The way to stay safe around coyotes is to ignore them. We have a big dog that kills them when he can catch them. Small dogs are at risk but they run from people. Coyotes eat about anything so proper garbage handling is advised.

When they started showing up in numbers out here, we had lots of foxes and feral cats. We're down to a few foxes and zero feral cats.

"We are approaching the time of year when people get more concerned about coyotes in their neighborhoods. Coyote breeding season is from late February to early March, but this does not mean they are an imminent threat to us and our pets. However, people still post pictures of the steel jaw traps they set and share it widely on Facebook. It breaks our hearts seeing these pictures, because we have seen firsthand the mutilation these traps cause, often on unintended targets. In TN, it is legal to not check your trap for 36 hours. Can you imagine being trapped for 36 HOURS with broken bones, not knowing why you cannot leave, or what is ripping into your skin? Out of desperation, some animals will even chew off their own legs to try to escape. Is this truly the fate we wish upon anything? Instead of spreading this mindset of hatred and fear, we want to promote a positive coexistence. Here we hope to dispel some common myths about coyotes.
MYTH: Coyotes will lure your dogs off to kill them.
FACT: Dogs are often the ones who chase the coyotes. Oftentimes, they view pets as a competitor or a threat, not as prey. Yes, they will still sometimes kill pets; however, if you are concerned about coyotes getting to your cats or small dogs, be a responsible pet owner and bring your pet inside at night. Do not leave your cats or dogs outside unattended during day or night and keep them on a leash. Eliminate any source that may attract coyotes to your yard - keep your trash securely covered and do not leave pet food outside.
MYTH: Coyotes howl to announce they're hunting or to celebrate a kill.
FACT: Coyotes howl to communicate, locate other pack members, or to establish their territory.
MYTH: Coyotes are an invasive species.
FACT: They are native to North America, and as humans have eliminated other predators (such as wolves and mountain lions), they have naturally spread to eastern North America.
MYTH: Coyotes must be hunted in order to control their population.
FACT: Coyote population is determined mainly by prey abundance and is controlled by their short heat period. When coyotes are hunted, this disrupts the social structure within the pack. If a mature adult is killed, this will bring about competition from other coyotes to rule the pack. Instead of having one stable, small pack of coyotes, there is now a rush of new coyotes into the area. Females will also be more likely to breed with these new coyotes since there is no social structure, which means more pups that are more likely to survive.
MYTH: Lethal control is the best way to prevent coyotes from killing livestock.
FACT: Lethal control has been shown to have the opposite effect. Livestock predation actually temporarily increases after lethal methods are used. In a study conducted on wolf predation on sheep, predation was 3.5 times higher in areas where lethal control was used compared to adjacent areas where nonlethal methods were used. Try to have an open mind and look into nonlethal methods to protect your livestock, such as guard dogs and fladry. To read more about nonlethal solutions, visit this site: http://www.projectcoyote.org/.../nonlethal-solutions.../'