Mei said he’d spoken with residents who were concerned about coyotes, but he urged people not to shoot them.
“We’re going to look into it,” Mei said. “There are laws. … I feel like I have to say this: You are not to discharge a firearm in the city limits of Martinsville.”
City code states that “No person shall fire or discharge any gun, cannon, pistol or other firearm at any place within the city.”
The city passed an ordinance in 2020 allowing police officers to shoot coyotes deemed a danger to the public. At the time, officers said despite concern among residents, Martinsville’s coyote problem was no more severe than in other communities.
Martinsville Police Chief Rob Fincher said his officers have not shot a coyote since that ordinance was enacted. Hall said that no sheriff’s deputy has had to shoot at a coyote in that timeframe, either.
“We try to do everything we can to avoid lethal action against wildlife; however, the safety of our citizens comes first,” Fincher said.
Under Virginia law, those who want to hunt coyotes may do so under specific guidelines.
Online, opinions ranged from curious to empathetic.
“If they were somehow eradicated from the area now, the ecosystem would feel a major shift and not likely in a good way,” Felicia Johnston said in a Jan. 16 post to a Martinsville community Facebook page.
