October in Indiana: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Indiana: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Indiana?

Coyotes in Indiana mate in February. Indiana DNR puts it this way: “They mate in February, and a litter with an average of four to six pups is born in a den in April.” 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 Indiana?

Coyote pups in Indiana are born in April. Indiana DNR puts it this way: “They mate in February, and a litter with an average of four to six pups is born in a den in April.”

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 Indiana?

The DNR Customer Service: 317-232-4200. Indiana DNR puts it this way: “The Department of Natural Resources does not provide removal or capture services for wildlife. If necessary, you can contact a qualified Wildlife or Waterfowl Control Operator to help with wildlife removal.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Indiana?

Coyote trapping in Indiana runs October 15, 2026 to March 15, 2027 under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Indiana DNR.

Q: How do I keep my dog and cat safe from coyotes in Indiana?

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. Indiana DNR advises: “Always keep pets leashed and, if kept outside, provide secure nighttime housing for them.” It also says: “Keep cats indoors. Keep an eye on dogs when outdoors.”

In Indiana, coyotes mate in February and pups are born in April, according to Indiana DNR; the coyote hunting season runs October 15 to March 15.

October in Indiana: 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, per Indiana DNR
Pup season: April, per Indiana DNR
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 Indiana

Always keep pets leashed and, if kept outside, provide secure nighttime housing for them.
Feed pets indoors when possible; pick up leftovers if feeding outdoors; and store pet and livestock feed where it's inaccessible to wildlife.
Do not discard edible garbage where coyotes can get to it. Secure garbage containers.

Indiana DNR, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Keep cats indoors. Keep an eye on dogs when outdoors.

Indiana DNR, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

If you start seeing coyotes around your home, discourage them by shouting, making loud noises, shaking a container of coins, using an air horn or whistle, spraying them with a hose, or throwing rocks or tennis balls but NEVER corner a coyote – always give the coyote a free escape route.

Indiana DNR, 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

More on living with coyotes in Indiana: Indiana DNR.

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 Indiana

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

DNR Customer Service

Call 317-232-4200 Contact details

The Department of Natural Resources does not provide removal or capture services for wildlife. If necessary, you can contact a qualified Wildlife or Waterfowl Control Operator to help with wildlife removal.

Indiana DNR, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Indiana

Hunting: Oct 15 to Mar 152026 to 2027 rules
License: A hunting license (a trapping license to trap); landowners on their own land need neither
Night hunting: Allowed
Trapping: Oct 15 to Mar 152026 to 2027 rules

It is legal to hunt and chase foxes (Oct. 15 - Feb. 28), raccoons (Nov. 8 - Jan. 31), and coyotes (Oct. 15 - March 15) with dogs during the established hunting seasons.

Indiana DNR, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Spotlights may be used to take fox and coyote. There are no restrictions on hunting hours or firearms for hunting fox and coyote. It is illegal to hunt fox or coyote from a roadway or with the use of any motor-driven conveyance.

Indiana DNR, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Read the rules at the source: license and trapping.

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Indiana

317 research grade records from Indiana, 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.

Indiana coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Indiana?

When are coyote pups born in Indiana?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Indiana?

Yes, in season. Under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Indiana DNR, the coyote season in Indiana runs October 15, 2026 to March 15, 2027. You need a hunting license (a trapping license to trap); landowners on their own land need neither. On hunting at night: “Spotlights may be used to take fox and coyote. There are no restrictions on hunting hours or firearms for hunting fox and coyote. It is illegal to hunt fox or coyote from a roadway or with the use of any motor-driven conveyance.”

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Indiana?

When is coyote trapping season in Indiana?

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

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in IndianaPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in IndianaWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in IndianaArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in IndianaWhen 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.