Coyote sightings doubled in 2023 in Manitoba compared to year prior, data shows

Seen a coyote lately? You're not alone.

Reported coyote encounters were more than twice as high in Manitoba in 2023 compared to the year before, provincial data shows.

In 2023, The Manitoba Conservation Officer Service logged 677 reported interactions with coyotes, compared to 335 reports in 2022. 

The majority of these reports are simply sightings and not physical interactions, so it could just mean more people feel inclined to report what they see, said a spokesperson for the province 

Cheryl Woloski said she wishes she reported her encounter after she spotted a coyote outside her home in North Kildonan last July, around the same time two children were attacked in the same neighborhood. 

She said she heard her large dog, a mastiff, bark at something on the other side of the chain link fence in her backyard.

When she went outside, she saw a coyote at the fence snarling at her dog. 

Woloski said she grabbed a poker from her fire pit and bashed the fence to try to get the animal to leave, but that didn't work. 

"The coyote just then turned its attention on me and kind of snarled at me, teeth out, then went back to snarling at the dog," she said. 

Her husband heard the commotion and came out to help, with a shovel in hand. 

"And as he went there, the coyote looked at him and started to snarl. And then all of a sudden just turned around, walked slowly to the end of the park, sat down and stared at us."

Woloski said the ordeal left her shaken. 

"I was afraid he was going to jump the fence and if he jumped the fence then either I was going to be attacked or my dog."

Losing fear of people

Stan Gehrt, director of the Urban Coyote Research project, says encounters like this are rare, but might be a sign that the coyote has lost its fear of people after gaining access to food from people. 

That loss of fear could account for the rise in sightings, he said. 

"It doesn't necessarily mean that you have many more coyotes, it could be the coyotes that you have are becoming more comfortable around people," he said. 

If a coyote is acting aggressively, you should stand your ground and act aggressively back, Gehrt said. 

"If the animal's still not leaving and you've already acted big and yelled it, then I would slowly back away but maintain eye contact," he said. 

"You don't want to turn your back to them and you definitely don't want to run."

To report a coyote sighting or encounter in Manitoba, you can call conservation officers at 204-945-5221.