Hunt New York · The official source
New York has the most permissive night-optics rule of any state on this site, and one of the most complicated rifle rules in the country. Both are true at once, and they are the whole page.
The optics sentence is one line in the Hunting & Trapping Guide and it settles every question other states leave open:
Spotlights, night vision, and thermal and laser devices are permitted for furbearer hunting. They may be attached to the firearm.1
Spotlights, image intensification, thermal and lasers — weapon-mounted. Pennsylvania, the next most generous state in the region, expressly bans laser-light beams.
Then you have to work out whether you may carry a centerfire rifle at all, and that takes a four-step decision tree that depends on where you are standing and whether any deer season is open.
Coyote classification & license in NY
What is the classification of coyotes in New York?
A furbearer, and one of ten that may be hunted:
There are ten species of furbearers that may be hunted: coyote, bobcat, raccoon, red fox, gray fox, opossum, skunk, weasel, mink, and muskrat.2
The statute is broader still, and the wording is what makes New York permissive. Coyote sits in the group that may be taken by any means not otherwise prohibited:
skunk, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, fox, mink and muskrat may be taken in any manner not prohibited in this section.3
That is a permissive default rather than a restrictive one, and it is why the answers below are mostly yes. New York’s job is to name what you may not do; anything unnamed is open.
Are coyotes protected in New York?
No, but there is a real dated season and two closed areas — unlike most of its neighbours, New York does not run coyote year-round. See season.
No bag limits.4
Is a hunting license required to hunt coyotes in NY?
Yes, a hunting license — and note which license will not work:
To hunt furbearers, you must possess a resident or non-resident hunting license. A trapping license does not allow you to hunt furbearers.5
That catches trappers who assume their license covers a rifle. It does not.
A non-resident pays more, and may need a different license — see what a non-resident needs.
Is hunter education required in New York?
Yes. New York requires completion of a Sportsman Education course before a first hunting license, and DEC runs the program statewide. Confirm the current terms with DEC at 518-402-8883.
Can a non-resident hunt coyotes in New York?
Yes — the furbearer rule expressly names “a resident or non-resident hunting license.”5
Every rule on this page applies identically to non-residents, including the rifle decision tree and the county prohibitions, which are about where you are rather than where you live.
See also is a hunting license required — the license rules there, and the exemptions and add-ons that go with them, apply to you too.
Season, hours & bag limits in NY
What is the season for coyote hunting in New York?
1 October to 28 March, statewide — with two areas closed entirely:
Coyote Hunting — Statewide except Long Island & NYC: Oct. 1 – Mar. 28. There are no bag limits for coyotes. They may be hunted during the day or night.4
Long Island and New York City are closed to coyote hunting. That is not a technicality — coyotes are established in the Bronx and Queens and moving onto Long Island, and there is no open season on them there.
Trapping runs on different dates from hunting and varies by zone; check the trapping seasons before setting.6
What is the bag limit for coyotes in NY?
No limit.4
What are the legal hunting hours for coyotes in New York?
Any hour, day or night, for the whole season after the first morning:
Hunting Hours: After sunrise on opening day; and at any hour, day or night, for the rest of the open season.5
Read the first clause. On 1 October you may not start before sunrise. From 2 October to 28 March there is no hours restriction at all.
DEC states the same thing on its website: “Bobcat, coyote, red fox, grey fox, raccoon, opossum, and skunk may be hunted at any hour, day or night.”2
Sunday hunting is legal in New York, which is worth knowing if you are crossing from Massachusetts or Maine.
Can you hunt coyotes during deer or big game season in New York?
Yes — but the deer seasons are exactly what complicate your rifle. See firearms for the full decision tree; the short version is that during any open deer season, in any county where deer may not be hunted with rifles, you are cut back to a .22 rimfire or smaller, or a centerfire under .22 caliber.
Note that the restriction is triggered by any open deer season — archery and muzzleloading included, not just the regular firearms season. New York’s archery season runs into January in places, so this covers most of the coyote season in the affected counties.
Night hunting in NY
Can you hunt coyotes at night in New York?
