Website: Florida Wildlife Commission
Contact Phone Number: (850) 488-4676
Address: Farris Bryant Building • 620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL 32399
Email: Contact
Florida Hunting Licenses: Here
Coyote Hunting Florida Laws & Regulations
Are coyotes defined as furbearer, game animal, or other in Florida? Furbearers—bobcats, otters, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, beavers, skunks and nutrias. Florida law considers coyotes a “nuisance species.”
Do you need a license to hunt coyotes in Florida? Yes, a Hunting license is required when taking or attempting to take game or furbearing animals.
Can a non-resident hunt coyotes in Florida? Yes, with a license.
Is there a specific hunting season for coyotes in Florida? Year-round.
Is there a bag limit for coyotes in Florida? No limits.
What are the legal hunting hours for coyotes in Florida? Coyotes are legal to take 24 hours a day, all year long.
Are electronic game calls legal in Florida? Yes.
Are decoys legal for coyotes in Florida? Yes. However, taking or attempting to take with live decoys is illegal.
What firearms are approved/disapproved for coyotes in Florida? Coyotes may be taken by all legal rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, bows, pistols and air guns.
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It is unlawful to use fully automatic firearms, or explosive or drug-injecting arrows.
Are suppressors allowed for coyote hunting in Florida? Yes, Law change in 2014.
Are there any ammunition restrictions for hunting coyotes in Florida? Centerfire semi-automatic rifles having magazine capacities of more than five rounds.
Are there regulations for possessing, transporting dead coyotes, or pelts across state lines in Florida? A trapping license ($26.50) is required when trapping furbearers and when selling the pelts or meat of furbearing mammals, whether taken by trap, snare or gun.
A license is required to sell the pelts or meat of furbearing animals to licensed fur dealers, whether taken by trap, snare or gun.
Is night hunting for coyotes allowed in Florida? Yes, a Gun and Light at Night Permit is not required to take wild hog, coyote, armadillo, black or Norway rat and house mouse, with a gun and light at night.
Can you hunt coyotes from a vehicle in Florida? Shooting from vehicles, powerboats or sailboats moving under power. Motors must be shut off or sails furled, and progress must cease from such motor or sail before taking game.
Can you hunt coyotes with bait in Florida? The intentional placement of feed or garbage in a manner that is likely to create or creates a public nuisance by attracting foxes, coyotes or raccoons is prohibited. Placing, offering or allowing the placement of feed or garbage that is likely to create or creates a public nuisance by attracting bears is prohibited after receiving written notification from the FWC. The intentional feeding of bears or sandhill cranes is prohibited.
Can dogs be used to hunt coyotes in Florida? Free-running dogs may be used for hunting but must wear collars listing the owner’s name and address. When using dogs to hunt deer on private property, hunters must first register with the FWC (at no cost) the tract of land they have permission to hunt, and all deer dogs must have their FWC-issued registration number on their collars. Copies of the registration also must be in hunter’s possession when using dogs to pursue deer.
Dogs may be used as an aid in taking game mammals and game birds, unless otherwise prohibited. Persons owning or using dogs shall not knowingly or negligently permit such dogs to trail, pursue or otherwise molest wildlife during closed seasons. When using archery equipment and muzzleloaders during their respective archery, crossbow and muzzleloading gun seasons, the taking of deer by the use or aid of dogs is prohibited. Dogs on leashes may be used to trail wounded game mammals during all seasons. Taking turkeys by aid of dogs at any time is prohibited. Hunters, who use dogs for hunting, including bird dogs or retrievers, are required to have their dogs wear collars that identify their owner’s name and address. This regulation also requires dog hunters to possess landowners’ written permission before using their dogs to pursue game on private property. On private land rabbit, raccoon, opossum, skunk, nutria, beaver, coyote, hog, fox and bobcat may be chased throughout the year with free running dogs. For more information, contact an FWC regional office.
Is there a coyote bounty program in Florida? Not at this time.
This information is for informational purposes only. This website has no affiliation with any department of the above mentioned state. For your own safety please contact your local office to verify the information presented. CoyoteHunting101.com is not responsible for your own stupidity.
Last Updated: 11-14-2016
Get The Book and Call More Coyotes!
Are you allowed to hunt coyote on fwc wildlife management areas?
Check the rules at myfwc.com/hunting/wma-brochures for that WMA and realize there may be additional unpublished rules (like having to sign in and out) when you arrive but the generally coyotes can be taken in most WMAs by whatever methods of take are allowed during that season.
Hunting coyotes all year long should be illegal.
