City council to discuss wildlife feeding bylaw as coyote sightings rise

On Wednesday, Saskatoon City Council will review the city’s approach to managing wildlife after getting a number of reports about coyote sightings.

Some of the recommendations council will consider include hiring a wildlife specialist, launching an awareness campaign, and enacting a bylaw to ban feeding wildlife in the city.

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According to the city, Saskatoon’s Urban Biological Services team received 214 calls regarding coyotes in 2024, a significant jump from the 78 coyote calls fielded in 2023. In 2022, the team received just 16 calls from residents about coyotes.

Ward 5’s Randy Donauer has been advocating for the bylaw, saying coyote sightings have been a recurring issue for residents of his ward.

“I think this is a good start, but we need to follow through and make sure that we get these policies and bylaws entrenched and start enforcing them,” he said.

Donauer said he also supports closer collaboration between the city and a wildlife officer or conservation officers.

He said residents of Ward 5 have expressed frustration with a lack of practical response from the city to address coyote concerns.

“I realize there’s going to be wildlife in the city, and that’s fine, but we’re seeing problems and erratic behavior, and people have safety concerns,” he said.

While feeding wildlife such as coyotes, bears and wolves is already prohibited under provincial regulations, Donauer said a city bylaw would strengthen enforcement.

The councillor said he wants to see a bylaw implemented within a matter of weeks.

Wildlife federation warns against feeding coyotes

Darrell Crabbe, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, said coyotes have the ability to live alongside humans while expanding their population, which can create issues.

Crabbe stressed the importance of refraining from feeding coyotes, noting that like many wild animals, “they can turn on the hand that feeds them very, very quickly.”

“They also can become very aggressive at that point, because they’ve lost some of the fear they should have toward human beings,” he explained.

Crabbe noted that coyotes are scavengers, often going after garbage that is left laying around.

“It’s all about attractants. You have to make sure you don’t become part of the statistics by leaving food out or by presenting opportunities for them,” he said.

Crabbe also reminded pet owners to protect their animals by keeping them in their yards.

Crabbe said an expanding rabbit population in Saskatoon could likely play a role in the rising number of coyote sightings. He explained that coyote populations fluctuate based on the populations of other species, like rabbits and deer.

During harsh winters, when the deer population starts to decline, packs of coyotes will often venture to small towns and farm yards, causing safety concerns.

Crabbe said the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation helps connect affected communities with hunters who regularly control coyote populations.