Yes, any night of the season, with no permit and no extra license. Coyotes “may be hunted at any hour, day or night” for the whole open season after opening morning.5
One hard prohibition:
You may not hunt from any motor vehicle, including an ATV or snowmobile.5
And local rules can still close it: “Hunters should consult with local government officials for any laws that may prohibit the discharge of firearms at night.”1
Can you use artificial lights for coyote hunting in NY?
Yes, and they may be mounted on the gun:
Spotlights, night vision, and thermal and laser devices are permitted for furbearer hunting. They may be attached to the firearm. All laws pertaining to the use of a spotlight apply.1
That last sentence is the catch worth understanding. New York’s general spotlight law, ECL 11-0901, makes using an artificial light presumptive evidence of illegal hunting — but it is scoped:
No person shall hunt deer … with the aid of a jacklight, spotlight, headlight or other type of artificial light3
The prohibition and the presumption both name deer, moose and bear. A coyote is none of those, which is why the furbearer permission can exist alongside them. But if you are on land inhabited by deer — which in New York is nearly everywhere — a light plus a deer-capable firearm is exactly the fact pattern the presumption is built on. Carry your license, and do not scan from the road.
Can you use night vision in NY?
Yes, expressly, and it may be attached to the firearm.1
One discrepancy is worth flagging, because DEC’s own website is narrower than its printed guide. The website says:
If hunting without a light, the use of a light gathering (“starlight”) scope is legal on any firearm listed below.2
Read literally, that conditions the scope on not using a light, and mentions only light-gathering optics. The 2026–27 Hunting & Trapping Guide is broader — it permits spotlights, night vision, thermal and lasers together, with no either/or, and expressly allows firearm mounting.1
The printed guide is the current, specific statement and it is the one cited throughout this page. If you intend to run a light and an image intensifier at the same time, that is the sentence you are relying on, and it is worth a call to DEC on 518-402-8883 to have it confirmed.
Can you use thermal in NY?
Yes — thermal is named directly, and may be attached to the firearm.1
New York is one of very few states that names thermal, night vision, spotlights and laser devices in a single permissive sentence. Compare Maine and New Hampshire, where the answer has to be reasoned out of statutory silence, or Ohio, which names “night vision scopes” and leaves thermal to inference.
The constraint in New York is never the optic. It is the rifle — see below. A thermal setup here is built around whichever firearm you may lawfully carry in that county during that season, which for much of the state during deer season means a centerfire under .22 caliber such as a .204 or .17 Hornet.
Are there specific weapons restrictions for hunting coyotes at night in NY?
The night list is slightly different from the day list, and shotgun loads are freer than you might expect:
You may use a handgun, bow, or crossbow. You may use a shotgun loaded with shot (any size). You may hunt furbearers with a rifle chambered in any cartridge, except that during any open season for deer … you may not possess a centerfire rifle afield, during the day or night … in any county or portion of a county where deer hunting with rifles is prohibited during the regular deer season.2
And the absolute prohibition: rifles are not allowed at all in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties.2
Firearms, ammunition & suppressors in NY
What firearms are allowed or restricted for coyote hunting in New York?
The permissive baseline is broad:
Except as noted above, you may hunt furbearers using any handgun, shotgun, muzzleloading rifle, bow, crossbow, or air gun.5
Air guns are permitted and defined: spring or compressed air, .17 caliber or larger, at least 600 feet per second at the muzzle.2
The rifle rule is the complicated part, and DEC frames it as a decision tree:
- Is any deer season open in the location you wish to hunt (including archery, muzzleloading, regular, late, and Deer Management Focus Area)?
- If NO, you may use any caliber rimfire or centerfire rifle for hunting furbearers.
- If YES, can deer be hunted with rifles in that location during the regular (firearms) deer season?
- If YES, you may use any caliber rimfire or centerfire rifle during any open deer season.
- If NO, you may only possess afield rimfire rifles .22-caliber or smaller, or centerfire rifles less than .22-caliber (e.g., .204, .17) during any open deer season. Once all deer seasons are closed, the restriction ends.2
Two absolutes on top:
You may never possess a rifle afield in Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties.
In the Northern Zone, it is illegal to carry a rifle larger than .22-caliber rimfire (or .22-caliber or larger centerfire rifles) at any time if accompanied by a dog, except when coyote hunting.2
Read that last one twice — it is a coyote-specific exemption. New York bars rifles for anyone hunting with a dog in the Northern Zone, and then carves the coyote hunter out of it. The same applies to crossbows: “Crossbows may not be used while hunting with a dog for any small game, except for coyotes, in the Northern Zone.”2
Are suppressors allowed for coyote hunting in NY?
