October in Nevada: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Nevada: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Nevada?

Coyotes in Nevada mate from January to March. NDOW puts it this way: “Coyotes have one litter of pups per year and breeding usually occurs from January to 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 Nevada?

Coyote pups in Nevada 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 Nevada?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Nevada, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from NDOW. License: no hunting license needed to hunt coyotes, except to take part in a hunting contest.

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 Nevada?

NDOW Dispatch: (775) 688-1331. NDOW puts it this way: “To report incidents beyond sightings, call NDOW Dispatch at (775) 688-1331.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Nevada?

Coyote trapping is open all year in Nevada under the 2026 to 2027 rules from NDOW. “There is no closed season on those species of wild mammals or wild birds classified as unprotected.”

In Nevada, coyotes mate from January to March, according to NDOW; coyote hunting is open all year.

October in Nevada: 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: January to March, per NDOW
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 Nevada

Supervise your dog when it is outside, especially around dawn and dusk. If you must leave your dog outside, make sure you leave it in a fully enclosed dog run that has a roof.
When walking your dog, always keep it on a 6ft leash. Avoid using extendable leashes because this limits the control you have over your pet.
The only way to ensure your cat's safety is to keep them indoors or in an outdoor cat enclosure that is secure.
Remove anything that might be attracting the coyotes or their food sources such as rodents. Examples can include birdseed, pet food, trash or compost, water features, fallen fruit, excess shrubs, woodpiles, decks or other structures that can provide cover or a place to den.

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

If a coyote comes close

Make loud noises, use an air horn or whistle, throw rocks, stand your ground (don't run away) and maintain eye contact. Be persistent and vary your methods.

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

If a coyote follows you

If the animal stops and looks back, make sure to continue scaring the coyote away until they have completely left the area.

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

More on living with coyotes in Nevada: NDOW.

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 Nevada

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

NDOW Dispatch

Call (775) 688-1331 Contact details

To report incidents beyond sightings, call NDOW Dispatch at (775) 688-1331.

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

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Nevada

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
License: No hunting license needed to hunt coyotes, except to take part in a hunting contest
Trapping: All year2026 to 2027 rules

There is no closed season on those species of wild mammals or wild birds classified as unprotected.

Nevada Administrative Code, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Read the license rules at the source.

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Nevada

834 research grade records from Nevada, every year from 2016 to 2025 combined, by the month they were made. Most are logged in December. 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.

Nevada coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Nevada?

When are coyote pups born in Nevada?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Nevada?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Nevada?

When is coyote trapping season in Nevada?

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. NDOW advises: “Supervise your dog when it is outside, especially around dawn and dusk. If you must leave your dog outside, make sure you leave it in a fully enclosed dog run that has a roof.” It also says: “When walking your dog, always keep it on a 6ft leash. Avoid using extendable leashes because this limits the control you have over your pet.”

Coyote season in other states

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