Coyote Control and Trapping | T.A.C. Wildlife Solutions

Coyotes now live everywhere in Georgia, from farmland in Floyd County to in-town Atlanta. Most never cause trouble. The ones that do have usually learned that people mean food: pet food left on the porch, chickens, small pets left out at night, or fallen fruit and garbage.

Signs of coyotes

Coyotes seen in the yard in daylight, or not backing off when people are around
Missing cats, small dogs, chickens or young livestock
Howling and yipping close to the house at night
Scat on trails and along the edges of fields and yards

How I handle it

Find out what is drawing them
There is nearly always an attractant. Removing it is part of the fix, or new coyotes simply move into the gap.
Trap the problem animals
On properties where coyotes are taking animals or have lost their fear of people, trapping removes the ones causing the trouble.
Protect what they are after
I give you practical advice on fencing, coops and bringing pets in at night.

What customers say

4.9 on Google · 80 reviews

★★★★★

Brandon was very professional and thorough. He communicated through the whole process and responded quickly. Highly recommend!

Lisa B. · February 2026 · Google review
★★★★★

We had a dead fawn out back due to coyotes, ugh… Called Brandon with TAC Wednesday morning, and he completed the removal later the same day. Excellent service, thanks Brandon!!

Mike R. · September 2025 · Google review

Reviews are copied word for word from Google. Older ones mention Total Animal Control, the company’s former name. Read all 80 reviews on Google

How did coyotes end up in Georgia?

Coyotes are not native to Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) describes their original range as the southwestern United States. Today that range covers the whole North American continent, from Alaska down to Central America.

Red wolves once lived across Georgia. After they were wiped out in the last century, coyotes moved into the space the wolves had left. According to the University of Georgia, coyotes first reached the state sometime in the 1970s and took a while longer to reach metro Atlanta.

Coyotes are now found in all 159 Georgia counties. DNR is clear that they spread here on their own, not through any state stocking program. They are simply very good at adjusting to new habitat, from farm fields and woodlots to subdivisions.

Are there really coyotes in metro Atlanta and the suburbs?

Yes. University of Georgia researchers at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources have fitted urban coyotes in Atlanta with GPS collars to study how they live. In one study they followed 48 collared coyotes and found 20 dens around the city.

Their work shows coyotes using the city in a careful way. Daytime sightings are not necessarily abnormal, but urban coyotes have become more active at night, when people and traffic are fewer. That is why many homeowners only find out coyotes are nearby from a doorbell camera or from howling after dark.

The same pattern holds in the suburbs and small towns of Bartow, Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding, Floyd and Fulton County. Creek corridors, power-line easements, wooded lots and the edges of pastures give coyotes cover close to houses. DNR notes that they prefer wooded areas bordered by fields and brushy edges, which describes a lot of north Georgia.

How do I tell a coyote from a dog or a fox?

DNR describes a coyote as resembling a medium-sized dog of about 25 to 45 pounds. Look for pointed ears, a pointed snout, a bushy tail and a mottled coat that can run anywhere from black to reddish-blonde.

Foxes are much smaller. Georgia's red and gray foxes weigh roughly 8 to 14 pounds. A red fox has a white-tipped tail, and a gray fox is grizzled gray with reddish patches on the neck and sides.

A loose dog is the other common mix-up, especially at night. If you are not sure what you saw, a few nights of trail-camera footage is the easiest way to find out.

Coyote: medium dog size, pointed ears and muzzle, bushy tail, coat from black to reddish-blonde
Red fox: small, reddish coat, bushy tail with a white tip
Gray fox: small, grizzled gray with reddish patches on the neck, sides, legs and underside of the tail

What do coyotes eat around homes and farms?

Coyotes eat whatever is easiest to get. DNR lists small mammals such as mice and voles, dead animals, and both soft and hard mast, meaning berries, fruit and acorns. UGA's Atlanta camera-collar footage showed urban coyotes eating mostly small mammals and fruit, with the occasional discarded hamburger.

Around a home, that means the real draws are often indirect. Spilled birdseed brings in mice, and the mice bring in coyotes. Pet food left on a porch, open garbage and fallen fruit work the same way.

On farms and homesteads, DNR names small house pets (especially cats), young or small livestock, and poultry as the animals most at risk. Coyotes also scavenge, so a dead animal left in a field can become a regular feeding stop.

