October in North Carolina: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in North Carolina: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in North Carolina?

Coyotes in North Carolina mate in February and March. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission puts it this way: “Coyotes mate around February-March and give birth between April-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 North Carolina?

Coyote pups in North Carolina are born in April and May. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission puts it this way: “Coyotes mate around February-March and give birth between April-May.”

Q: Is it legal to hunt coyotes in North Carolina?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in North Carolina with no bag limit, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. You need a North Carolina hunting license (a trapping license to trap). On hunting at night: “Coyotes may be hunted at night with artificial lights except in the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington.”

Q: What do I do if a coyote follows me?

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission puts it this way: “Do not run away. Running away from a coyote could trigger its instinct to chase.”

Q: Who do I call about a coyote in North Carolina?

Wildlife Helpline: 866-318-2401. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission puts it this way: “The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission provides technical guidance and resources to the public that help manage wildlife conflicts, injuries, and rehabilitation.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in North Carolina?

Coyote trapping in North Carolina runs October 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 under the 2026 to 2027 rules from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

In North Carolina, coyotes mate in February and March and pups are born in April and May, according to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in North Carolina: 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 NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Pup season: April and May, per the NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Family season: July to September, from the national calendar
Dispersal: November and December, per the NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Pets and yards

How to keep pets safe from coyotes in North Carolina

Protect your pets by keeping them inside, leashed, or inside a fenced area.
Feed pets indoors or remove uneaten food and bowls when your pet is finished eating. Coyotes and other wildlife are attracted to pet food left outdoors.
Install coyote-proof fencing around your home to protect unsupervised pets. Fencing should be at least 6 feet tall and provide a full barrier along the ground that prevents animals from digging under.
Secure garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids and take them out in the morning of pick up, not the night before.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

Haze the coyote until it leaves the area. Hazing can be done by waving your arms, making loud noises and/or throwing small objects in a coyote's direction.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote follows you

Do not run away. Running away from a coyote could trigger its instinct to chase.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

More on living with coyotes in North Carolina: NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

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 North Carolina

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

Wildlife Helpline

Call 866-318-2401 Contact details

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission provides technical guidance and resources to the public that help manage wildlife conflicts, injuries, and rehabilitation.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in North Carolina

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: A North Carolina hunting license (a trapping license to trap)
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: Oct 1 to Feb 282026 to 2027 rules

A landowner or person leasing land primarily for cultivation, their spouse, and dependents under 18 residing with them, may hunt, trap, and fish on such land without a license.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Coyotes may be hunted at night with artificial lights except in the counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Read the trapping 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 the NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s page before you go out. Every state’s coyote seasons.

Sightings

When people report coyotes in North Carolina

1,283 research grade records from North Carolina, 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.

North Carolina coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in North Carolina?

When are coyote pups born in North Carolina?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in North Carolina?

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in North Carolina?

When is coyote trapping season in North Carolina?

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission advises: “Protect your pets by keeping them inside, leashed, or inside a fenced area.” It also says: “Feed pets indoors or remove uneaten food and bowls when your pet is finished eating. Coyotes and other wildlife are attracted to pet food left outdoors.”

Coyote season in other states

Small game season in North CarolinaPheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel season dates Hunting license in North CarolinaWhat a license costs, plus the tag Deer season in North CarolinaArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates Attic wildlife in North CarolinaWhen you may evict animals from an attic Bear hibernation in North CarolinaWhen 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.