Coyotes & Foxes
Facts
Coyotes and foxes are both part of North Carolina’s wild canine family. They are intelligent, alert, and extremely adaptable. They can live around woods, farms, neighborhoods, suburbs, and even city edges.
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Coyotes are especially adaptable. They are now found across North Carolina and can survive in places where people may not expect them. They eat a wide variety of foods, including rodents, rabbits, fruit, insects, carrion, garbage, and sometimes small pets if given the opportunity.
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Foxes are smaller and more secretive. North Carolina has both red foxes and gray foxes. Gray foxes are especially interesting because they are one of the few canines that can climb trees. They use strong claws and agility to climb when escaping danger or searching for food.
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Signs of coyotes & Foxes
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Repeated sightings around your yard, pasture, chicken coop, or neighborhood
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Tracks around dirt, mud, sand, driveways, or creek banks
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Scat along trails, field edges, fence lines, or driveways
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Missing chickens, ducks, cats, or small pets
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Dug areas around coops, fences, sheds, or crawlspace openings
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Howling, yipping, barking, or screaming sounds at night
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Dens under sheds, brush piles, banks, or quiet areas
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A fox or coyote acting unusually bold, sick, weak, aggressive, or unafraid of people
Risks
Coyotes and foxes can create real concerns around homes, farms, and neighborhoods. The biggest risk is usually to pets and small animals. NC Wildlife’s coyote information says coyotes may view outdoor cats and small unleashed dogs as prey, while larger dogs may be viewed as threats.
Chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, and other small livestock can also be at risk, especially at night or around weak fencing. Once a predator learns there is an easy food source, it may return repeatedly.
Coyotes and foxes can also carry parasites and diseases. Any wild animal acting sick, aggressive, disoriented, unusually friendly, weak, or unafraid of people should be treated seriously. Possible rabies signs can include lethargy, fever, vomiting, disorientation, erratic behavior, weakness, paralysis, excessive salivation, abnormal behavior, and aggression.
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What we do
We inspect the property for tracks, trails, scat, den sites, food sources, fence weaknesses, coop problems, and attractants. We help identify what may be drawing coyotes or foxes close to the home and recommend practical prevention steps.
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