October in New York: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in New York: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in New York?

Coyotes mate in late winter. Across the 37 states whose wildlife agency or extension service dates it, February is named by every one of them, and 35 put mating entirely between January and March. Expect more howling and bolder coyotes in New York in those months.

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: How do I keep my dog and cat safe from coyotes in New York?

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. NYS DEC advises: “Do not allow pets to run free. Supervise all outdoor pets to keep them safe from coyotes and other wildlife, especially at sunset and at night.” It also says: “Do not feed pets outside.”

Coyotes in New York mate in late winter and raise pups in spring; the coyote hunting season runs October 1 to March 28.

October in New York: 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, from the national calendar
Pup season: April to June, from the national calendar
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 New York

Do not allow pets to run free. Supervise all outdoor pets to keep them safe from coyotes and other wildlife, especially at sunset and at night.
Do not feed pets outside.
Fencing your yard may deter coyotes. The fence should be tight to the ground, preferably extending 6 inches below ground level, and taller than 4 feet.

NYS DEC, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

If you see a coyote, be aggressive in your behavior-stand tall and hold arms out to look large. If a coyote lingers for too long, then make loud noises, wave your arms, or throw sticks and stones.

NYS DEC, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote follows you

Hazing must continue until the coyote leaves, otherwise the coyote will learn to wait until the person gives up and become more difficult to haze in the future.

NYS DEC, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

More on living with coyotes in New York: NYS DEC.

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 New York

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

DEC Regional Wildlife Office (and your local police department)

Contact details

Contact your local police department and DEC regional office for assistance if you notice that coyotes are exhibiting "bold" behaviors and have little or no fear of people.

NYS DEC, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in New York

Hunting: Oct 1 to Mar 282026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: A resident hunting license (a trapping license does not cover hunting)
Night hunting: Allowed

Statewide except Long Island and New York City : Oct. 1–Mar. 28 There are no bag limits for coyotes. They may be hunted during the day or night.

NYS DEC, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

To hunt furbearers, you must possess a resident or non-resident hunting license. A trapping license does not allow you to hunt furbearers.

NYS DEC, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Spotlights, night vision, and thermal and laser devices are permitted for furbearer hunting. They may be attached to the firearm. All laws pertaining to the use of a spotlight apply.

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in New York

1,428 research grade records from New York, every year from 2016 to 2025 combined, by the month they were made. Most are logged in March. 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.

New York coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in New York?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in New York?

Yes, in season. Under the 2026 to 2027 rules from NYS DEC, the coyote season in New York runs October 1, 2026 to March 28, 2027, with no bag limit. You need a resident hunting license (a trapping license does not cover hunting). On hunting at night: “Spotlights, night vision, and thermal and laser devices are permitted for furbearer hunting. They may be attached to the firearm. All laws pertaining to the use of a spotlight apply.”

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in New York?

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

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in New YorkPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in New YorkWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in New YorkArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in New YorkWhen you may evict animals from an attic Bear hibernation in New YorkWhen 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.