October in Arkansas: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Arkansas: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Arkansas?

Coyotes in Arkansas mate in February and March. USDA Wildlife Services puts it this way: “Coyotes breed in February and March and pups are born about 60 days later.” It is the loudest stretch of the coyote year: pairs court and mark their ground, and coyotes travel farther and show up more often by day.

Q: Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Arkansas?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Arkansas with no bag limit, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Arkansas Game and Fish. You need an Arkansas hunting license (16 and older). On hunting at night: “Dogs allowed to hunt coyotes during the day except during turkey season. Coyotes may be hunted at night only by holders of a free predator control permit.”

Q: What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Do not run. Wild Aware Utah puts it this way: “Do not run or turn your back on a coyote that has approached you. Face the coyote, shout at it, be as big and loud as possible, wave your arms and back away slowly.”

Q: Who do I call about a coyote in Arkansas?

Nuisance wildlife hotline (AGFC and USDA Wildlife Services): 833-345-0315.

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Arkansas?

Coyote trapping in Arkansas runs August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Arkansas Game and Fish.

In Arkansas, coyotes mate in February and March, according to USDA Wildlife Services; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in Arkansas: Dispersal

Months per USDA Wildlife Services

The young of the year leave home to find their own ground, crossing roads and turning up in neighborhoods new to them.

For pets: Young coyotes new to a place are still learning what to avoid: keep cats indoors and walk dogs on a short leash at dawn and dusk.

In Arkansas, the young of the year leave home in October and November, according to USDA Wildlife Services.

Next comes mating season, from January.

After this training period, usually in October and November, most young disperse and find their own breeding territory, but one or two pups may stay with the parents and become part of the family group.

USDA Wildlife Services, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

JanMating
FebMating
MarMating
AprPups
MayPups
JunPups
JulFamily
AugFamily
SepFamily
OctDispersalNow
NovDispersal
DecDispersal

Mating season: February and March, per USDA Wildlife Services
Pup season: April to June, from the national calendar
Family season: July to September, from the national calendar
Dispersal: October and November, per USDA Wildlife Services

Pets and yards

How to keep pets safe from coyotes in Arkansas

Don’t allow pets to run free. Keep them safely confined and provide secure nighttime housing for them. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your pet outside, especially at night.
Feed pets indoors whenever possible. Pick up any leftovers if feeding outdoors.
Secure garbage containers and eliminate garbage odors.
Fencing your yard could deter coyotes. The fence should be at least 6 feet high with the bottom extending at least 6 inches below ground level for best results.

USDA Wildlife Services, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

Discourage coyotes from frequenting your area. If you start seeing coyotes around your home or property, chase them away by shouting, making loud noises or throwing rocks.

USDA Wildlife Services, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote follows you

Do not run or turn your back on a coyote that has approached you. Face the coyote, shout at it, be as big and loud as possible, wave your arms and back away slowly.

Wild Aware Utah. Read it at the source

Four young coyote pups outside a den dug into a dirt bank, one standing at the entrance looking out — Four pups outside their den in the bank above Big Dry Creek at Metzger Farm Open Space, Colorado, in mid May. Photo: Jim Kennedy. “Four Coyote Pups by Den in Metzger Farm Open Space, Colorado (17614272575)”, nature80020, CC BY 2.0

Whom to call

Who to call about a coyote in Arkansas

For a coyote that is bold around people, pets or homes in Arkansas:

Nuisance wildlife hotline (AGFC and USDA Wildlife Services)

Call 833-345-0315 Contact details

An expanded partnership between the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services Program will provide a streamlined response to public reports of the occasional wild animal that poses a threat to people, livestock and property.

Arkansas Game and Fish, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

The nuisance wildlife hotline, 833-345-0315 , is available during 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. for immediate assistance, although voicemails can be left at any time that will be returned during normal working hours.

Arkansas Game and Fish, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Arkansas

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: An Arkansas hunting license (16 and older)
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: Aug 1 to Mar 312026 to 2027 rules

Furbearer hunters and trappers 16 and older must have a valid Arkansas hunting license.

Arkansas Game and Fish, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Dogs allowed to hunt coyotes during the day except during turkey season. Coyotes may be hunted at night only by holders of a free predator control permit.

Arkansas Game and Fish, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Coyote Statewide: Sunrise, Aug. 1, 2026-sunset, March 31, 2027.

Arkansas Game and Fish, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Read from each source on October 13, 2026. Methods, night rules and public land rules can change by unit, so read Arkansas Game and Fish’s page before you go out. Every state’s coyote seasons.

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Arkansas

195 research grade records from Arkansas, every year from 2016 to 2025 combined, by the month they were made. Most are logged in May. A record is a person’s photograph confirmed by others, so the bars count sightings rather than coyotes.

Reading the last thirty days of reports from iNaturalist.

Arkansas coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Arkansas?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Arkansas?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Arkansas?

When is coyote trapping season in Arkansas?

How do I keep my dog and cat safe from coyotes in Arkansas?

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. USDA Wildlife Services advises: “Don’t allow pets to run free. Keep them safely confined and provide secure nighttime housing for them. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your pet outside, especially at night.” It also says: “Feed pets indoors whenever possible. Pick up any leftovers if feeding outdoors.”

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in ArkansasPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in ArkansasWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in ArkansasArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in ArkansasWhen you may evict animals from an attic Bear hibernation in ArkansasWhen bears den and wake, and when to take feeders down

A coyote standing among sagebrush and grass coated white with hoar frost, looking toward the camera — A coyote hunting meadow voles in hoar frost on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, Wyoming, at the end of December. Photo: Tom Koerner, USFWS. “Coyote in hoar frost on Seedskadee NWR (13234615673)”, USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain

Every fact links to the page it was read from, each read October 13, 2026. Mating, pup and dispersal months are the agency’s own where it prints them; the national calendar fills the rest. Sighting counts are iNaturalist research grade records, which count sightings, not coyotes. Coyote season across the country.