Coyote Safety Flier: Printable Tips for Neighbors
By CoyoteBytes Editorial TeamChecked by CoyoteBytes Editorial TeamReview date First published Filed under Tools
Print this page as a one-page coyote safety flier for your street. It covers the basics Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) gives residents: never feed coyotes, remove food sources including pet food, supervise pets and small children, make yourself large and loud if a coyote approaches, and call the right agency for a sick or aggressive animal.
Part of our guide: What to Do If You See a Coyote
This is general information, not veterinary, medical or legal advice. For an injured or aggressive animal, a bite, a pet attack or a suspected rabies exposure, call your doctor, your vet, local animal control, or the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD).
This flier is a short companion to our guide on what to do if you see a coyote. It replaces the half-page PDF flier that CoyoteBytes handed out in the 2007 to 2011 era. Reviewed by the editorial desk against the cited sources; the desk holds no wildlife-biology, veterinary or medical credential (see the editorial policy).
How to use this flier
Print this page (your browser’s print command) and use the text in the box below. It is one page of plain text with no pictures. Hand it to neighbors, post it where your block gathers, or paste it into a neighborhood newsletter. Agencies and rules change, so write the date you printed it at the bottom.
Related pages: protecting pets and children from coyotes, coyote information, who to call, our printable encounter steps and all safety tools.
Printable flier text
COYOTES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: KEEP THEM WILD
Coyotes live in Arizona towns and suburbs, including around Green Valley. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), it is generally not normal for coyotes to attack or pursue humans; it is a learned response to human feeding or indifference.
1. Never feed coyotes. AZGFD says to eliminate food sources, including pet food. Feeding wildlife is unlawful in the counties covered by Arizona Revised Statutes 13-2927.
2. Secure food and garbage. Store garbage inside or in wildlife-proof containers. Put bins out at the last possible time on pickup day. Feed pets inside, or pick up uneaten pet food between feedings.
3. Protect pets. Supervise small pets whenever they are outside. Keep cats indoors or in a secure enclosure. Keep dogs on a leash or in an enclosed area. Pets under about 25 pounds and off-leash pets are most at risk, per AZGFD.
4. Watch small children. AZGFD advises supervising children under 5 wherever wildlife may be a concern, especially near water, near streets coyotes use as travel routes, and with dogs.
5. If a coyote approaches you. Never approach it. Do not run. Act large and loud: yell, use a whistle or bang pots, make big gestures with your arms, keep eye contact, and move toward people or a building. Pick up small pets and protect small children.
6. Do not haze or approach a coyote that looks sick, cornered, or is near pups. Keep your distance and call AZGFD or animal control.
7. Bite or scratch? Wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes and call your doctor and your health department. Any contact between your pet and a wild animal: call your vet and local animal control.
Call: AZGFD Tucson office (520) 628-5376 (number from the 2015 AZGFD brochure; confirm at azgfd.com). Emergency: 911.
General information, not veterinary, medical or legal advice. coyotebytes.org. Printed on: ________
What each line is based on
Every statement in the flier comes from the AZGFD living-with-coyotes brochure, the Arizona statute, or the CDC page linked in the sources below. We left out ideas from that brochure that involve throwing objects at coyotes or spraying them with substances, because this site does not recommend actions that could injure an animal or escalate a close encounter. If a coyote will not leave, the safe move is distance and a phone call.
Plain-text version
If your printer or screen reader does better with a simple list: never feed coyotes; remove food and pet food; secure garbage; supervise pets and small children; keep cats indoors; if approached, stay calm, do not run, be large and loud, move toward people; keep distance from sick, cornered or denning coyotes and call AZGFD; any bite, scratch or pet contact means doctor, vet and animal control.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print and post this flier? Yes. The text is plain and prints on one page; keep the disclaimer and add the date.
Why never feed coyotes? Feeding teaches coyotes to see people and yards as food sources, according to AZGFD, and it can be unlawful.
What if a coyote approaches me? Do not run or approach it; act large, make noise and move toward people.
What if my pet is bitten or touched? Call your vet and animal control right away.
Who do I call? AZGFD for injured or aggressive animals; 911 for emergencies. See our local authorities page.
Seen a coyote near you?
Tell us how to report it on our file a sighting report page. We do not run a form; the page lists the agencies to contact. A photo to illustrate this flier is not included; the site owner supplies rights-held photos.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print and post this flier?
Yes. The printable section below is plain text with no images, so it prints cleanly on one page from any browser. You can hand copies to neighbors or post them in a shared space. Please keep the disclaimer line and the date on the printed copy, because agency contacts and rules can change.
Why does the flier say never to feed coyotes?
AZGFD says coyotes can become a risk to people once they are comfortable around humans, usually as a result of feeding or indifference. Food sources in even one yard can keep coyotes active throughout a neighborhood. Feeding wildlife is also unlawful under Arizona Revised Statutes 13-2927 in the counties it covers, so confirm the current rule with AZGFD.
What should I do if a coyote approaches me?
AZGFD advises never approaching a coyote, and acting large and threatening: make loud noise, make aggressive gestures with your arms and legs, and move toward other people or a building. It also says not to run, because running can stimulate a chase instinct. Pick up small pets and protect small children. If the animal does not leave, call AZGFD.
What if my pet touched a coyote or was bitten?
Call your veterinarian right away and tell them a wild animal was involved, and also contact local animal control. CDC says keeping pets current on rabies vaccines lowers their risk and recommends limiting their contact with wild animals. If a person was bitten or scratched, wash the wound and call a doctor and your health department.
Who do I call about a coyote in Green Valley or Pima County?
For an injured or aggressive animal, call AZGFD, whose 2015 brochure listed a Tucson office number of (520) 628-5376 and a Phoenix number of (602) 942-3000. Numbers change, so confirm them on the AZGFD site. For an immediate threat to people, use emergency services. Our local authorities page collects the current contacts we have verified.
Sources
- AZGFD, Living with Coyotes brochure (2015) (s3.amazonaws.com)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 13-2927, unlawful feeding of wildlife (azleg.gov)
- CDC, Rabies Prevention and Control (cdc.gov)
Related guides
- Free Coyote Safety Tools
Free, printable coyote safety tools for Arizona residents: an encounter checklist, a neighborhood flier and more, each sourced to AZGFD and CDC pages.
- Coyote Encounter Report Builder
Organize the details of a coyote sighting or encounter into a ready-to-send summary for AZGFD or Pima County, with a plain-text template to copy or print.
- Pet Safety by Season Guide
Seasonal pet safety for Arizona coyote areas: only the timing patterns agencies state, with printable steps and honest gaps where sources are silent.
- Yard Attractant Audit
A printable checklist to audit your Arizona yard for food, water, garbage, pet food, cover and fencing that draw coyotes, from AZGFD and extension advice.