Will Coyotes Attack Humans in a Tent? [Stick Around For This Guide]

When hiking or camping in the wilderness, you can often come across wild animals, including coyotes. Coyotes are interesting creatures – they can be beautiful to look at but dangerous to approach. It is not every day that you see someone approaching a coyote.

While people tend to stay away from coyotes, coyotes do not like to approach humans too. Still, many people fear the possibility of a coyote attacking them or their tent during a camping trip. I want to help you learn more about the possibility of this happening while also telling you how you can scare the coyotes off should they attack you or your tent.

As you will see, this is not likely to happen, but it is better to know what to do than to be clueless about it. So, if this sounds interesting to you and you want to learn more, stick around for this guide!

Will Coyotes Break into a Tent?

Coyotes are creatures that can resemble both wolves and dogs. Their appearance might be similar, but their demeanor is not. While wolves and dogs are likely to engage in contact with humans, coyotes are not. At the same time, coyotes are not known for breaking into tents, at least not that often.

The only reason why a coyote might approach a tent is if they are hungry. When looking for food or hunting, they can be a bit bolder in their demeanor. Then, they are not as afraid of humans and are willing to approach them if they suspect that the humans have food.

That said, keeping your food in your tent and leaving it unattended is a big no-no. Not only can coyotes be attracted to the smell of food, but some bears, wolves, raccoons, and other animals might come around and start lurking. So, you should do your best to mask the smell of the food.

I recommend getting a similar container that has a good, airtight lid and does not let any smells out. If you cannot find such a container, consider hanging the food on a high tree using a rope. This will make it easier for you to get the food but harder for animals to get to it.

If you love camping and you tend to go camping often, you will have to learn such skills as hiding your food away. It is still incredibly rare for a coyote to attack tents in hopes of finding food. There have been a few recorded instances when they have gotten close to a tent, so consider doing something that will help you stay protected.

Do Humans Get Attacked by Coyotes?

Coyotes do not attack humans often. Research shows that there are few recorded events of coyote attacks. Still, such attacks are becoming more often nowadays because of the dwindling natural habitat of coyotes. As people destroy the coyotes’ habitat, the coyotes start getting into the people's habitat more.

This much is understandable. What we need to realize is that we as people are sharing this planet with coyotes and other wildlife. We cannot take all the space for ourselves and expect not to have animals near us. But there are ways we can co-exist with animals.

The thing that is problematic about coyotes is that they are known to approach small children and other small animals. They are way less likely to attack adult humans. Larger pray do not interest them; it is the small things that they like to hunt. Unfortunately, they are animals and do not quite realize that small children are not a suitable food option.

So, I recommend that you keep a close eye on children and small animals when walking in areas that might have coyotes. If you hear coyotes howl close to you, you should leave the area as soon as possible. Either move your tent or consider putting off the trip until another time.

Another recommendation is to call the campsite you want to visit and check to see if it is safe to visit that campsite. Certain camping grounds and national parks have closed down due to increased reported coyote attacks. So, if you want to be safe, research before you go on the trip, which will help you avoid putting yourself or your loved ones in a dangerous situation.

Are Coyotes Scared of Humans?

Coyotes are often scared of humans, especially adult ones. They are more likely to approach a child or a small animal, but they are not likely to approach an adult.

The only time when they deem it acceptable to approach a human is when that human is offering food or if they are triggered by aggression in the human. Being aggressive is not always the best way to keep the coyotes away from you – shouting or throwing things at the animals can be a better option.

I would recommend that you do not feed the coyotes during your trip and that you do not leave them food along the path. These actions might make them think it is okay to approach you or your campsite. Make it clear that they are not welcomed by annoying the coyotes.

Yes, as funny as it may seem, coyotes dislike being around things they deem annoying. So, use this to your advantage and get the coyotes as far away as possible!

How Do You Scare Off Coyotes?

Few reported coyotes are attacking humans, but such events can occasionally happen. Sometimes, coyotes attack humans because there is something that smells or seems attractive to them. This is especially true for young coyotes, who do not know the dangers of approaching humans.

If you want to deter coyotes and keep them from attacking your tent, there are several things you can do. All these things can scare or drive the coyotes away, so I recommend you know each one and use whichever one you like. Let’s get right into the list and see what the deterring methods are:

Make loud noises

One of the things you can try doing to scare off coyotes is making loud noises. Once they hear something they do not like, they will start running away. So, try shouting, screaming, or doing anything that comes to mind. You can also try banging cookware items. Anything would do when it comes to deterring coyotes, so use whatever you have near you.

Try throwing things

If the loud noises do not keep the coyotes from approaching you or your tent, start throwing things at them. You should not try to hurt them, but try throwing stones or sticks near them. This should prove helpful in scaring them off, as they too do not like to be hit with anything.

Light a campfire

A campfire is a sure way to keep the coyotes from approaching your tent at night. If you suspect some coyotes will approach you in your sleep, try lighting a campfire on the campsite. If you choose to leave the campfire throughout the night, make sure to keep it controlled. The forest or mountain area is not the best place to keep a fire light, so do your best not to cause any problems with it.

Use motion sensors

If you have an RV or are renting a cabin in a remote area, asking to have motion sensors around is smart. These sensors come with lights that will light up whenever something comes within their range. This means that if coyotes are everywhere, the lights will turn on and scare them coyotes away. They will also alert you, so you know something or someone is approaching.

Drive away with food

Finally, if you are hiking or camping and come across some coyotes, you can try to drive them away with food. Throw any food you have in the coyote's direction but not on your path. The coyote will likely want to inspect and direct its attention toward it. While eating, you should get away from that area as fast as possible and avoid the danger.

Wrap-Up

If there is anything you can take away from this article, it is that coyotes are not likely to attack humans. Coyotes will attack adult humans only if they are very hungry and cannot find any other food. They are more likely to approach small children or animals, but they also rarely do that.

Have you ever come face to face with a coyote or heard loud howls near you? I am very interested to learn more about your experience with coyotes and if you know any ways to scare them away should they try to approach. So, if you have any experience or knowledge on the topic, do not hesitate to share it in the comment section below!