While every Isle of Palms holiday season brings more festive food, more table scraps for pets and a lot more trash in the bins, it also comes with a greater chance of neighborhood varmints and scroungers – especially coyotes.
So when you put out trash this Christmas or go walking your dog on the beach or near the dunes, be aware that both the litter and the dogs could easily be a target by one of the island’s coyotes – especially in outdoor areas where food is carelessly discarded or left out.
“We’re coming up on breeding season, which can spur more activity as well,” said Jay Butfiloski, Certified Wildlife Biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “And because coyotes are a member of the canine family, there can be some hostility towards dogs.”
In 2025 alone into December, Isle of Palms police have reported 124 coyote sightings – slightly down from 2024 mainly because of efforts to keep the native coyote population under control.
“We unfortunately see coyotes attack animals when they are off leash,” said IOPPD Sgt. Matt Storen, special services and public information officer. “We ask that everyone keep pets on a short leash if they are walking in areas that may have coyotes.”
He added, however, that while coyotes by nature are predatory and carnivorous, so far through 2024 and 2025, there have been no reported attacks on humans. “We have placed multiple signs at a majority of beach access paths to warn people of coyotes in the area,” Storen said. “Also limiting food sources to these animals will help reduce their impact, especially in the residential areas.”
However, the most recent report occurred Nov. 28 when a small dog staying with its owners at a rental home in Wild Dunes was off leash in a yard. The owners say they saw coyotes attack the dog and carry it into the marsh behind the home. The dog has not been found since, according to IOPPD.
People are also warned to be extra careful with leashes when walking pets near dunes because of coyote traps. “The lures we use to attract coyotes will also attract dogs and cats,” said Kevin Murphy, owner of Critter Control of Charleston, whom IOP City has contracted to trap errant coyotes and remove them. “We just caught a dog on Dec. 11 up in the dunes in one of our coyote traps.”
Through 2025, Critter Control has caught more than 15 coyotes on IOP, and another 15-20 on Sullivan’s Island. Murphy said that while the traps and efforts are working, resident involvement in helping handle the problem has made the biggest impact.
“Coyotes move around the island and can easily come back – just because you don’t see them for a while doesn’t mean they’ve gone away,” he said. “Coyotes go where the food source is, and that changes with the season. We have people walking and monitoring the beach every day, but we are trapping only in the areas where sightings have been reported and where we’re sent. So the public’s help in handling this is critical.”
If you should sight or encounter a coyote, Storen and IOPPD Chief Kevin Cornett recommended the following:
- Make as much noise as possible and make yourself seem bigger than the animal. “The majority of the time, this will scare the coyote away,” Storen said.
- Be aware of your surroundings, especially when walking out to the beaches.
- Pay attention to coyote warning signs at beach access paths.
- Make sure food scraps or food waste is not openly available, especially at home. “Coyotes will forage in gardens for fruits and vegetables, knock over trash bins looking for meals and eat pet food that’s been left out overnight,” Murphy said.
- Report sightings by calling 843- 886-6522, or an attack by immediately calling 911.
- Never approach a coyote on your own. As Murphy pointed out, they can spread diseases like distemper, hepatitis, mange, rabies and tularemia.
“If property owners encounter the pests on their lawns or in their neighborhoods, the best way to handle the situation is to contact professional wildlife control,” Murphy said. “We know how to safely remove coyotes and the potential dangers they can pose. And since coyotes are largely afraid of humans, attacks are rare, but they do occur. And our coyote removal experts can offer tips on how to avoid contact with the animals in the future.”
It is still uncertain whether the coyote population will pose any future problem for residents and the area’s still-growing influx of daily and seasonal visitors. But efforts to regulate them in all areas have been encouraging. If you happen to encounter a coyote in the wild, on beaches or anywhere in neighborhoods and don’t remember any other safety measure, Butfiloski suggested a healthy dose of some time-honored caution: Don’t bother them, and they won’t bother you.
“A coyote is in the dog family,” he said. “And you should do the same as you would when encountering any strange dog, even more so when you have a pet.”
By L. C. Leach III
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