Concerning visitor and animal behavior requires Lane County Parks to remove some coyotes from Mt. Pisgah
Howard Buford Recreation Area (Mt. Pisgah) welcomes more than 600,000 visitors each year and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The safety of park visitors and wildlife is a top priority for Lane County Parks.
Over the past two months, the frequency of coyote sightings in the park has increased dramatically with more than 30 sightings reported in January alone. The nature of the sightings has also changed. Coyotes are reported to follow people and dogs, to not show fear when people attempt to chase them off, and to approach people and vehicles in a way that suggests begging for food.
Lane County Parks compared coyote sighting locations over the past 10 years with the reports made in early 2026 and found a clear change in the areas coyotes are observed. Between 2015 and 2025 coyote sightings were spread throughout the park with most occurring away from parking lots and the busiest areas. In 2026 the sightings have been almost exclusively around parking lots and the areas most frequented by people.
Multiple consultations with wildlife biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) have helped assess coyote behavior and safety risks. Coyote scat examined by wildlife biologists appeared to include pet food. This observation supported claims from park visitors that people were feeding the coyotes, which is against the law, and creates a safety risk for people and animals. Coyotes have also been observed taking food that is not properly disposed of in garbage cans, which reinforces their association of people with food.
“The removal of one and possibly more coyotes from the park was a difficult and heart-breaking decision to make,” said Parks Manager Brett Henry. “But we have to consider the safety of park visitors and, unfortunately, the choice some visitors have made to feed these wild animals and encourage them to see people as a source of food created a dangerous and untenable situation.”
The frequency and nature of the coyote sightings, observed coyote behavior, and the likelihood of increasingly aggressive encounters prompted Lane County Parks – in consultation with ODFW – to coordinate with wildlife management professionals to euthanize habituated coyotes found to frequent the park’s parking lots and trailheads. One coyote has been euthanized and Lane County Parks is working closely with ODFW to evaluate continued habituated behavior in other coyotes. Euthanization of more coyotes is possible if the animals continue to approach people and a risk of injury to park visitors persists.
Non-lethal options were considered; however, habituated coyotes do not respond to hazing. Instead, they may learn to ignore hazing or return to their concerning behavior once the active hazing stops. Guidance from ODFW prohibits the relocation of coyotes in Oregon and makes it clear relocation of coyotes does not have good outcomes and is generally considered inhumane. Coyotes are territorial and when a coyote is relocated, it is often killed by the existing coyotes in an area. Relocated animals are also more likely to die of diseases, starvation, or be struck by a vehicle in the place they are released.
Feeding coyotes and some other wildlife is prohibited by state law. Park visitors are encouraged to document and report anyone spotted feeding wildlife, leaving food for wildlife, or encouraging wildlife to approach people or pets to Lane County Parks at 541-682-2000 or to Oregon State Police.
Learn more about living with coyotes from ODFW.