Do Coyotes Eat Corn? Here’s What You Should Know

Coyotes are predators – we can easily imagine them hunting rodents, chickens, and cats.

It’s harder to imagine them gnawing on a cob of corn. But animals are not the only thing they eat – various plants also make up large parts of their diet.

So, is corn on a coyote’s menu?

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Do Coyotes Eat Corn?

Coyotes will absolutely eat corn if it’s available. Coyotes are omnivores. While the majority of their diet consists of meat, they will also eat fruits and vegetables, including corn, and may be attracted to corn bait sites put out by deer hunters.

They are both hunters and scavengers, and will often forage for fruits they can find in their habitats, such as berries, crab apples, and other fruit fallen from trees.

They have a very adaptable diet. If prey is scarce, they are more likely to eat plants like corn.

Plants also provide important nutritional benefits that balance their diet, like fiber and vitamins that aren’t always present in animal meat.

Coyotes occasionally eat corn from crop fields if it’s easy to get. In rural areas where corn fields are abundant, coyotes may be used to having corn around as a snack or meal. Some farmers have observed coyotes roaming in their corn fields, and they have even been spotted digging out whole stalks of corn. 

Although raccoons are a more common culprit when a corn field is ravaged, coyotes should not be crossed off the suspect list if some corn stalks are missing.

Coyotes will eat both sweet corn and field corn, but they generally cause less damage in fields than raccoons, deer, and bears. 

Coyotes have a diverse diet that can adapt to what’s available around them. If they have not encountered corn before as a regular food source, they will likely be less interested in it.

One study found that corn is most prevalent in the coyote’s diet in winter when other food sources are scarce.

Coyotes living in urban areas are even more used to eating anything and everything they can find.

They’ll eat food in trash, rodents, and pet food left outside – if they see corn lying around, they’ll certainly go after it too. 

Can You Use Corn As Bait To Attract Coyotes?

If you are hunting coyotes and want to bait them, you might consider setting up a corn pile in a field.

This is typically done to attract deer, but it can also work for coyotes. Sometimes corn that has been left out for deer gets eaten by coyotes first. 

You can use corn to lure coyotes in, but it is not the most effective baiting method. Coyotes are more likely to check out something with a stronger smell, like meat. 

One group of researchers was unsuccessful when they tried to bait coyotes with corn.

A dead deer or chicken carcass is usually successful in attracting coyotes. But if you have some corn to use up, you can definitely give it a go as coyote bait. 

How To Use Corn As Coyote Bait

You can simply leave some corn outside, in a clearing near a forested area so that the coyotes feel somewhat protected.

Make sure it’s not too close to livestock, as the coyotes may become more interested in the animals rather than the corn. 

But the most effective way to use corn to trap coyotes would be to use it to attract rodents, which would be the actual coyote bait. 

Coyote sniffing food

By setting up a corn pile covered in lots of hay, you can create a home for mice and voles. They will feed on the corn and live in the hay.

Before long, they will attract coyotes, who love eating rodents. This method takes a little more time and patience than just setting up a corn pile, but it may be more effective.

What Other Vegetables Do Coyotes Eat?

Coyotes will eat pretty much anything edible they can find. Fruits and vegetables provide useful nutrients to them throughout the year.

Besides corn, they will eat berries, crab apples, persimmons, and grass, among other plants. 

Conclusion

As omnivores and scavengers, coyotes will eat corn if it’s around and they’re hungry.

You can successfully bait coyotes with a pile of corn, but it may be worth using something with a more pungent smell, like meat.