October in Kansas: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Kansas: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Kansas?

Coyotes in Kansas mate in February and March. KDWP puts it this way: “Coyotes usually mate in February or March, and pups are usually born in a den or hollow in April or May.” 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 Kansas?

Coyote pups in Kansas are born in April and May. KDWP puts it this way: “Coyotes usually mate in February or March, and pups are usually born in a den or hollow in April or May. Four to seven pups are common, but as many as 17 may be born when food is especially abundant.”

Q: Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Kansas?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Kansas with no bag limit, under the 2026 rules from KDWP. You need a hunting license to hunt, a furharvester license to trap. On hunting at night: “Night Vision Season: September 1 to March 31 the following year excluding antlered deer firearm seasons. (Night Hunting Equipment Permit required)”

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: When is coyote trapping season in Kansas?

Coyote trapping is open all year in Kansas under the 2026 rules from KDWP.

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

October in Kansas: 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 KDWP
Pup season: April and May, per KDWP
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 Kansas

Do not leave pets outside unattended. Even in a fenced yard, cats and small dogs may be at risk of attack. Risk is greatest at dawn, dusk and nighttime, when coyotes are most active.
Do not leave out water sources (removing water sources also reduces mosquito populations).
A small complete enclosure within a yard is a safer option if you must leave the pet outside. Keep pets on a leash while walking.

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

If a coyote comes close

If you see a coyote, scare it away. Shout, throw rocks or sticks and act aggressively toward any unwanted coyote by waving your arms until it leaves. Coyotes that recognize people as a threat are less likely to become a problem.

KDWP, 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 Kansas: KDWP.

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 Kansas

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

Regional KDWP office nearest you (Region 1 Hays, Region 2 Topeka, Region 3 Wichita)

Also: licensed nuisance wildlife control operators for removal

Contact details

The best option for coyote removal in urban areas is usually to hire a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator (NWCO) who will remove coyotes for a fee. City and state officials typically do not remove urban coyotes.

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

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Kansas

Hunting: All year2026 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: A hunting license to hunt, a furharvester license to trap
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: All year2026 rules

Season Dates (statewide): All year Season Limit: No limit There is no closed season for trapping or hunting coyotes.

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

There is no closed season for trapping or hunting coyotes. Motor vehicles and radios in vehicles may be used to hunt coyotes only. Furharvester license is required to trap and sell; hunting license is required to hunt and sell.

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

Night Vision Season: September 1 to March 31 the following year excluding antlered deer firearm seasons. (Night Hunting Equipment Permit required)

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Kansas

223 research grade records from Kansas, 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.

Kansas coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Kansas?

When are coyote pups born in Kansas?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Kansas?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Kansas?

When is coyote trapping season in Kansas?

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. KDWP advises: “Do not leave pets outside unattended. Even in a fenced yard, cats and small dogs may be at risk of attack. Risk is greatest at dawn, dusk and nighttime, when coyotes are most active.” It also says: “A small complete enclosure within a yard is a safer option if you must leave the pet outside. Keep pets on a leash while walking.”

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in KansasPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in KansasWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in KansasArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in KansasWhen 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.