Coyote conflicts with off-leash dogs continue in Boise foothills

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Fish and Game report that multiple conflicts between coyotes and off-leash dogs continue to be an issue in the Boise foothills.

Fish and Game recently received a report of coyotes attacking a dog in the Boise foothills. The Nampa regional office received a report on Friday, March 31, of an individual that was hiking with an off-leash down on the Lower Hulls Gulch trail above the Red Cliff trail when their 72-pound dog was attacked by three coyotes causing injuries that required veterinary care.

Multiple reports have been received across southern Idaho during the coyote denning season. Denning season is when coyotes become more territorial toward other canines, including domestic dogs. While they can occur at any time of year, Fish and Game says conflicts with coyotes peak between late February and June, which spans the breeding and denning seasons.

“Unfortunately, it is not a rare occurrence that coyotes get territorial with dogs this time of year—and the incidents are not limited to just this area,” Regional Wildlife Manager Ryan Walrath said. “It can happen anywhere in the foothills, and anywhere where coyotes are denning, even a city park.”

Fish and Game recommends that recreationists avoid areas that have recently reported dog aggressive coyotes and to keep your pet on a leash, even on trails that permit dog off-leash, and to bring a noisemaker with you like a whistle or horn or bear mace to ward off aggressive animals.

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