SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — The Sedro-Woolley Police Department is reminding residents to take precautions as reports of coyote sightings and activity increase across the area.
According to police, fall is known as “coyote dispersal” season, a time when young coyotes leave their family groups and move into new territory. As a result, residents may be more likely to encounter the animals in neighborhoods and other developed areas.
Police emphasized that seeing a coyote is not an emergency and does not require a 911 call.
Officials are urging residents to avoid feeding coyotes or leaving food sources that could attract them. Common attractants include pet food, unsecured garbage, compost piles, fallen fruit, and birdseed that accumulates beneath feeders.
Wildlife experts also warn that access to human food can cause coyotes to lose their natural fear of people, increasing the risk of aggressive behavior.
Residents can reduce the chances of conflicts by keeping cats indoors, especially between dusk and dawn, and keeping dogs on a leash during walks. Police also recommend securing garbage cans, properly managing compost, and keeping backyard poultry in enclosed, locked pens and coops.
If you encounter a coyote, officials advise maintaining a safe distance of at least 25 yards, or roughly the length of two school buses, and never approaching the animal.
Sedro-Woolley police say residents dealing with persistent wildlife problems or coyote-related concerns should contact a Wildlife Control Operator certified through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The same applies to nuisance wildlife such as raccoons and skunks.
For more information about certified Wildlife Control Operators, click here.
©2026 Cox Media Group
