What to do if you encounter coyotes or other wildlife in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — As temperatures in the higher elevations begin to cool, people may run into coyotes and other wildlife in the foothills and on Utah trails.

Darren DeBloois, the game mammals coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said it’s not uncommon to see coyotes on trails and near homes in the wildland-urban interface.

“Coyotes are very adaptable, they can use all kinds of human food sources, pet food, garbage, fruit. They’ll eat just about anything.”

He said if you run into a coyote, try and make yourself look big and intimidating, don’t turn your back and run.

“Generally, you can intimidate a coyote by just being loud, being big and being aggressive and they’ll typically leave you alone.”

DeBloois said coyotes will sometimes attack dogs and other animals, especially if they’re not on a leash.

If you have a small pet with you and encounter a coyote, he said you should pick up the pet just in case.

What about other wildlife?

According to DeBloois, with most wildlife encounters, you want to make yourself look big and intimidating.

But before you head into the foothills for a trail run or a hike, do some research.

DeBloois said the Utah DWR partnered with Utah’s Hogle Zoo and Utah State University Extension to create Wild Aware Utah. The website provides resources and information on various species of wildlife in the state.

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