They eat baby Turkeys and Deer Fawns. All year around isn’t enough.
um…illegal? you mean legal…. right? those f*ckers kill neighbors cats ! I don’t want mine to be next in line!
My cat has not been found and just this morning late last night we spotted a coyote exactly where my cat would hang out.
Maria it is illegal to let your cat run and inconsiderate to let it use your neighbors garden as a liter box.
Not so. Florida has no leash or confinement law for domesticated cats.
Actually there is a ordinance with code enforcement in most areas. They apply to both cats and dogs. I live in Florida and know for a fact leashes apply to cats and dogs.
I live in Florida too and you are mistaken.There is no leash law for cats because they are considered free-roaming animals. However, a property owner does have the legal right to humanely trap or catch any nuisance cats on their property. Pets found to be “at large” may be impounded at the County Animal Care shelter.
My cat was in our outside patio on lake Berry in winter park on dec 3 he was attacked and taken by coyotes no one will cone out from the city ??
Coyotes are a nuisance and a danger. They will kill dogs, cats and there have even been incidents where they were caught sneaking up in toddlers. There should be no limit on how you kill them up to and including explosives, (That’s a joke about explosives before anyone loses their mind and turns me in). Seriously though, there are no limits or restrictions for a reason.
Two coyotes trailed me and my one year old son as I pushed him in a stroller today. They were ten feet away luckily other people walked up and scare them off. I also live across from a playground and coyotes frequently run through the playground at night and sometimes in the day looking for food it’s a matter of time before children start getting hurt. Coyote hunting should continue until the numbers drop significantly.
They eat small dogs and cats in my area. They will get one right off your back porch. Hunting year round won’t even keep there numbers down.
You are mistaken. Any restriction on hunting will ensure their population.
Let them attack and kill your pet, them tell me it should be illegal. I think 24/7 year round does not give us enough time. Pretty soon there will not be any small game left.
Be sure to tell the coyotes not to eat your pets when hunting stops
Coyotes can have up to 19 pups at a time and decimate native wildlife, especially in Management Areas. They will also kill small pets and carry many diseases, including rabies and distemper. You should educate yourself on the issue of coyote overpopulation and the damage they cause to the environment.
Why? It’s okay for then to attack and kill my livestock all year long but I shouldn’t be able to defend my animals, only during a pre-set hunting season? I’ll tell you what, I won’t hunt them, I’ll just send you the bill to repair/replace damage they do to my farm and for the animals they slaughter. As a matter of fact, you’re welcome to come clean up the shredded carcasses and bury them and do any repairs necessary. Sound good to you???
Apparently you haven’t lost a lot of animals to coyotes or you might think differently
Really Dorean? Have you ever had your pet dog or cat snatched from your arms by a Coyote? I would bet NOT?
The good yore is a dead yote!!!
To DoreenTetreault,
Coyote kill and consume anything they find including pets livestock and have attacked small children they are not native to the peninsula of FL and are spreading like wild fire no natural predators so it’s up to people if have cats or dogs you may lose them
so after looking at this information and webpage,”what are the statute numbers”?
First of all all there woods and forest been destroyed by humans bulinding and burning there homes down I think it the human kind fault cause they have to live like this dint get me wrong I fell bad for the everyone pets are getting eating but open your eyes up people
They are not native and we did not take land from them. They are invading our state. Someone brought them in somewhere in Northern Florida and they have spread throughout the state.
Just a rumor ,but heard the State of Florida brought in the coyotes but they will never admit it!
Coyotes here in San Antonio Florida have killed so many pets in the community. Cats and small dogs have disappeared. My husband saw a coyote with a cat in its mouth. I have seen a coyote right across the street coming out of the church area early in the morning and it was a big coyote. I would say over 50 plus pets have become coyote food in my area and that is probably a low number. I support hunting and killing them all year long. No bleeding heart here for a coyote. They are DANGEROUS animals and we have too many throughout our country now killing pets, livestock, and attacking.
I’m here in Eustis Fl, A coyote horribly killed my goat I have owned for 15 years, she was in my fenced yard, must have jumped the fence, horrible death, ate her back end off, never touched her front at all. Now it keeps coming back, I have other goats, mini horse & 2 mini donkeys that do nothing. I need to hire someone to sit in my yard at night and kill it. Anyone know of anybody? 4/28/2018
To bad you weren’t closer to me -I’d gladly rid your property of them – they are multiplying in spite of some saying we are encroaching on their habitat – they have been moving farther and farther south each year
I live in Eustis Fl, I can Bowhunt the coyote if it’s still a nuisance.