When do coyotes have pups in Georgia, and where do they den?

DNR says coyotes usually breed in late winter to early spring. UGA's Atlanta research found that Georgia coyotes give birth from mid-March through mid-April. DNR puts a typical litter at five to seven pups, while litters in the UGA study ranged from two to nine. The pups are weaned at about five to eight weeks.

Dens are usually dug into the ground or tucked into brush piles. In the Atlanta study, more than half of the dens were in natural spots such as burrows and fallen tree trunks. Some used human leftovers like concrete debris, an overturned boat and a half-buried tractor tire.

The researchers found that coyotes avoided denning where people were active. The dens near buildings were mostly at vacant or abandoned properties. A coyote den right beside an occupied house is therefore less common than people fear, but an overgrown back corner, an old outbuilding or a pile of junk can still qualify.

What does it mean if coyotes suddenly seem bolder in spring?

Spring is pup season, and parent coyotes are feeding a litter. UGA researchers note that the adults may become more visible near a den. Often this is an attempt to lead people away from the pups rather than a sign of aggression or illness.

If you think there is a den nearby, the UGA advice is simple. Keep dogs on a leash, do not go looking in holes that could be dens, and do not approach the coyotes. UGA also notes that most pups in a litter do not survive to adulthood.

Because the adults are feeding young, this is a sensible time to be extra careful with pets, pet food and poultry.

How do coyotes normally behave around people?

By nature, DNR says, coyotes tend to steer clear of danger. They are naturally wary of people. Contrary to popular belief, they do not hunt in packs. They usually live in small family groups but hunt mostly alone.

You may hear them more than you see them. High-pitched cries, shrieks and yips in the evening are how they communicate, along with growling, barking and whining.

Problems start when a coyote becomes comfortable around people. DNR notes that this tolerance is what leads to conflicts. UGA notes that the rare attacks on people often trace back to coyotes being fed, and DNR advises never feeding or approaching them.

How dangerous are coyotes to people?

The University of Georgia describes coyote attacks on people as extremely rare. When they do happen, they often trace back to people feeding coyotes. UGA researchers also say the risk of getting rabies from a coyote is very low.

A coyote that acts abnormal is the exception. DNR says a coyote that seems fearless of people is behaving out of character and may be injured or sick with something like rabies, parvovirus or distemper. Do not approach it, keep children and pets inside, and report it.

For a sick or strangely acting coyote, the DNR Wildlife Resources Division can be reached at 1-800-366-2661. If anyone has been bitten or scratched, call a doctor right away.

What diseases can coyotes carry, and what does that mean for my pets?

Coyotes can catch several of the same diseases dogs are vaccinated against. UGA lists rabies, distemper, parvovirus and heartworm. DNR adds that rabies spreads through the bite or saliva of an infected animal, and that canine distemper can pass to pets through contact.

DNR lists the common signs of rabies as poor coordination, lethargy, paralysis and aggression. Distemper signs include coughing, sneezing, diarrhea and nasal discharge.

The practical step for most households is the same one UGA recommends. Keep dogs and cats current on vaccines and preventive medication, and keep their contact with coyotes to a minimum.

What draws coyotes to one yard and not the next?

Food is almost always the answer. Georgia DNR and UGA give the same short list: garbage, pet food and birdseed. Each one either feeds coyotes directly or feeds the mice and voles they hunt.

Shelter is the second draw. DNR advises closing off crawl spaces so coyotes cannot use them as dens, and UGA researchers give the same advice. Brush piles also matter, since DNR notes that coyotes den in brush piles as well as dug-out holes.

Most of these fixes take an afternoon, not a contractor. DNR calls prevention the best defense against nuisance coyotes, and this is what prevention looks like in practice. If a neighbor is feeding wildlife or leaving pet food out, it is worth a friendly conversation, because coyotes do not stop at property lines.

Keep garbage in sealed cans and put it out on the morning of pickup
Feed pets indoors, or pick up bowls as soon as they finish
Clean up spilled seed under bird feeders, or take feeders down for a while
Pick up fallen fruit from trees in the yard
Close off crawl spaces and openings under decks and sheds
Clear brush piles and junk near the house

How do I keep cats and small dogs safe?

Night is the coyote's main hunting time, according to DNR. Bringing pets in at night is the single most useful change most households can make. A fenced yard helps, but DNR still advises watching pets while they are outside.

