Javelina and Coyotes in Phoenix Neighborhoods: What Homeowners Should Know

Javelina and coyotes are a normal part of life in many Phoenix-area neighborhoods, especially near washes, golf courses and open desert. They usually show up because something in the yard offers food, water or shelter. Remove those attractants, never feed them (it is illegal in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties) and keep pets close, and most encounters stay harmless.

One of the first questions I get from people moving here from out of state is some version of "Wait, what was that thing in my driveway?" Usually it was a javelina. Sometimes it was a coyote trotting down the sidewalk at sunrise. Here is what I tell my buyers, based on guidance from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Javelina Are Not Pigs

Javelina look like wild hogs, but Arizona Game and Fish points out they are actually peccaries, a hoofed mammal whose family came from South America. They are common in central and southern Arizona, including the edges of the Phoenix area, and they travel in herds that can range from two animals to more than 20.

A few things worth knowing:

• They see poorly but smell very well. A javelina that seems to be charging you is often just trying to get away and can't see clearly where it is going.
• They mostly eat plants. Cacti, succulents, bulbs, tubers, beans and seeds are favorites, along with garbage and grubs when they can find them.
• Babies can be born any time of year, but most arrive from November through March. The young are reddish-tan and are nicknamed "reds."

That last point is why fall and winter are a good time to pay attention. A herd with young ones is more likely to be defensive.

Coyotes Around the Neighborhood

Coyotes are common in both rural and suburban Arizona. Game and Fish describes them as usually timid animals that run when challenged. You are most likely to see one at night or around sunrise, crossing a yard, a park or a golf course.

Coyotes eat mostly rabbits and rodents, but in town they will also go after garbage, fallen fruit, pet food and unattended small pets. Mating season runs January through March, and pups are born in dens between March and May. Late winter and spring is when you may notice more activity and more howling at night.

Why They Show Up in Your Yard

Both animals come for the same three things: food, water and shelter. In a dry desert, Game and Fish notes that water alone draws all kinds of wildlife. Common attractants include:

• Pet food and water bowls left outside
• Bird seed on the ground (it attracts javelina directly and draws rabbits and rodents that coyotes hunt)
• Fallen citrus and other fruit
• Garbage cans without secure lids, or cans set out the night before pickup
• Pools, fountains and leaky irrigation lines
• Sheltered spots under porches, sheds and crawlspaces

If you just bought a home with fruit trees, keep up with picking fruit off the ground. My post on citrus trees in Arizona covers when to pick.

Feeding Wildlife Is Against the Law Here

This surprises a lot of newcomers. Under Arizona Revised Statute 13-2927, it is illegal to feed, attract or entice wildlife in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties. Birds and tree squirrels are the exceptions, which is why bird feeders are fine as long as the seed stays where only birds can get it. A violation is a petty offense that can bring a fine.

The bigger reason not to feed them is what happens to the animal. Game and Fish says most wildlife attacks in Arizona involve animals that were fed and lost their fear of people. Once an animal becomes a public safety problem, removal is usually the only option. If neighbors are feeding wildlife and the animals are getting bold, Game and Fish runs a confidential Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700.

Keeping Dogs and Cats Safe

This is where many conflicts happen. Dogs and javelina can seriously injure each other, and javelina may get defensive simply from hearing or smelling a dog. Coyotes see small dogs and cats as easy prey.

• Keep small pets indoors or in an enclosed area with a roof. Game and Fish notes that coyotes are skilled jumpers, so even a 6-foot fence is not a guarantee.
• Supervise pets outside at dusk, night and early morning.
• Always walk dogs on a leash. If you spot javelina on a walk, turn around and go another way.

For more on settling in with animals, see my post on moving to Arizona with pets.

What to Do If You Meet One

The goal is to make the animal uncomfortable so it leaves and remembers that people are not friendly.

• Coyote: Don't approach and don't turn and run. Keep eye contact, yell, clap, blow a whistle, bang pots or shake a can filled with pebbles. Wave your arms or a broom, spray it with a hose, or toss small stones toward it. Pick up small pets and kids.
• Javelina: Make loud noise, stomp, spray it with a hose or toss small rocks. If one is stuck in a yard, open a gate, clear people out and let it leave on its own.

If an animal is aggressive or trapped and can't get out, call your local Game and Fish office on weekdays. After hours and on weekends, Game and Fish lists a dispatcher at 623-236-7201. For an attack on a person, call 911, and anyone bitten should get medical care right away.

Questions People Ask

Are javelina dangerous?
Javelina are usually not dangerous if left alone. They can bite when cornered, protecting young, around dogs, or when they have been fed by people, so give them space.

Is it illegal to feed coyotes in Phoenix?
Yes. Feeding wildlife other than birds and tree squirrels is illegal in Maricopa County under A.R.S. 13-2927, and the same law covers Pinal and Pima counties.

Will Game and Fish remove a coyote from my neighborhood?
Usually not. Game and Fish says it does not respond to relocation calls unless there is a public safety concern, and coyotes have strong homing skills, so relocation is rarely a lasting fix.

If you are new to the desert, you might also like my posts on scorpions in Arizona homes and my Moving to Phoenix guide.

Terry Day, REALTOR®, DeLex Realty, 10115 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.