No. Owning one is a felony in New York, so there is no lawful way for a hunter to use one. The ban is in the penal law, not the hunting rules: a person commits criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony, when they possess “any explosive or incendiary bomb, bombshell, firearm silencer, machine-gun”.7 Its exemptions cover police, the military and similar duties, not hunters, and federal registration does not change it.
That is why the Hunting & Trapping Guide never mentions suppressors. Its silence is not permission.
Are there any ammunition restrictions in New York?
None specific to coyotes. The restrictions that bite are on the firearm rather than the load — the caliber limits in the decision tree above.2
At night a shotgun may be loaded with shot of any size.2
Can you hunt coyotes in New York using a .22 LR or other rimfire cartridge?
Yes, and in much of New York during deer season it is one of the only rifles you may carry. A .22 rimfire or smaller is permitted afield even in the restricted counties during open deer seasons.2
If you want more than a rimfire in those counties, the answer is a centerfire smaller than .22 caliber — a .204 Ruger or .17 Hornet — which is expressly named as permitted.2 That is an unusual quirk and it makes those cartridges genuinely useful in New York in a way they are not elsewhere.
Is there a magazine capacity limit for hunting coyotes in NY?
Not in the hunting regulations. New York’s general firearms law imposes magazine restrictions that apply regardless of what you are doing with the firearm, and those are the ones to check — they are penal law rather than wildlife law, and the Hunting & Trapping Guide does not address them.
Do not read the guide’s silence as permission. As with suppressors, the wildlife code is the wrong book for this question in New York.
Calls, decoys, bait & dogs in NY
Are electronic calls allowed for coyote hunting in New York?
Yes, expressly and without qualification:
You may use a call, including an electronic call.5
Are decoys allowed for coyote hunting in NY?
Yes, including motion decoys. Nothing in the furbearer rules restricts them, and the statutory default is that coyote “may be taken in any manner not prohibited.”3
Is baiting allowed for coyote hunting in NY?
New York’s baiting prohibitions are written for big game and waterfowl, and the furbearer rules impose no bait restriction on coyote hunting.
Two cautions. Baiting rules for deer are strict in New York and attach to the land, so a bait site can compromise the ground for deer hunting. And on state land, area rules and DEC’s feeding regulations apply — check before placing anything.
Given that the state permits spotlights, thermal and electronic calls, calling is the better tool here in any event.
Can you use dogs to hunt coyotes in NY?
Yes, and the coyote is specifically privileged for it in the Northern Zone. Where every other small game hunter with a dog is barred from carrying a rifle larger than .22 rimfire or a crossbow, coyote hunters are exempt from both.2
That is the clearest signal in New York’s rulebook that the state wants coyotes hunted.
Private property, vehicles & public land access in NY
Is it legal to shoot coyotes on private property (e.g. in your backyard) in NY?
On rural private land in the open season, yes, with landowner permission and subject to the county rifle rules and local discharge ordinances.
Not on Long Island or in New York City, where there is no open season at all.4 That is the answer to most suburban coyote questions in the downstate counties: the remedy there is DEC’s nuisance-wildlife route, not a hunting license.
Can you hunt coyotes from a motorized vehicle in NY?
No:
You may not hunt from any motor vehicle, including an ATV or snowmobile.5
DEC repeats it in the night hunting context: you may use a light, “but you may not hunt from any motor vehicle, including an ATV.”2
Given that ECL 11-0901’s jacklighting presumption is built around lights and vehicles on deer ground, this is the rule most likely to turn a lawful coyote hunt into a deer charge. Get out, get away from the road, and hunt on foot.
Can you hunt coyotes on public land in NY?
Yes, and New York has one of the largest public land bases in the East — the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves, state forests and wildlife management areas.
Check the individual area’s rules, and remember that the county rifle prohibitions and the deer-season caliber restrictions travel with you onto public ground.
Is it legal to trap or snare coyotes in NY?
Yes, with a trapping license, on dates that differ from the hunting season and vary by zone.6
Note the license direction runs both ways: a trapping license does not permit hunting furbearers,5 and a hunting license does not permit trapping. New York requires trapper education for a first trapping license.
