October in Oregon: young coyotes are on the move

Coyote Season in Oregon: Mating, Pups and Pet Safety

Q: When is coyote mating season in Oregon?

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 Oregon 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: Who do I call about a coyote in Oregon?

Your nearest ODFW office (or Oregon State Police). ODFW puts it this way: “Report aggressive behaviors (such as snarling, barking, or not retreating when hazed) to ODFW. Call 911 immediately in the event of an attack on a person.”

Q: When is coyote trapping season in Oregon?

Coyote trapping is open all year in Oregon under the 2026 to 2027 rules from ODFW.

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

Coyotes can take cats and small dogs, and can treat a larger dog as a threat while mating and raising pups. ODFW advises: “Walk your dog on a leash when outdoors.” It also says: “Keep cats indoors or in a catio (a secure outdoor enclosure) when outdoors.”

Coyotes in Oregon mate in late winter and raise pups in spring; coyote hunting is open all year with no bag limit.

October in Oregon: 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 Oregon

Walk your dog on a leash when outdoors.
Keep cats indoors or in a catio (a secure outdoor enclosure) when outdoors.
Don't feed pets outside : Any leftover food becomes a buffet for coyotes and other wildlife.
Secure your garbage : Use bins with tight-fitting lids. Store them in garages or sheds if possible until pick-up.

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

If a coyote comes close

Make loud noises such as yelling, air-horns, homemade clappers, banging pots and pans, stomping feet, blowing a whistle, etc.

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

If a coyote follows you

This "escorting" behavior—where a coyote follows you at a distance—is protective, not predatory. If this happens, change your route. The coyote can't move its den; you can move your walk.

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

More on living with coyotes in Oregon: ODFW.

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 Oregon

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

Your nearest ODFW office (or Oregon State Police)

Contact details

Report aggressive behaviors (such as snarling, barking, or not retreating when hazed) to ODFW. Call 911 immediately in the event of an attack on a person.

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

Hunting and trapping

Coyote hunting and trapping in Oregon

Hunting: All year2026 rules
Bag limit: No limit
License: A general hunting license (a Furtaker's License to trap); landowners and their agents need no license on their own land
Night hunting: With limits
Trapping: All year2026 to 2027 rules

A landowner or landowner agent does not need a hunting or trapping license to take predatory animals on land they own, lease, lawfully occupy, possess, or have charge or dominion over.

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

Use an artificial light for hunting any wildlife, except raccoon, bobcat and opossum provided the light is not cast from or attached to a motor vehicle.

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

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

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

Sightings

When people report coyotes in Oregon

2,440 research grade records from Oregon, 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.

Oregon coyote questions

When is coyote mating season in Oregon?

Is it legal to hunt coyotes in Oregon?

Yes. Coyote hunting is open all year in Oregon with no bag limit, under the 2026 rules from ODFW. You need a general hunting license (a Furtaker's License to trap); landowners and their agents need no license on their own land. On hunting at night: “Use an artificial light for hunting any wildlife, except raccoon, bobcat and opossum provided the light is not cast from or attached to a motor vehicle.”

What do I do if a coyote follows me?

Who do I call about a coyote in Oregon?

When is coyote trapping season in Oregon?

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

Coyote season in other states

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