October in Iowa: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Iowa: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Iowa?

Coyotes in Iowa mate from January to March. Iowa DNR puts it this way: “Breeding season: January - 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 Iowa?

Coyote pups in Iowa are born in April and May. Iowa DNR puts it this way: “The pair typically has one litter per year with six pups per litter. Born around April or early May, the pups are initially nursed and then fed prey captured by both parents.”

Q: Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Iowa?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Iowa with no bag limit, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Iowa DNR. You need a hunting license or a furharvester license (a furharvester license to trap); landowners on their own land need neither.

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 Iowa?

Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCO). Iowa DNR puts it this way: “The Iowa Department of Natural Resources suggests that if you have a nuisance wildlife problem with your home, business or property; contact the NWCO nearest you.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Iowa?

Coyote trapping in Iowa runs November 7, 2026 to February 28, 2027 under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Iowa DNR.

Q: Can you hunt coyotes at night in Iowa?

Yes, with limits. Iowa DNR puts it this way: “A person may use an infrared light source to hunt coyotes as long as the infrared light source is mounted to the method of take or to a scope mounted on the method of take. HOWEVER, no person shall use an infrared light source to hunt coyotes during any established muzzleloader, bow, or shotgun deer hunting season.”

In Iowa, coyotes mate from January to March and pups are born in April and May, according to Iowa DNR; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in Iowa: Dispersal

Months per Iowa DNR

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 Iowa, the young of the year leave home from September to December, according to Iowa DNR.

Next comes mating season, from January.

Dispersal season: September – December

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

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

Mating season: January to March, per Iowa DNR
Pup season: April and May, per Iowa DNR
Family season: July and August, from the national calendar
Dispersal: September to December, per Iowa DNR

Pets and yards

How to keep pets safe from coyotes in Iowa

Supervise your pets when they are outside. If coyotes are known to be in the area, check the area for coyotes first and keep pets on a leash.
Do not feed or water pets outside, or only do it once per day and immediately clean up any leftover or spilled food.
Maintain the fence and make sure there are no gaps. Additionally, make sure the fence extends under the ground 12 to 18 inches to prevent animals from digging under the fence.

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

If a coyote comes close

When coyotes are too close to people, make loud noises, shout, make yourself look big, and throw things at them until they leave.

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

If a coyote follows you

If the coyote does not leave the area with increased hazing efforts, remove yourself from the situation and report it to the city.

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

More on living with coyotes in Iowa: Iowa 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 Iowa

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

Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCO)

Contact details

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources suggests that if you have a nuisance wildlife problem with your home, business or property; contact the NWCO nearest you.

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

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Iowa

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: A hunting license or a furharvester license (a furharvester license to trap); landowners on their own land need neither
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: Nov 7 to Feb 282026 to 2027 rules

Landowners and their minor children hunting on their own property do not need a furharvester license or habitat fee. Coyote and groundhog may be hunted with a hunting or furharvester license.

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

A person may use an infrared light source to hunt coyotes as long as the infrared light source is mounted to the method of take or to a scope mounted on the method of take. HOWEVER, no person shall use an infrared light source to hunt coyotes during any established muzzleloader, bow, or shotgun deer hunting season.

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Iowa

131 research grade records from Iowa, every year from 2016 to 2025 combined, by the month they were made. Most are logged in April. 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.

Iowa coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Iowa?

When are coyote pups born in Iowa?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Iowa?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Iowa?

When is coyote trapping season in Iowa?

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. Iowa DNR advises: “Supervise your pets when they are outside. If coyotes are known to be in the area, check the area for coyotes first and keep pets on a leash.” It also says: “Do not feed or water pets outside, or only do it once per day and immediately clean up any leftover or spilled food.”

Can you hunt coyotes at night in Iowa?

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in IowaPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in IowaWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in IowaArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in IowaWhen 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.