Is it legal to poison coyotes in NY?
No. Poison is not a lawful method of take in New York, and predator toxicants are restricted-use products handled through USDA Wildlife Services rather than by private individuals.
Are there protected areas or additional local restrictions in NY?
Yes, five kinds, and New York has more of them than most states:
- Long Island and New York City, closed to coyote hunting entirely.4
- Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk, where rifles may never be possessed afield.2
- Counties where deer may not be hunted with rifles, which cap you at .22 rimfire or sub-.22 centerfire during any open deer season.2
- Local firearms-discharge ordinances, which DEC expressly tells night hunters to check.1
- State land unit management plans, which vary.
Can you use two-way radios while coyote hunting in New York?
Yes. Neither NYSDEC’s New York Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026–2027 nor its furbearer rules restrict two-way radios or cell phones for coyote hunting.
After the shot: pelts, bounties & contests in NY
Are there regulations for possessing or transporting dead coyotes or pelts out of New York?
No tagging, sealing or reporting for coyote:
There is mandatory harvest reporting only for bobcat, which includes completion of a furbearer possession tag and subsequent pelt sealing.2
And selling is unusually open:
All furbearers except bobcat may be bought and sold with or without the pelt attached to the carcass.2
Can you sell coyote pelts in New York, and do you need a fur handler’s license?
Yes, and New York places no sealing or tagging requirement in the way.2 Commercial fur dealing is separately licensed; confirm with DEC before a first commercial transaction.
New York coyote fur is among the best in the East — these are big northern animals and an Adirondack coyote in January or February is prime, which is inside the season.
Is there a coyote bounty program in New York?
No state bounty. New York manages the coyote with a five-and-a-half-month season, no bag limit and permissive night rules rather than with payments.
Are coyote contests legal in New York, or can I hunt in NY for an out-of-state contest?
New York has not prohibited predator hunting contests, and organized coyote tournaments run in the Southern Tier and the Adirondacks each winter. Bills to ban them have been introduced repeatedly and none has become law — verify the current position before organizing one, because this is the most actively contested coyote question in the state.
Two scheduling notes. The season ends 28 March, and Long Island and NYC are closed, so a downstate round is not possible. A February round in the Northern Zone is the obvious choice — prime fur, night hunting open, and the dog exemption available.
Coyotes in NY
Are there coyotes in New York? How many, and where?
Yes, throughout the state. DEC describes the eastern coyote as “common in New York, found throughout the State.”8
They occupy the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the Southern Tier farm country, the Hudson Valley and the metropolitan fringe — including, increasingly, the Bronx and Queens, where there is no open season.
Are New York coyotes dangerous to people or pets?
To people, very rarely. To pets and small livestock, routinely — and the eastern coyote’s size makes an unattended small dog a genuine target on the suburban fringe.
The downstate situation is the awkward one: coyotes are colonizing exactly the counties where hunting them is closed or where rifles may not be carried.
When is coyote mating season in New York, and when do pups arrive?
Breeding runs January into February, with pups born in April.
That places the best calling squarely at the end of New York’s season — February and the first three weeks of March, when pairs are territorial and vocal, the fur is prime, and the season is still open until 28 March.
When are coyotes most active in New York?
First and last light year-round, with heavy night movement. Because New York permits hunting at any hour through the season and expressly allows spotlights, night vision and thermal, night is fully open here — and on Adirondack snow it is the most productive way to hunt the state.
For the full breakdown of season, weather and moon phase, see when to hunt coyotes.
How do I tell a coyote from a wolf in New York?
New York is the one state on this site where a coyote hunter has actually shot a wolf, and DEC publishes a comparison because of it.
