October in Nebraska: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Nebraska: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Nebraska?

Coyotes in Nebraska mate in February and March. The University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension puts it this way: “Coyotes usually breed in February and March, producing litters about 9 weeks (60 to 63 days) later in April and 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 Nebraska?

Coyote pups in Nebraska are born in April and May. The University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension puts it this way: “Coyotes usually breed in February and March, producing litters about 9 weeks (60 to 63 days) later in April and May.”

Q: Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Nebraska?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Nebraska with no bag limit, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from Nebraska Game and Parks. License: no permit for residents; nonresidents need a Nebraska hunt (small game) permit; no Habitat Stamp.

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 Nebraska?

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: 402-471-0641. Nebraska Game and Parks puts it this way: “People who observe a coyote showing no fear of humans or have had a pet attacked by a coyote should call Game and Parks at 402-471-0641.”

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. Nebraska Game and Parks advises: “Keep pets on a leash, and do not let them roam at night.” It also says: “Do not leave pet food outside.”

In Nebraska, coyotes mate in February and March and pups are born in April and May, according to the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in Nebraska: 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 the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension
Pup season: April and May, per the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension
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 Nebraska

Keep pets on a leash, and do not let them roam at night.
Do not leave pet food outside.
Keep an eye on your pet and keep it close, even if just letting it out into the yard for a few minutes.
Do not approach or feed a coyote or other wildlife.

Nebraska Game and Parks, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission suggests people should haze coyotes away whenever possible to keep them wild and afraid of humans.

Nebraska Game and Parks, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote follows you

In the rare instance that a coyote acts aggressively, get inside a building or vehicle, if possible.

Nebraska Game and Parks, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

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 Nebraska

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

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Call 402-471-0641 Contact details

People who observe a coyote showing no fear of humans or have had a pet attacked by a coyote should call Game and Parks at 402-471-0641.

Nebraska Game and Parks, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Nebraska

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: No permit for residents; nonresidents need a Nebraska hunt (small game) permit; no Habitat Stamp
Night hunting: With limits

Residents do not need a permit to hunt these species, but nonresidents must have a hunt (small game) permit. A Habitat Stamp is not required.

Nebraska Game and Parks, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Read the rules at the source: night hunting and trapping.

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Nebraska

467 research grade records from Nebraska, every year from 2016 to 2025 combined, by the month they were made. Most are logged in November. 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.

Nebraska coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Nebraska?

When are coyote pups born in Nebraska?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Nebraska?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Nebraska?

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

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in NebraskaPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in NebraskaWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in NebraskaArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in NebraskaWhen 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.