Coyotes are classified as furbearers under the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code. The PA Game Commission, not Philadelphia, regulates take. City rules ban firearm discharge, so residents rely on hazing, secure trash, and licensed nuisance trappers. Feeding wildlife is prohibited.
Pennsylvania law 34 Pa.C.S. §2102 places coyotes under PA Game Commission jurisdiction with year-round hunting on private land subject to a furtaker license. Inside Philadelphia, however, Phila. Code §10-825 bans firearm discharge in the city, which makes lethal removal effectively impossible for residents; Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officers handle confirmed threat calls. Phila. Code §10-104 prohibits feeding wildlife on public or private property where the feeding creates a nuisance. The recommended response is hazing (loud noise, eye contact, throwing objects), removing pet food, securing trash, and supervising small pets at dawn and dusk. Licensed nuisance wildlife control operators may live-trap on private property under PGC permits.
Feeding wildlife in violation of §10-104 brings fines starting around $75. Discharging a firearm at coyotes inside Philadelphia violates §10-825, exposing the shooter to misdemeanor charges. Unlicensed trappers face PGC penalties up to $200 per animal.
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See how Philadelphia's coyote management rules stack up against other locations.
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