Wolves are very rare in New York State, with only three confirmed in the past 25 years, including one harvested by a coyote hunter in 2021. Wolves are protected in NYS as an endangered species.8
How DEC separates them:
| Wolf | Eastern coyote | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 70–100 lb | ~40 lb average, rarely over 50 |
| Height at shoulder | Over 2 ft | Under 2 ft |
| Ears | Proportionally small, rounded | Large relative to the head, pointed |
| Snout | Shorter, blockier | Long, narrow, ending in a point |
| Tracks | ~5 in long × 4 in wide | ~3 in long × 2 in wide |
DEC’s guidance is quoted directly:
Coyotes have long, narrow snouts that end in a point. Their ears are large relative to the head and are pointed in shape. Coyotes have smaller feet than wolves.8
And there is a hard rule with a phone number attached:
If you have a canine in a trap that is over 4.5 feet in length and is over 50 pounds, contact DEC law enforcement (1-844-332-3267) before dispatching the animal.8
Where they come from. Most confirmed New York wolves are believed to have been released from captivity, but DEC notes that wild wolves are present in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario and it is possible for them to travel into New York.2
The practical rule: New York’s eastern coyotes already carry wolf ancestry and run big — 40 pounds is average and 50 happens. So size alone will not save you. If an animal looks unusually large, check the ears and the snout before the trigger, and remember that on a thermal you have neither.
These answers get re-checked before they go stale. The verification date at the top of the page is the record of when that last happened, not decoration.
Anything else worth noting about coyote hunting in NY
New York is a very good coyote state with an awkward rulebook. The permissions are excellent; the geography is what you have to keep straight.
Six things to get right:
The season ends 28 March, and Long Island and NYC are closed. New York is not a year-round state, unlike almost all of its neighbours.
Spotlights, night vision, thermal and lasers are all expressly permitted and may be gun-mounted. This is the most generous optics rule on this site.
Work the rifle decision tree before you leave. Any open deer season plus a county where rifles are barred for deer equals .22 rimfire or sub-.22 centerfire only. A .204 or .17 Hornet is the workaround.
Never a rifle in Westchester, Nassau or Suffolk.
Coyote hunters get the Northern Zone dog exemption for both rifles and crossbows. Nobody else does.
Suppressors are a felony to possess in New York. That is penal law, not hunting law, and the guide’s silence is not permission.7
Is it legal to own a coyote as a pet in New York?
No. New York prohibits possessing wild animals as pets, and coyotes fall within the prohibited category. Licenses exist for rehabilitation, exhibition and research rather than for households, and New York City has its own additional prohibitions.
If you have found an orphaned pup, contact DEC at 518-402-8883 or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator rather than keeping it.
Know something we missed? Contact me and I’ll get it fixed.
Footnotes
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NYSDEC New York Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026–2027 — Hunting Furbearers at Night: spotlights, night vision, and thermal and laser devices permitted for furbearer hunting and may be attached to the firearm, all laws pertaining to spotlights apply, and the direction to consult local officials about laws prohibiting the discharge of firearms at night Printed page 60 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
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NYSDEC — Furbearer Hunting: the ten huntable furbearers, the license requirement, coyote huntable at any hour day or night, the rifle possession decision tree and the Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk prohibition, the Northern Zone dog exemption for coyote hunting with rifles and crossbows, air gun specifications, electronic calls, the light-gathering scope provision, shotgun loads at night, mandatory reporting limited to bobcat, the freedom to buy and sell all furbearers except bobcat, and the note on wild wolves in Algonquin Provincial Park web edition ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21
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New York Environmental Conservation Law §11-0901 — Prohibitions: subdivision 3(c)(1) providing that skunk, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, fox, mink and muskrat may be taken in any manner not prohibited in the section, and subdivisions 4(b)(2) and 4(c)(2) prohibiting hunting deer and bear with the aid of a jacklight, spotlight, headlight or other artificial light statute ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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NYSDEC — 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Seasons Summary: coyote hunting statewide except Long Island and New York City, 1 October to 28 March, no bag limits, and may be hunted during the day or night web edition ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
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NYSDEC New York Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026–2027 — Furbearer Hunting general regulations: a resident or non-resident hunting license required and a trapping license insufficient, coyote huntable anywhere in the state with an open season, electronic calls permitted, the prohibition on hunting from any motor vehicle including an ATV or snowmobile, the permitted implements, and hunting hours of after sunrise on opening day and any hour day or night for the rest of the season Printed page 59 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9
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NYSDEC New York Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026–2027 — furbearer trapping seasons by zone and wildlife management unit Printed page 65 ↩ ↩2
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N.Y. Penal Law § 265.02(2) — criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree: possessing a firearm silencer is a class D felony statute ↩ ↩2
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NYSDEC New York Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026–2027 — Distinguishing Wolves from Coyotes: three wolves confirmed in 25 years including one harvested by a coyote hunter in 2021, wolves protected as an endangered species, the size, ear, snout and track comparisons, and the requirement to contact DEC law enforcement before dispatching a trapped canine over 4.5 feet and 50 pounds Printed page 60 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
Hunting across a state line? Compare New York with the coyote hunting laws in every state. Every state's season is on one map in coyote season by state. For when coyotes breed and pups are born here, see New York in the coyote mating season table, and for what a den looks like and when it is used, our guide to coyote dens.