DNR's guidance on walking pets is also worth following. Keep pets on a leash, pay extra attention at dawn and dusk, and carry an air horn or other noisemaker. UGA researchers advise keeping cats indoors altogether.

Pet doors deserve a second look. A door that lets a cat or small dog out at 2 a.m. undoes everything else.

Bring cats and small dogs inside from dusk to dawn
Supervise pets in the yard, even behind a fence
Leash dogs on walks and carry a noisemaker
Feed pets indoors, or pick up bowls as soon as they finish
Keep vaccinations and heartworm prevention current

What is hazing, and how do I do it correctly?

Hazing means scaring a coyote off so it keeps its natural fear of people. DNR recommends banging pots and pans, yelling, using an air horn, or spraying the animal with a hose or a motion-activated sprinkler until it moves a safe distance away.

Consistency is what makes it work. DNR says steady hazing keeps the coyote's wariness intact. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, a university-backed resource, adds that hazing in neighborhoods only works when it is done consistently and the food sources are taken away too.

Hazing is meant for a healthy coyote that is getting too comfortable. It is not for a coyote that is sick, cornered or guarding pups. In those cases, give it space and call for help.

Is it legal to trap or shoot coyotes in Georgia?

Coyotes have very little legal protection in Georgia because they are not native. DNR states that coyotes can be harvested year-round on private property, and its trapping regulations list no closed season for trapping coyotes on private land.

Year-round does not mean rule-free. Trapping requires a license, either a commercial trapping license or a no-cost landowner trapping license. Traps must be checked at least once every 24 hours, and any animal caught must be removed. Trapping on someone else's land requires that owner's written consent, which the trapper has to carry.

Georgia also limits trap types and sizes. For example, foothold traps with jaws wider than 5.75 inches may not be set on land, and body-gripping traps over 9.5 inches square are restricted to water or within 10 feet of it. Rules change, so check the current DNR regulations before setting anything.

What about firearms near homes and subdivisions?

DNR's own advice on lethal removal includes a reminder to check local ordinances on discharging firearms. Those rules are set locally, so the answer can change from one city or county to the next.

Before anyone considers shooting a coyote, call the city or county about the local rules. In most of the neighborhoods I work in, trapping and prevention are the realistic tools anyway.

Hunting is covered by DNR's own regulations, separate from local ordinances. If you plan to hunt, read the current rules first.

What kind of fence actually keeps coyotes out?

The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management gives specific guidance. A woven-wire fence should be at least 5 and a half feet high, with mesh openings smaller than 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Coyotes will dig under or climb over a fence that is not built for them.

To stop digging, the same source recommends barbed wire at ground level or a wire apron buried along the base. To stop climbing, add an electrified wire or a wire overhang at the top. On an existing fence, a single charged trip wire set 6 to 8 inches off the ground and 8 to 10 inches outside the fence is often the most economical upgrade.

Smaller yards have options too. A roller bar mounted on top of a solid or chain-link fence at least 6 feet tall can keep coyotes from getting a grip, as long as the bottom is also protected against digging. Portable electric fencing can also be used to make a temporary night pen.

How do I protect chickens, goats and other small livestock?

DNR's first recommendation is to keep small livestock and poultry in an enclosed or sheltered area. Penning animals at night matters because, as DNR notes, night is when coyotes do most of their hunting.

The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management lists several other proven steps. Guard animals such as livestock guardian dogs, donkeys and llamas can protect a flock. Bright lights over pens that come on at dusk can reduce losses. Where possible, time births so they do not land in the middle of coyote pup season.

Dead animals should be buried or removed promptly, since carcass piles draw coyotes in. Noise makers and lights work best as short-term help, and they should be moved and varied so the coyotes do not get used to them.

Close poultry in a predator-proof coop every night
Use fencing built for coyotes, not just for keeping stock in
Pen newborn and small animals close to the house
Remove or bury carcasses right away
Consider a guardian animal for larger flocks

Was it a coyote or a dog that killed my animal?

It is a fair question, and the answer is not always coyotes. DNR points out that coyotes rarely bother larger livestock even though they often get the blame, and that dogs are well known for harassing and attacking livestock.

That is why I want to know what actually did the damage before recommending anything. A fence or trapping plan aimed at coyotes will not solve a neighbor's dog problem.

