October in Ohio: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Ohio: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Ohio?

Coyotes in Ohio mate from January to March. The ODNR Division of Wildlife puts it this way: “Coyotes are monogamous breeders and breeding occurs January through 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 Ohio?

Coyote pups in Ohio are born in March and April. The ODNR Division of Wildlife puts it this way: “Litters are born in March and April and can contain 5-10 pups, with an average of 6.”

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 Ohio?

The Division of Wildlife (to find a nuisance trapper): 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543). The ODNR Division of Wildlife puts it this way: “If the coyote visiting your yard seems to lack a fear of humans or is presenting a conflict even after removing attractants from your yard, contact a nuisance trapper.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Ohio?

Coyote trapping is open all year in Ohio under the 2026 to 2027 rules from the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. The ODNR Division of Wildlife advises: “Small pets may also be taken. Keep small dogs and cats inside or stay with them at night when coyotes are most active.”

In Ohio, coyotes mate from January to March and pups are born in March and April, according to the ODNR Division of Wildlife; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in Ohio: 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
MarPups
AprPups
MayPups
JunPups
JulFamily
AugFamily
SepFamily
OctDispersalNow
NovDispersal
DecDispersal

Mating season: January to March, per the ODNR Division of Wildlife
Pup season: March and April, per the ODNR Division of Wildlife
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 Ohio

Small pets may also be taken. Keep small dogs and cats inside or stay with them at night when coyotes are most active.
If you do have a coyote on your property, remove all “attractants” to possibly deter the coyote from returning. This includes removing garbage and pet food before nightfall and cleaning up around the grill.

ODNR Division of Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

If a coyote comes close

Coyotes are curious, but generally fearful of humans. Clap your hands and shout to scare off coyotes that are investigating your yard.

ODNR Division of Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. 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 Ohio: ODNR Division of Wildlife.

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 Ohio

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

Division of Wildlife (to find a nuisance trapper)

Call 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543)Contact details

If the coyote visiting your yard seems to lack a fear of humans or is presenting a conflict even after removing attractants from your yard, contact a nuisance trapper.

ODNR Division of Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

You can locate a trapper near you by calling the Division of Wildlife at 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).

ODNR Division of Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Ohio

Hunting: All year2026 to 2027 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: An Ohio hunting license (no fur taker permit is needed for coyote)
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: All year2026 to 2027 rules

A hunting license and fur taker permit are required to hunt and/or trap furbearing animals (except coyote) in Ohio.

ODNR Division of Wildlife, read October 13, 2026. Read it at the source

Rifles and night vision scopes are legal for coyote hunting, except for hunting coyotes during any deer gun or deer muzzleloader season, then the hours and legal hunting devices are the same as for the deer season.

ODNR Division of Wildlife, 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 the ODNR Division of Wildlife’s page before you go out. Every state’s coyote seasons.

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Ohio

1,062 research grade records from Ohio, 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.

Ohio coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Ohio?

When are coyote pups born in Ohio?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Ohio?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Ohio with no bag limit, under the 2026 to 2027 rules from the ODNR Division of Wildlife. You need an Ohio hunting license (no fur taker permit is needed for coyote). On hunting at night: “Rifles and night vision scopes are legal for coyote hunting, except for hunting coyotes during any deer gun or deer muzzleloader season, then the hours and legal hunting devices are the same as for the deer season.”

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Ohio?

When is coyote trapping season in Ohio?

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

Coyote season in other states

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