Sammamish wildlife is part of the reason people move to the Plateau, and October is when new homeowners tend to meet it. A garbage cart is on its side at the curb, the neighborhood group has a doorbell video of a black bear walking up a driveway, and somebody two streets over heard coyotes at midnight. None of that is unusual here. The city is threaded with greenbelts, wetlands and forested preserves, and the animals that lived in those woods before the houses arrived still use them.

This guide covers the three animals people ask us about most: black bears, coyotes and cougars. It explains what the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says about each one, what the agency asks homeowners to do, and who to call when something goes wrong. Everything below was checked against WDFW's species pages, state law and City of Sammamish pages on October 5, 2026. We sell homes; we are not wildlife biologists, so we have kept to what those sources say.

Why Sammamish Wildlife Shows Up in Neighborhoods

Much of Sammamish was built as subdivisions separated by strips of protected forest, stream corridors and wetlands. Those strips are pleasant to live next to, and they also work as travel routes. WDFW's black bear page describes bears as common across Washington, "including in suburban areas where greenbelts facilitate movement."

The City says the same thing about its own land. Its page for Evans Creek Preserve, the 213-acre preserve at the north end of the city, lists deer, black bears, hawks, songbirds and beavers among the animals that live there.

Timing matters too. WDFW says bears look for food in human-occupied areas mostly in early spring, before natural foods are available, and in late fall, as they prepare for hibernation. That is why the tipped-cart stories cluster in April and again in October.

Black Bears: The Sammamish Wildlife Homeowners Meet First

WDFW estimates about 22,000 black bears live in Washington and says it receives an average of 500 black bear reports a year. Adults here typically weigh 100 to 300 pounds. The agency is direct about the cause of most problems: it attributes 95 percent of the conflict calls its offices receive to people leaving bears access to trash, pet food, bird feeders and poorly stored camp food.

Its advice for homes in bear country is practical and mostly about smell:

• Put garbage out shortly before the truck arrives, not the night before.
• Store carts in a garage, shed or fenced area between pickups, with lids that close tightly.
• Take down bird feeders, including liquid hummingbird feeders, when bears are active.
• Pick fruit trees and clear fallen fruit.
• Feed pets indoors.
• Keep chickens and other small livestock in a secure enclosure with a roof.

WDFW also suggests asking your garbage company whether bear-resistant containers are available, or whether a container you buy yourself will work with its trucks. In Sammamish that company is Republic Services, which collects citywide under a City contract; the City lists its Sammamish customer line as (206) 777-6441. We could not find a wildlife-resistant cart option or price published on the City's or Republic's Sammamish pages, so call and ask rather than assume.

If you meet a black bear at close range, WDFW's guidance is to stop, stay calm and give it room. If it is unaware of you, move away quietly. If it walks toward you, stand up, wave your arms and talk in a low voice so it identifies you as a person. Do not run; the agency notes a bear can run up to 35 miles per hour. Attacks are rare, and WDFW says that if a black bear does make contact, you should fight back.

Coyotes and Sammamish Wildlife Rules for Pets

Coyotes are the animal you are most likely to hear. WDFW's coyote page says they live across nearly all of Washington, including suburban parks, greenbelts and other wooded spaces. Adults weigh 20 to 35 pounds, about the size of a medium dog.

For most households the concern is pets. WDFW's recommendations where coyotes are present:

• Keep cats indoors, and keep dogs and cats in from dusk to dawn.
• Keep dogs on a leash, and avoid early morning and late evening walks when coyotes have been seen nearby.
• Feed pets indoors, and do not leave food or water bowls out overnight.
• Clean up seed under bird feeders, which draws the rodents coyotes hunt.
• Never feed a coyote. WDFW says fed coyotes lose their fear of people.

If a coyote approaches you, WDFW says not to run. Stand tall, make eye contact, shout, and make noise until it leaves. The agency calls this "humane hazing" and says it helps coyotes keep their natural wariness.

If you are thinking about a fence, WDFW describes a coyote-resistant design as a 5-foot woven-wire fence with outward-facing extenders at the top, set at least 8 inches below the surface or fitted with a wire apron, because coyotes both climb and dig. Check your association's rules and the City's fence standards before you build one. Our guide to buying a home in Sammamish with an HOA explains where fence and animal rules usually sit in the covenants, and our dog-friendly Sammamish guide covers the leash rules on City, county and state trails.

Cougars: The Sammamish Wildlife You Are Least Likely to See

Cougars are solitary and secretive, and WDFW's cougar page says relatively few people ever catch a glimpse of one. The agency estimates about 2,400 independent-aged cougars statewide. It also puts the risk in numbers: in the last 100 years, Washington has recorded two fatal cougar attacks and about 20 other encounters that injured a person.

Cougars are most active from dusk to dawn, and deer are their most common prey. That is the basis for WDFW's main piece of advice for homeowners: do not feed deer or other wildlife, because "predators follow prey." The agency also recommends lighting walkways, closing off the space under decks and porches where small animals shelter, keeping pets in at night, and avoiding landscaping that deer prefer to eat.

If you do come face to face with a cougar, WDFW says to stop, pick up small children right away and not run, since running can trigger a chase. Face the animal, talk firmly, back away slowly and leave it an escape route. Make yourself look larger. If it attacks, fight back.

What State Law Says About Feeding Sammamish Wildlife

Leaving food out is not only a bad idea. It can be a violation. Under RCW 77.15.790, a person may not negligently feed or attract "large wild carnivores" to land or a building, and doing so in a way that puts people, livestock or pets at risk is an infraction. State law defines large wild carnivores to include wild bear, cougar and wolf. Coyotes are not on that list.

The companion section, RCW 77.15.792, makes intentional feeding or attracting a misdemeanor. It also makes it a misdemeanor to leave the food or food waste in place for more than 24 hours after being issued the infraction. In practice, an unsecured cart that a bear visits every week is the situation these sections were written for. This is a summary of the statutes, not legal advice.

Who to Call About Sammamish Wildlife

WDFW, not the City, handles dangerous wildlife. Its dangerous wildlife page sets out three levels:

1. An emergency or an attack on a person: call 911. You can ask the dispatcher to connect you with Washington Fish and Wildlife Police.
2. A non-emergency concern about a bear or cougar: call WDFW at 877-933-9847 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., or use the agency's online report form. Outside those hours, WDFW directs callers to the state patrol.
3. A coyote behaving normally: no report. WDFW asks residents not to report coyotes going about their business. It does want to hear about a coyote attack on a supervised or enclosed pet, or an injured or dangerous animal, through WDFW Dispatch at 360-902-2936.

Sammamish Wildlife and Choosing a Home

Wildlife rarely changes whether someone buys a home here, but it does shape a few practical questions worth asking on a tour:

• Where do the carts live? A garage with room for three carts makes WDFW's garbage advice easy to follow. A home where carts sit beside the driveway takes more thought.
• What is behind the back fence? A lot on a greenbelt or stream corridor will see more animals pass through than one in the middle of a subdivision. Many buyers consider that a feature.
• Is the yard fenced, and can it be? Fence height and style are often set by the association.
• Are there fruit trees, a chicken coop or a compost pile? Each one is something to manage.

For more on the preserves and trails where much of this wildlife lives, see our Sammamish parks and trails guide, and for the broader picture of daily life on the Plateau, our guide to living in Sammamish.

This article summarizes guidance published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Revised Code of Washington and the City of Sammamish as of October 5, 2026. The Van Pelt Group is a real estate team, not a wildlife or legal authority. For current guidance, or for a specific animal or situation, contact WDFW directly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sammamish Wildlife