From the field
Questions and answers from hunters over the years. Comments are closed; contact me if you spot something out of date.
Darin ·
Good accurate info. Just one fyi. Bounties “check with local county” bounties were made illegal in all of nys. (I think in the early 70’s)
Patrick H. ·
Can I shoot one that is coming up to my house every day I have kids here
Jerry A. ·
U can defend your family and animals. But I would call the dec or a hunter or trapper.any sportsman would help you out if he is really a outdoors man I will help you of you are close to me.
Melissa ·
we have a pack of maybe 10 or more that frequent my neighborhood. its a small residential area, what are the laws on dispatching coyote if they come in close proximity of my home?
Jerry A. ·
You can defend you family and animals But need nabors to ok if you are not the legal distant from them
M L. ·
Coyotes don’t travel in packs, (normally travel singularly or in pairs) unless may be an adult w/ pups which is temporary & dependent on time of year. If u see a “pack of 10 or more” coyotes, that would be worth trying to get a picture. You can kill any wildlife on your property but check w/ DEC. regarding proximity to neighbors & local laws on using firearms.
Betty W. ·
Can you use a rifle to hunt coyotes .
Louis ·
Yessssssssss!!!!!
Jerry A. ·
Yes anything
Colt ·
Can you use a rifle in Monroe country? I seem to get many conflicting answers.
Bobby G. ·
can i use a crossbow during bow only season if im only shooting coyote? i dont want a game officer thinking im hunting deer with it.
Tom P. ·
What caliber rifle can I hunt coyotes in Greene County?
Ben C. ·
Can you carry a rifle and shotgun while calling in New York like in the Midwest? Has proved to be beneficial there and could see where it would be here if it’s legal.
Aaron ·
Question: Who died and made ya’ll god? Killing predators for what? Fur? Im ashamed of all of you, even the guy worried about his kids. Watch your kids when they are outside. Don’t let Whil E. Do it for you. People are so intersested in the easy way that they want to slaughter wildlife. There are billions of humans. How many coyotes do you think there are. Build a fence. Buy motion detectors rigged for sound.
Andre ·
who made you judge jury and executioner? I agree you should take precautionary measures like you mentioned. But when it comes to your family I don’t think you should take any chances. Even when you are watching, things can still go very south. If you are asking me to choose between animals rights/life or the possibility of my child getting hurt. I think you would know the answer i would give you and the answer that most parents would probably give you. dog eat dog world and I have no issue killing to protect mine. Fences and “sound” are not foolproof and neither is watching eyes.
Joe S. ·
You’re an idiot! I hope you get attacked by a coyote so we can blame you for it.
Jim H. ·
If they get too close yo HAVE TO KILL THEM! I love animals, but once aggressive kill them including dogs, etc.!
Paul W. ·
In the bible book of Genesis Chapter 1 verse God fave man dominion over all the fish of the sea fowl of the air and over cattle and over everything that creeps or crawls in the earth.
Jeffery T. ·
My definition of a hunter: A boy that never grew up. He still thinks he’s playing pop gun with the neighborhood kids. Grow up guys. Nobody hunts anymore!
Ken M. ·
your comment PROVES how truly ignorant you are
Beth ·
The packs are actually families – parents and offspring, siblings. As with pet dogs, they have fear, loyalties, mourn for loses in their group. Please don’t kill for “sport.” The ones around my house seem to hide by day and venture out at night. They are afraid of people and won’t chase after us nor my horses. I don’t let my pets out at night and my chickens are shut in their coop then, too. If you choose to, you can live with coyotes as “neighbors.” You don’t need to kill them just because you can. Thanks for considering my perspective.