June/14/18
I’m more then willing to help..bow hunter here
They decimate indigenous species – also take small dogs and cats – I kill them on site day or night –
4 cats killed by Coyotes.
Our 15 year old cat was taken a few days ago.
The coyote is back this morning, stalking our back yard in the Apopka, Florida area.
It just turned around and stared me down before trotting off.
There are all kinds of turkey and Sandhill cranes in the back areas. Small Calves from the herd of cow in the adjacent property too. It was a good sized healthy looking coyote. Very strong looking and apparently well fed.
Coyotes prefer living close to people rather than the
“Wide Open Spaces.” It’s much easier to find food near people. Less worry for them from larger predators like wolves.
Just lost 2 cats in a week.. rifles loaded..
er learning that a coyote in “lighting flash” speed took the small dog of a friend’s little girl while she was walking hersmall dog on a eashh. I am petrified of coyotes. I saw one on Highway 441Delan last night coming out of a wooded area. These killers must be hunted until we get rid of them here in Central, Fla. I am a licensed gun owner, and I will carry my gun with me when I walk my beloved pets. I will take my gun along while walking my beloved pets as- self and pet-protection against these killers. . Any I see in or near my property will be justly shot and killed. We could help protect ourselves and communities if all Central Floridians joined forces against the coyotes using any permitted means to annihilate them. Coyotes have been known to attack and take babies. We must be proactive to preclude any such tragedy. No bleeding-heart for coyotes here.
BTW my friend’s little girl walked her dog at the same time each morning before school. It would seem that this coyote had learned her schedule and had been stalking her until it felt it was the right time to attack. Imagine her horror and pain!! she’s still afraid to go outside, cries constantly and is distraught,
. Nothing helps, My friend bought her a new puppy, it did not help. She’s just inconsolable, Cruel as it may sound, thank God it was a dog and not a baby.
knowing coyotes are around why do people let their animals out alone? Trust me, your pet(s) will learn to become house pets if you give them the chance.
Bring back running enclosures in Florida where houndsmen can run them with hounds and people will start back trapping them so they can make some extra money. This will help some but they are definitely here to stay!
Cities,Counties,local animal control,Fish & Wildlife,etc. Will do nothing to control coyotes. There is a large pack living in the groves near me. Their howling at night is very disturbing. We own our home, but not the property in a mobile home park, which means we cant shoot them if they come in our yard, and we are prohibited from going in the groves. So. What can be done to control or eradicate the growing population there?
Coyotes, God’s way of letting dumb people know not to let their pets run loose.
I live o the outskirts of deland and have taken to hunting these vicious creatures after they began attacking and eating the guts out of my sheep. They are tough to hunt around here but now I have the hang of it.. When we first moved here from town out two cats disappeared within the week. The cats we have now were born I a barn and have lasted well over two years. I have no love for the critters and it is not so easy to hunt them but I have hunted them out of necessity as well as for sport We have a full moon o the wax and I plan to get one this lunar cycle, we have had some lambs born and there is nothing like a bleating lamb to bring the coyote out from the forest. Last lamb season I killed one, skinned it and left the carcass out at the edge of my property. That worked to keep them away…. but they are back now, I can tell by the tracks, the barks at night ad the scrapes that are appearing all over the place in some wood close to my place. I get bragging rights every year….
The only good thing about coyotes is that they eat cats.
The only good thing about you is that you willeventually die and do the world a big favor
Should be allowed to take a Hunter safety course and hunt with no license. And drop the gutted critter off at a location for a Fee. Live stock and pets are at risk. And these coyote are encroaching in the city. They have over population
All you people a carrying on about a The Coyotes Being misplaced – well dadgumit knock down Your House that’s sitting on Once what was swampland , let The Coyotes move back , An you can go back up yonder .
I’m here in central Florida. I don’t plan on hunting coyotes. However if I’m in my yard, and one attacks my dogs, can I shoot the coyote? Or do I need a damn license to do that also?
Yes, you need a hunting license. But, if you are over 65 the county tax collector will issue you a lifetime one for free.
Just shoot it as you were in fear of your life and dogs life
Know anyone in Pasco County area hunting coyotes?
Anyone hunting pigs and coyotes in Pasco County, Fl.
It’s time that the State of Florida FWC start offering a $50 bounty on these nuisance animals.
To doug kailua, shoot them and claim self defense or fear of your life
Coyotes are too numerous, and should be considered the same as feral hogs… meaning no hunting permit or magazine capacity limit should be required for coyotes.
What is the setback law requirements for hunting coyotes with archery equipment from private properties? In other words if there are other homes in the area?