Coyotes also eat carrion, so finding one feeding on a dead animal does not prove it made the kill. Leave the remains where they are if you can, and set up a trail camera. Fresh evidence and a few nights of footage tell me far more than a guess.

Why doesn't removing coyotes solve the problem for good?

A University of Georgia team studied coyotes for 18 years at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. They found that after repeated removal efforts, coyote numbers recovered quickly and sometimes rose above where they started. Coyotes from surrounding areas moved in to fill the gaps.

The researchers concluded that coyotes are harder to manage than many other predators. They recommended putting resources into other approaches rather than relying on removal alone.

That does not make trapping pointless. Removing a specific coyote that is killing poultry or showing no fear of people can stop the immediate damage. The lasting part of the fix is making your property a poor place for the next coyote to settle.

What does a coyote job look like from start to finish?

I start by walking the property with you. I look for the food sources, the travel routes along fence lines and creeks, any den sites, and what has actually been killed or taken. Trail cameras help me confirm that it is a coyote and not a loose dog.

If trapping makes sense, I set traps where the animals are actually traveling, following Georgia's trapping rules. I check them at least once a day, and more often where pets or neighbors are close by. DNR itself notes that coyotes can be hard to fool with traps, so this is careful, patient work.

At the same time, I go over the property with you. That means the coop, the pens, the fence, the pet routine and anything that is feeding coyotes without you realizing it. That part is what keeps the next one from taking up the same spot.

What affects the cost of coyote control?

Every coyote job is priced after I have seen the property. The biggest factor is how long trapping takes. Coyotes are wary, and Georgia requires traps to be checked every day, so a job that runs longer means more visits.

Property size and layout matter as well. A small suburban lot with one travel route is very different from acreage with creeks, woods and several pastures. The number of coyotes involved and how wary they have become also play a part.

If you want fencing, coop upgrades or other changes, materials and labor are part of the picture. I walk you through the options so you can decide what is worth doing on your place.

Common questions

If you remove them, will more come?

In the long run, often yes, because coyotes fill empty territory. That is why the attractants matter as much as the trapping.

Are coyotes a danger to people?

Attacks on people are rare. The real risk is to small pets and poultry left outside, especially from dusk to dawn.

Do coyotes hunt in packs?

Usually not. Georgia DNR says coyotes often live in small family groups but are mainly solitary hunters.

Is that a coydog?

Probably not. DNR says coyotes and dogs can produce hybrids, but it is uncommon because their breeding cycles do not line up.

Does seeing a coyote in daylight mean it has rabies?

No. UGA researchers say daytime sightings are not necessarily abnormal and do not mean the animal has rabies. Watch for real warning signs like stumbling, weakness, paralysis or a total lack of fear, and report those.

Will coyotes go after horses or cattle?

DNR says coyotes rarely bother larger livestock, though they often get blamed. Newborn and small animals are a different story, so pen them close during calving, kidding and lambing.

Do I need a license to trap coyotes on my own land?

Yes. Georgia requires a trapping license to trap, though landowners can get a no-cost landowner trapping license. Traps must also be checked at least once every 24 hours.

What should I do if I think there is a coyote den on my property?

Leave it alone and keep dogs leashed. UGA researchers advise against poking into holes that could be dens. If the den is close to where children or pets spend time, call me and we can talk through the options.

Do lights keep coyotes away?

Lights over a pen that switch on at dusk can reduce losses, according to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management. Like noise makers, they tend to lose their effect over time, so they work best alongside fencing and night penning.

Should I leave food out so the coyotes leave my pets alone?

No. UGA notes that attacks on people often trace back to feeding, and DNR advises never feeding coyotes. Food teaches them to hang around houses, which is exactly what you want to avoid.

Is it safe to walk my dog early in the morning?

Yes, with some care. DNR advises keeping dogs leashed, staying alert at dawn and dusk, and carrying an air horn or other noisemaker in case a coyote comes too close.

Do coyotes do anything useful?

They do. DNR says coyotes help keep Georgia's rodent numbers in balance, and UGA researchers note that they also scavenge and spread plant seeds.

Who do I call about a coyote that looks sick or hurt?

Keep your distance and call the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division at 1-800-366-2661. If anyone has been bitten or scratched, see a doctor right away.

Where I do this work

Coyote Control across Bartow County, Cobb County, Cherokee County, Paulding County, Floyd County and Fulton County, Georgia.