GPC ·
Glad to see a couple of voices of reason, esp Aaron, Beth and Jeff. Of course, always be cautious, but you have just as much or more to be concerned about with human predators and so many other dangers. You know that. So, monitor kids and small pets. Don’t leave food attractants available, and consider reading COYOTE AMERICA by Dan FloreS. Knowledge is power.
Mike ·
Can you shoot coyotes out of season on your own property at night?
Mike ·
Can I shoot from the deck of my house without neighbors permission
DWN ·
Fascinating how the anti-hunting folks will troll a question like this so they can spout off their vitriol. GPC and Beth aren’t as nasty as many, although it’s unfortunate that GPC describes Jeffery as a “voice of reason”. He strikes me more as an emasculated wanna-he who, despite being ill-informed (nobody hunts anymore”), has chosen to jump on his keyboard and remove any doubt as to his ignorance. Besides enjoying the taste and healthy benefits of consuming wild game which hasn’t been grown on a farm and fed chemicals to make it look more appealing on your grocer’s shelves, many of us hunt for the feeling of self-sufficiency that hunting and gardening/farming gives us. The truth of the matter is that, God- forbid, should we ever have to resort to basic survival skills, you know, if China or North Korea or Iran or any other nut-nation should ever decide to make good on their constant threats to attack with either chemical, biological, or weapons or if they just decide to completely crash the internet and make a direct attack on our financial system, those of us who DO still hunt and Do still know how to grow our own food will be glad for the lack of competition as idiots like Jeffery run around in their chinos wondering where to buy a latte and some tofu.
David G. ·
There ought to be open season on coyotes. They are worse than wolves in numbers. They attack livestock and pets. Seems like DEC wants to protect “wild” animals more than domestics. Not fair and very dangerous. Property owners, especially, need to be able to defend and protect their domestics 24/7 365.
Mark B. ·
Coyote hunters in my area hunt from vehicles , twenty guns , 4 dogs , all to shoot one coyote , while burning hundreds of gallons of gas , meanwhile trespassing on land that there not allowed on . I call them inbreds . I believe in hunting coyotes by placing bait in a field you have permission to use , sit there call , wait , shoot , the right way . Not from your truck or car and not on land your not allowed.
Pau P. ·
Those coyotes with the flat bushy tails are NOT coyotes — they are a crossbred coyote and eastern timber wolf. Coyotes are not aggressive or bold but the crossbred are not at all intimidated by humans. It is these crossbreds that are the really big issue and pose serious dangers to children and family pets. You definitely do not want to get into it with them without some firepower to even the field. They are stronger, faster, and built to kill. You folks who are adverse to killing /hunting are no match for them. Do not mess with them. They will hurt you if they think you are a threat, especially to their pups, or messing with what they consider “their” territory. They don’t share an aversion to bloodletting. If they are approaching you, it is not to become your best friend.
L G. ·
LIFE IS AS DEAR TO A MUTE CREATURE AS IT IS TO MAN. JUST AS ONE WANTS HAPPINESS AND FEARS PAIN, JUST AS ONE WANTS TO LIVE AND NOT DIE, SO DO OTHER CREATURES. DALAI LAMA
L G. ·
THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND ITS MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY ITS ANIMALS ARE TREATED. MAHATMA GHANDI
Tim ·
How many rounds can you have in a gun when hunting fox or coyotes
M L. ·
Reply to D Gregory, U.S. had open season on all ‘wild’ animals, even paying bounties to kill them up until early 1900’s when few were left. DEC allows coyotes to be killed 24/7 six months a year today & that’s close enough to late 1800’s when ur great grandpappy was wiping out the last of all ‘wild’ animals.
M L. ·
What happened to my comment reply to (Melissa on August 10, 2017 at 3:24 am we have a pack of maybe 10 or more that frequent my neighborhood. its a small residential area, what are the laws on dispatching coyote if they come in close proximity of my home?) that was awaiting “moderation.” Was something wrong w/ it because it has disappeared?
Cal ·
Don’t think this is a stupid question but can you hunt coyote with last year’s hunting license
This information is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. This website has no affiliation with any department of the above-mentioned state. Coyote hunting laws can change frequently and vary by locality — always verify the most current regulations directly with your state's wildlife agency or local authorities before hunting. Last updated: October 2026.