Should I worry about coyotes on our deck?

Should I worry about coyote coming up to our deck? We live in the Lake in the Woods neighborhood. We hear them often and see them run by every once in awhile. This week we saw three of them walk through the woods quite close to our yard. Then, that night, we were woken up to them on and near our deck! I'm worried they may be building a den. It's a neighborhood full of children and pets. Is this the time of year they build dens? It seems odd that they're coming so close to our house? Our kids play in the woods, but if it sounds like they're making a den this would be unsafe. Thanks for any insight you may have!

Thanks for your question about coyotes. Geauga County has perfect coyote habitat. These mammals are highly adaptable and are capable of living among humans, but prefer to shun people. Most of the time folks don’t even know they are around.

I’m not sure why they would come up on your deck.  Hopefully there isn’t any pet food, etc. that might be attracting them. I wouldn’t worry unless they start appearing on/around your deck on a regular basis.

You’ll want to secure any places under your deck to exclude unwanted critters. Female coyotes choose a den site in late March and April, so it is too early for them to be making a den; also noteworthy, breeding time is the only time they use dens.

Coyotes do not live in packs, but rather in family groups that consist of the alpha male and female and any offspring, so you probably have a family group traveling through their territory. I made a picture with Lake-in-the-Woods at the center of a circle that shows the size of a coyote family group territory: approximately 2470 acres.

If you have further questions, feel free to give me a call at The West Woods Nature Center.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert