October in Louisiana: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Louisiana: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Louisiana?

Coyotes in Louisiana mate from January to May. LDWF puts it this way: “REPRODUCTION: Breeding takes place January -May; avg. litter 4-7 pups: litter size dependent upon food abundance and population density” 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 Louisiana?

Coyote pups in Louisiana are born in March and April. LDWF puts it this way: “Presence of multiple coyotes; pups born in early spring; exit den at approximately 6 weeks”

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 Louisiana?

LDWF Wildlife Permits Coordinator: (225) 763-5499; licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators. LDWF puts it this way: “The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries does NOT provide nuisance animal control or removal services. We do however provide technical assistance to the public to assist them with any wildlife related concerns.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Louisiana?

Coyote trapping in Louisiana runs November 20, 2026 to March 31, 2027 under the 2026 to 2027 rules from LDWF.

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. LDWF advises: “Do not leave small pets unattended outdoors especially during dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours.”

In Louisiana, coyotes mate from January to May and pups are born in March and April, according to LDWF; coyote hunting is open all year.

October in Louisiana: Dispersal

Months per LDWF

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 Louisiana, the young of the year leave home from September to November, according to LDWF.

Next comes mating season, from January.

Coyote pups are weaned @ approximately 2 months and disperse from their birth area in the fall

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

JanMating
FebMating
MarPups
AprPups
MayMating
JunPups
JulFamily
AugFamily
SepDispersal
OctDispersalNow
NovDispersal
DecDispersal

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

Pets and yards

How to keep pets safe from coyotes in Louisiana

Do not leave small pets unattended outdoors especially during dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours.

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

What most state agencies advise

Secure garbage and compost, advised in 35 states

Contain garbage in a closed receptacle.

Iowa DNR. Read it at the source

Feed pets indoors, advised in 31 states

Do not feed pets outside.

NYS DEC in New York. Read it at the source

Walk dogs on a leash, advised in 28 states

Walk your dog on a leash when outdoors.

ODFW in Oregon. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

Moving toward the coyote while waving your arms or clapping.

CT DEEP in Connecticut. 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 Louisiana: LDWF.

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 Louisiana

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

LDWF Wildlife Permits Coordinator

Also: licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators

Call (225) 763-5499 Contact details

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries does NOT provide nuisance animal control or removal services. We do however provide technical assistance to the public to assist them with any wildlife related concerns.

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

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Louisiana

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
License: A basic hunting license (a trapping license to trap furbearers in the trapping season)
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: Nov 20 to Mar 312026 to 2027 rules

Holders of a hunting license may take coyotes, feral hogs and armadillos year round during legal daylight shooting hours (for information on nighttime take see Nighttime Take of Nutria, Beaver & Outlaw Quadrupeds).

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

Holders of hunting licenses may take coyotes year round during legal daylight shooting hours.

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

On private property, the landowner, or his lessee or agent with written permission and the landowner's contact information in his possession, may take outlaw quadrupeds, nutria or beaver during nighttime hours year round.

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

The trapping season will open STATEWIDE on November 20, 2026, and will close on March 31, 2027 (title 76.129).

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Louisiana

320 research grade records from Louisiana, 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.

Louisiana coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Louisiana?

When are coyote pups born in Louisiana?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Louisiana?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Louisiana, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from LDWF. You need a basic hunting license (a trapping license to trap furbearers in the trapping season). On hunting at night: “On private property, the landowner, or his lessee or agent with written permission and the landowner's contact information in his possession, may take outlaw quadrupeds, nutria or beaver during nighttime hours year round.”

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Louisiana?

When is coyote trapping season in Louisiana?

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

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in LouisianaPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in LouisianaWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in LouisianaArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in LouisianaWhen you may evict animals from an attic Bear hibernation in LouisianaWhen 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.