October in Illinois: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Illinois: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Illinois?

Coyotes in Illinois mate in February and March. Wildlife Illinois puts it this way: “Breeding peaks in late February or early March.” 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: When are coyote pups born in Illinois?

Coyote pups in Illinois are born in April and May. Wildlife Illinois puts it this way: “Gestation is approximately 58 to 65 days, with pups born during late April or May.”

Q: Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Illinois?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Illinois with no bag limit, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from IDNR. You need an Illinois hunting license and state habitat stamp (a trapping license and habitat stamp to trap).

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

Wildlife Illinois puts it this way: “Do not run if a coyote approaches you. Safety procedures for dealing with coyotes are different than those for dealing with an unknown dog.”

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

IDNR district wildlife biologist. Wildlife Illinois puts it this way: “Another option for problem coyotes in urban areas is a nuisance animal removal permit , issued by an Illinois Department of Natural Resources district wildlife biologist.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Illinois?

Coyote trapping in Illinois runs November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027 under the 2026 to 2027 rules from IDNR.

In Illinois, coyotes mate in February and March and pups are born in April and May, according to Wildlife Illinois; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in Illinois: Dispersal

The usual coyote year

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.

Across the country, dispersal usually runs from October to December.

Next comes mating season, from January.

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

Mating season: February and March, per Wildlife Illinois
Pup season: April and May, per Wildlife Illinois
Family season: July to September, from the national calendar
Dispersal: October to December, from the national calendar

Pets and yards

How to keep pets safe from coyotes in Illinois

Do not leave small pets unattended when they are outside, especially at night. Consider the use of fencing or kennel runs to protect small pets.
Cats and small dogs should be observed closely and placed in fenced areas (yards and kennels) when coyotes are known to be present.
Feed pets indoors. If pets are fed outside, clean up any leftover food daily.
Do not feed coyotes. Property owners should limit the availability of unintentional food sources, such as bird food, pet food, ripe fruit, and trash.

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

If a coyote comes close

Yell, stand up straight, and wave your arms (the goal is to make yourself appear larger), or throw something at the coyote to make it move away (the goal is to scare it away, not to injure it).

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

If a coyote follows you

Do not run if a coyote approaches you. Safety procedures for dealing with coyotes are different than those for dealing with an unknown dog.

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

More on living with coyotes in Illinois: Wildlife Illinois.

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 Illinois

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

IDNR district wildlife biologist

Contact details

Another option for problem coyotes in urban areas is a nuisance animal removal permit , issued by an Illinois Department of Natural Resources district wildlife biologist.

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

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Illinois

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: An Illinois hunting license and state habitat stamp (a trapping license and habitat stamp to trap)
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: Nov 10 to Feb 152026 to 2027 rules

Year round. Closed during the first and second firearm deer seasons in counties open to firearm deer hunting.

IDNR, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunters need a hunting license and habitat stamp unless exempt.

IDNR, 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 IDNR’s page before you go out. Every state’s coyote seasons.

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Illinois

1,959 research grade records from Illinois, every year from 2016 to 2025 combined, by the month they were made. Most are logged in January. 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.

Illinois coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Illinois?

When are coyote pups born in Illinois?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Illinois?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Illinois?

When is coyote trapping season in Illinois?

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. Wildlife Illinois advises: “Do not leave small pets unattended when they are outside, especially at night. Consider the use of fencing or kennel runs to protect small pets.” It also says: “Cats and small dogs should be observed closely and placed in fenced areas (yards and kennels) when coyotes are known to be present.”

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in IllinoisPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in IllinoisWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in IllinoisArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in IllinoisWhen you may evict animals from an attic Bear hibernationWhen 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.